Looking at the Xero "Scrambler" shoe that boasts the Michelin sole it seems like it just has tiny nubs that don't look like would add much grip. I never tried them - hard to do since you can't wear them outside if you want to return them, unless you can claim they are defective. However compared to the grip pattern of "approach" shoes that other scramblers wear they look very different.
The most grippy Xeros I have are 360s which are designed for gym cross training. I find them great of scrambling on rock that isn't completely smooth. They aren't good when rock is wet though.
I was running in my 360s but switched to HFS2s so maybe when my 360s wear out (it'll be a long time probably) I'll try the Xero Scramblers - assuming they haven't bought something else out.
I recently picked up some Merrell Vapor Glove 6 and Wrapt shoes. Both seem very grippy on smooth tile floors but I have not had a chance to try them on rock yet. The latter have deeper tread pattern and the new "Quantum" sole and the shoes are a lot more beefy in the uppers but they also have some kind of arch support which means most people would not agree with Merrell's use of the name "barefoot" to describe them. Since I'm only going to be using them from scrambling which is just a couple of miles distance at a time I can deal with that,we'll see.
I had the og (1st gen) Trail Gloves and then Vapor Glove 4 and 6s. I've liked them all. Not the newer ones so much.
My main comment on the HFS II so far is that the foot volume seems lower than anything else I've bought so far. They aren't as low as Vivos, but definitely lower than eg. Xero Scrambler or indeed the Merrell Vapor Glove 6s.
They do seem well made, and I'm glad to hear they're holding up at the 200 mile mark. Here's to another 200!
I had the og (1st gen) Trail Gloves and then Vapor Glove 4 and 6s. I've liked them all. Not the newer ones so much.
My main comment on the HFS II so far is that the foot volume seems lower than anything else I've bought so far. They aren't as low as Vivos, but definitely lower than eg. Xero Scrambler or indeed the Merrell Vapor Glove 6s.
They do seem well made, and I'm glad to hear they're holding up at the 200 mile mark. Here's to another 200!
Shoutout to the King Mt2 from Altra. Feels like old school Altra. I think it's meant to be a Munro shoe but I've found it does really well on rock. The velcro strap also means switching between looser fit for plodding miles and tighter fit for responsive scrambling is super handy
That said I do most of my scrambling in merrell vapour gloves so maybe I just have low standards
Merrell wrapt are nice, i tried the merrell vapor glove too but i like how the wrapt are a little more rigid. Just wish the outsole lasted a bit longer. But i do walk on concrete a lot with them.
Guess it depends. I've used the following minimalist trail shoes so far:
* Merrell Vapor Glove 1, 4, and 5
* Xero Scrambler Low
* Vivo Primus Trail Knit FG
I also recently bought the Vivo Primus Trail Flow, but I haven't been able to take them out on a trail run yet. I will be taking them on trail runs in Spain next month, and I'm planning on doing a review of them afterwards.
Anyways, out of the shoes that I've tried:
* The most fun: The Vapor Gloves are incredibly fun due to their low stack height, but you need to be much more mindful of where you step. They also don't have any lugs and only treads, so they are only really usable in non-technical, solid ground terrain. I love the 5th gen for everyday wear, but for trail running, the 1st and 4th gen are more enjoyable because they are more flexible.
* The most comfortable: The Primus Trail Knit FGs are so incredibly comfortable, and I've done a 50K trail race and a self-supported 64K trail run in them. The knit material means that your foot will slide inside the shoe when moving laterally, so they are best suited for non-technical trails. The knit material also soaks up moisture, so they get super heavy (and they are already quite heavy at 400g) when wet.
* The lightest: The Vivo Primus Trail Flow is only 219g, and while I don't know if they're the lightest minimalist trail runners of all time, they are incredibly light. For reference, the Trail Glove 7 is 239g, and the Mesa Trail IIs are 221g, and both are some of the lightest minimalist trail runners in the market. The Freet Calver is a whopping 526g. While untested in the trails, I love the treads of the outsoles, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the lightweight trail runners fare in the trails.
Top Trail Running Shoes on Reddit
1
Mount to Coast
H1
85% positive of 177 users
Versatile road-to-trail, but struggles on wet, technical downhills.
O1O1O1O
