Mesa Trail II

Altra has the Superior and King Mtn, both of which have less cushioning and arch support than the Lone Peaks. The Superior 6 is my go-to right now. I train almost exclusively in Xero Prios. I also run in Mesa Trail IIs with a rock plate.

The Mesa II's are super light, something like 8oz lighter than the Vivo Hydra ESC. I got spoiled by super light shoes and it's hard to wear anything else. now. So I'm a big Mesa fan. Also VFF V-Alphas, they are even lighter. For grip VFF are much better than shoes since you have toe movement to help you grip. Then sandals then shoes. The Mesas are slippery in some conditions which you learn to adapt to after awhile. I don't have the Hydras but I have their other ESC soles and those are grippier than the Mesas.

Or Mesa IIs, 3 oz lighter than the Scrambler Lows. I put a .5oz 3mm pad in each shoe for longer hikes to give the feet a bit easier time.

I only have about 200 miles on mine, but they look almost like new, very little sole wear and nothing coming loose. The only concern for longer hikes is if they are too hard on the feet with the minimal amount of cushioning and the amount of flex in the sole. The soles do have some stiffness to them, more than e.g. the Xero Speed Force, and I am using an extra liner to give a bit more cushion. I'll know more at the end of the summer..

Xero soles are more slippery, but as long as you are aware of that they are OK. They wear a bit better due to the soles being more slippery so it’s a trade off. I’ve done several months of hiking in their Mesa shoes and never slipped and fell. Don’t know about their sandals though, I wear Shamma Warriors. Shammas grip very well except in heavy mud.

I am also a fan. I run regularly in my Prio Neos, and I just hiked the Salkantay trek in Peru in my Mesa 2s. Xeros fit so perfectly right away for me and never cause any rubbing or pain. Finding hiking shoes has been a struggle. No traditional boot brands fit me comfortably, so I gave up. The Xeros aren't great in deep mud unfortunately, I had to put shoe covers on for part of the trail one day. So far the shoes are holding up well. I'm an avid runner and hiker, so we will see... I haven't found any other barefoot shoe brand that fits me so perfectly, but there are a lot I haven't tried (Whitins, Vivos, and Altras don't work for sure). I can get the Xeros on sale online occasionally, so I don't normally pay more than $65-85 a pair.

My Mesa 2 Xeros have great traction. I hiked the Salkantay trek in them and it rained a lot, so we were hiking on wet rocks. I never slipped even once. They have the same traction as my old expensive hiking boots but are 10x more comfortable.

I third the mesa trail II. Absolutely love em, but I have had a hard time finding them recently. Anyone know if they will keep making them?

Seconding Xero. After New Balance abandoned their trail running customers, I ordered Xero walking shoes just to checkout the material and build quality of what was (to me) an unknown brand. They've been great, durable, and still look pretty new despite a lot of use. When it was time for new trail runners, got those from Xero and they've been great. 14w flat and I love the Mesa Trail II Barefoot

I’ve worn Xero shoes for the past five years, and I love them. I wear the scrambler lows right now and they’re great. Mesa Trail II are excellent as well (and they make great yard work shoes after you wear em down disc Golfing). I got two-three seasons out of them each

How has durability been for you with the Mesa 2’s?  Really happy with them for short hikes, but was wondering how they hold up for longer backpacking trips. 

Xero Mesa II are my favs! Never loved a shoe this much.

I've used Xero Shoes Mesa Trail 2 WP with wool socks and spikes or chains in conditions down to about 15 below

Very much depends on the terrain. For most ground types I've moved to hiking in sandals. If it's really rough ill go with trail running shoes, currently the Xero Mesa Trail

The grip is not the best, nowhere near what a good Vibram sole will give you. I haven't had any slips yet but it's noticeable. Also check out VJ Sarva running shoes if grip is a concern

I currently use Xero Shoes Mesa WP 2 and I'm quite happy with the performance. For lighter trails I use Xero Z Trails or Panta Zaros. I've found that small stones get stuck in between the toes of Five fingers and wear away at the mesh. I wouldn't recommend the waterproof Mesas for warm conditions, the breathable version is better

I dunno about y’all but I’ve had my prio’s and my mesa trails for years and like, theyre still as good as the day I bought them albeit more muddy