Scrambler Low Series

I used the all black Xero Mesa Trail II for this purpose, and also as my daily. Was quite satisfied with them but for the fact that the cleats-like sole tread tended to cause calf pain when running with them on pavement for more than a half hour and not staying very mindful about short strikes. I recently wore this pair out (got maybe 2 years out of them), and they were sold out of my size. Tried and returned the all black Xero Scrambler Low EV, as they weren’t as narrow and low profile as I liked with the Mesa Traill II. Ultimately opted to switch to the all black Xero HFS II, and I’ve been very happy with them. I’ve thus far been preferring them > the Mesa Trail II for the lone shoe I wear traveling, as they have been better for my mix of road running (no pain) + light hiking and trail running (the less extreme tread has seemed fine) + daily. When I’m not traveling, I use the all black Altra Escalante 4 for road running; olive Nike Pegasus Trail 4 Gore-Tex for heavier duty hiking/trail running, rain, and snow running; and the HFS II for daily duty.

I was going to try the Topo Traverse, I have a pair of Xero but it's not really reccomended to hike in barefoot shoes unless your bag is crazy light.

I am a medium fan of the Lems Trail Blazers I'm rocking now, and a medium-to-big fan of the xero scramblers I ran for a year before the switch. Not a "huge" fan of either, though I do love them. I have concerns about longevity with the xeros - they did last a year with 4-8 rounds a week, so maybe take that into consideration - but they started ripping and coming unglued relatively early in their life. Most of the damage was superficial, but the sole started peeling off recently so I switched it up instead of faffing about with gluing things. The lems are cool, but the toebox is a bit skinnier than with my previous xeros and the shoes have significantly more stack than the scramblers. both are incredibly comfortable, and the Lems definitely make a lot of sense for anyone coming from the traditionally-sized shoe world what with the thicker soles and less groundfeel in comparison to the xeros - though I'm sure the upside is that they're a bit more resistant to wear too. I'm likely going back to the xeros next year. One year out of a pair of shoes is ok for me if they're that comfortable.

Xero Scrambler Lo and now Mesa Trail

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.