Hiking boots – Barefoot shoes reviews

Scrambler mid II – Xero Shoes

Hiking boots Scrambler mid II is one of the news from Xero Shoes SS2024. Until the 27th of March we can get them with 20% discount togheter with the other spring news!

SOLE
The 0-drop soles are in the thicker range to be a “barefoot shoe”, but they feel more flexible than the look testifies.

The Michelin soles is 5.5 mm with a 3 mm construction layer and 4 mm TrailFoam™ for extra comfort, the mountain bike tire inspired lugs are 3 mm. The removable insoles are 3,5 mm thick.

The sole don’t feel stiff, rather a bit padded.

5000 mile sole warranty.

Michelin soles wit 3 mm MTB inspired lugs!

SIZING
Often Xeros shoes are more narrow in wmn´s versions. For waterproof hiking boots Ridgeway I took wmn size 39.5 and it was perfect so I did the same with Scrambler Mid II but they have a more narrow fit so if you have wider feet and have the opportunity to choose men´s version it’s probably the better option.

2 hiking both from Xeroshoes, both in women size 39.5.

If you are wide between the balls note that the construction and material don’t allow stretch in that area.

The available sizes are:

Men: EU 39.5-48, US:6.5-15

Woman: EU 36.5 – 42.5, US 5-12

WEIGHT
They feel very light! Around 300 g depending on size. Comparing to conventional hiking boots it’s very light and they do feel light on the feet.

APPERANCE & FUNCTIONS
Scrambler Mid II have the, for Xeros, characteristic strap design, this time in natural colours (2 in men´s size: black or brown-ish. 2 in women size: brown-ish or grey-ish). The colour of the boots I show here is Paloma.

The upper is made of mesh and feel breathable. The boots are not labelled as waterproof and the upside is that they probably will dry faster. By mistake I stepped into water but the feet surprisingly stayed dry so the seems to resist the first wet.

Front eyelets for gaiters (or pants with hook).

Choose if the last hooks shall be used, thanks to them instead of eyelets all the way up it’s esier to put on the boots.

Generous bootstrap to easier put on the boot or attach them to the backpack.

SUMMERY

🔸️The light boots is in the more narrow range with thicker soles. The Michelin soles with MTB inspired 3 mm lugs should satisfy most of us. The impression is well made with with thoughtful details.

🔸️The price is €180.00 and with the 20% discount €144.00.

🔸️Available in 4 colours.

🔸️Removable insoles and nicely padded shafts on the inside.

🔸️Available in sizes 36.5 – 48, the sizes 39.5 – 42.5 is available both in men and women versions. Women versions is more narrow.

Transition Vario 3 – Solerunner

Sole Runner is a German company that started to develop their first models in 2011 and Transition Vario was one of the first models and are also available in a mesh version.

Sole Runner (SR) also sell more casual shoes and shoes for kids.

SR label these shoes as a a 365-day boot with water-repellent upper material (leather), the protection band (the suede looking part at the bottom) is made of water proof material. The boot itself is not waterproof but water-repellent.

The boots come with different kind of removable soles and removable warming felt elements. There is a pouch on the shaft, there the element can be placed. One of the inner soles are made of thermal isolation. This makes the TV3 a real all year around shoe.

During the winter I have used the boots with both inner soles and wool socks down to -13°C and as long as moving the cold hasn’t been a problem.

I have used the thermal isolation in one boots and haven’t felt a big different but maybe the help more if really cold.

Removable felt insulation that is put in a pocket behind the heel. Smart!

When adding the insulation the shaft also become more supportive. Some want to have a more supportive shaft when hiking with heavy equipment and then the isolation can be a great extra.

The eyelets let the laces to run free that makes it easy to tie them quickly. Before I tried them I didn’t thought I would appreciate this fast tying system so much but I do. It’s really convinient to be able to easily put the shoes on and of. The laces is quite long and I always make a double tying.

The tongue is gusseted (the tongue is sewn onto the boot up to about the 4 th loop on the tying) to prevent water and dirt to come into the boots. For boots used in terrain I recommend to make sure that the tongue is constructed this way (and they more or less always are).

I assess the sole grip as medium comparing to similar other “barefoot boots”. There is no particular lugs to talk about but on the other side are these soles thin and very flexible and they are very light weighted.

Shaft heights and weight comparing to some other brands.

I give the high shafts a big plus. When snow outside a generous shaft height make big difference even if the pants is placed over the boots.

Som comparison when it comes to width and soles.

The width is in my book medium. According to the size chart size 39 would be one cm longer than my feet and the recommendation is to add 3-5 mm but wise of experience I took size 40 which is 7 mm longer than 39 and it leave space for thicker socks and also extra sole.

For the length size 39 would be enough for me but when it comes to the width I’m glad I sized up. So my suggestion is to size up if you have wider feet or want thicker soles.

I consider my feet as medium high instep (more medium height than medium low) with a medium heel and these boots stay fine on the feet also without extra socks and sole even if they are in the longer spectra.

️The appearance and overall impression are a very well made boot. They are light, soft and flexible and I appreciate the “fast tying system”.

SUMMERY:

Sizes: 36 – 49
Material: Leather
Price: €200
Weight (one boot s.40): 320 g
Sole height: 6 mm + removable insoles
Shaft height (s.40): 19 cm

Saltic – Vintero

Saltic is a Czech company that also makes climbing shoes. In the barefoot shoe range we can besides boots find sandals, ballerinas and sneakers.

Vintero comes in a lot of colours and each time I checked theire web page, http://www.barefootsaltic.cz, there is a new one – right now I counted to 13! So there should be a colour for everyone and there is also some with patterns, dots or flowers for instance.

I chose the blue ones that goes well with jeans!

The boot have an insulated membrane and 3.6 mm, not removable, thick termal insoles. The outer sole is 3.5 mm thick. The soles have a grippy anti slip surface, there are no lugs but the surface under is sticky and the boots could be placed at a very sloped surface.

I do like the look and the shades in the leather.

Comes in shoe bag instad of cardboard box and impregnation spray included!

The tongue is attached at one side, which is unusual but smart, it´s still easy to put on and off.

The size chart at web page mention feet length but seems more to be inner length so it can be a good idea to size up, with that said you will probably use your normal size.

These boots was gifted for review, unfortunately they are a bit small for me so I have just worn them some days to feel them. My feet are 24.5 cm and I took size 39. Ibstead my daughter have used them. We have the same feet lenght but her feet are more narrow than mine so they worked better for her. I think one size up would be perfect for me though.

SUMMERY:

Sole: 3 + 3.6 mm
Upper: Leather
Colours: Many! About 13.
Width: Medium
Price: 147€
Lining: WinTherm membrane for isolation
Weight: 230 g
Sizes: 34-47 (can be ordered with diff. sizes for left & right foot!)

My feelings: 🙂👍

Hiking boots – comparison

For me the most important shoe might be the hiking boots. As I daily walk in forest and the weather can be rough from October to April a good boot that hold togheter, let water out and let the feet move as natural is high up on my wish list.

So here comes a comparison of the three hiking boots I tried so far: Tracker from Vivobarefoot, Boulder Waterproof from Leems and Mudee from Freetfootwear.

Vivobarefoot’s Tracker, Freet’s Mudee, Lems Boulder WP.

First if all, if you are new in barefoot shoes you will probably be happy with any of these when it comes to feeling and comfyness. If you are a more experienced barefoot shoe user Lems soles may feel too thick. I bought it only because the promise of waterproofness.

Up to left: Mudee & Boulder WP. Up to right: Mudee & Tracker. Down to left: Boulder WP and Tracker.

They all have advantages and I have worn especially Tracker and Lems a lot the last two years, Mudee is my last buy that I had for about 3 month now. I want to start with mention the waterproofness because that seems to be the unicorn when it comes to barefoot hiking boots. Tracker and Boulder WP is labeled as waterproof and Mudee as water resistant. For me it´s a huge disappointment that the boots that are label as waterproof not live up to the promis because that was the USP for me when buying them. In the beginning they kept out the water well but after a quite short while the water start to zip in. And yes, I have tried to impregnate the boots with different types of products but Tracker let water in through the fabric tongue and also in the transition from sole to upper. Boulder WP leak in through the seams and not much water is needed, wet blueberry rice is enough. If you not will use your boots very much in terrain the water proofness will maybe last longer, I can just tell my experience from the boots I have worn maybe about 300 h in forest. Mudee is water resistant and right now they kept out water better than the others. That’s ok because there is no promise about something else so it’s more like a happy surprise that they keep out the water as long as they do (see separate Mudee post for more information of how long the water keep out so far).

Where water comes in after a quite long while for Mudee.

Toebox: Mudee is without any doubt widest. Boulder WP is a bit wider than Tracker. Just Mudee has straight big toe shape.

Hard to see the feeling but Freet is the widest of these three.

Sole & feeling: Tracker and Mudee have the best groundfeeling but I like Mudee best. Boulders sole are the thickest with 9 + 3.5 mm.

Weight: Mudee 300 g, Boulder 365 g, Tracker 415 g.

Grip: More or less the same but Tracker might have a little better grip than the other and Mudee better than Boulder WP.

Price: Tracker 240 €, Boulder WP 230 €, Mudee 140 €.

Sizes: Size up for all these three, measure and read the recommendation from the suppliers carefully.

Lems Boulder Waterproof after about 300 h use and a lot of impregnation.

FREET MUDEE

Width: Fit medium to wide feet best
Weight: c. 300 g (one boot size 41)
Material: Vegan
Water: Resistant but keep water out well
Sole: 3 + 4 mm
Sizes: 35-46, size up 1 – 2 sizes
Price: 130 €
Colours: Black, Brown
Made in: China
My thoughts: Comfy, wide enough, light, nice ground feeling, too low shaft (a version with slightly higher shaft will come in July!)

LEMS BOULDER WP

Width: Fit medium feet best
Weight: 365 g (one boot size 40)
Material: Leather
Water: Labeled as waterproof but are not, at least not mine
Sole: 9 + 3.5 mm
Sizes: 35-46, size up 1 – 2 sizes
Price: 220 €
Colours: Brown, black
Made in: China
My thoughts: Comfy, thicker sole, disapointed with the waterproofness, not so good grip

VIVOBAREFOOT TRACKER

Width: Fit narrow to medium feet best
Weight: 415 g (one boot size 39)
Material: Leather
Water: Labeled as waterproof but are not, at least not mine
Sole: 2.5 mm base and 3 mm lug height + innersole
Sizes: 35-46, size up 1 – 2 sizes
Price: 130 €
Colours: Black, Brown
Made in: China
My thoughts: Comfy, flexible sole, better grip than the other but not very good, nice ground feeling disapointed with the waterproofness, could be wider.

SUMMERY:

All these boots are good for sure. If you want thicker sole you might prefer Lems Boulder Waterproof. If you have more narrow feet and want a flexible leather boot Vivobarefoot Tracker maybe is the best choise. Personally I prefer Mudee because it is wide, flexible and light. I wish higher shaft but as menitioned there will come an updated version in July.

However, I´m greatful these brands have developed good alternatives to the traditional heavy stiff hiking boots on the market.

Freet – Mudee

The last months I have used Mudee from Freet footwear a lot, I would say about 80 h just in forest.

For me this was a plug´n play boot, I really like the shape and light weight. I have worn it between -10 °C and +10 °C (14 – 50 °F) and with wool socks and movement, the cold didn´t cause me any harm. The toebox is generouse and sole flexible. The lining around the ankle is soft and comfy. I normally wear size 39-40 but took 41 in these and that’s perfect so it’s a good idea to size up, especially if you like toe wear them with extra socks when cold.

These boots are labeled as water resistant and not water proof. After 1 h walk in very wet snow the feet started to get damp but not wet. I experience that it takes time to dry the boots if they have become a bit damp. I guess there is a membrane that protect the boots from getting wet (you can hear it rustling if you squeeze the boots) but also make it dry slow. After 30 minutes in wet snow the feet is still dry. One day I went out for 30 min at lunch time in wet snow and 3 h later another 1,5 h walk and then the big toes become wet. I had impregnate the boots with different fats (one with common leather balm and one with Sno-seal) to see if there would be any differences and both become wet at same level (big toes and a bit up on the insides of the feet). After 16 h the boots were still damp but with a shoe dryer that was fixed in 20 minutes.

Wet snow but the boots kept up quite well for awhile

I stepped through ice by mistake and dippet the foot for a short second (maybe 30 cm up on leg) and the shoe immediately become filled upp with water. My guess is that if the pants cover the boot, the shafts is higher and encloses the leg this kind of miss step necessarily don’t need to soak the foot so fast.

The grip is the same I often experience with barefoot shoes; that there is development potential. But there is probably a challenge between thin soles and good grip and it´s mostly at ice, wet snow or very muddy circumstances this matter. Except from that the grip is just fine on rocks.

For me the low cut is a minor. I actually didn´t thought about that before the buy and for walks in terrain higher shaft is to prefer but if you mostly walk outside the vegetation and not in snow it shouldn´t matter. A good thing is that Freet is coming up with a higher version!

The glue on top of one boot has start to loose. I don’t see that affect the function to keep water out because it seems to be the same for both boots but of course the boot should hold up better after just a few (2) month use, especially a hiking boot.

How to measure the Botee size, pic borrowed from Freets web page.

Summation: This is a nice boot that I like a lot, the feeling is great. For me higher shaft would be preferable but if you mostly walks at snow free trails and not so much in the bush this will probably be a great shoe for most of us.

Soles: 3 mm + 4 mm removable insole
Width: Medium to wide toe box.
Weight: One shoe in size 40 is 325 g
Water: Water resistant
Sizes: 35 – 48, run small
Price: 130 €
Material: Vegan “hydrophobic micro fibre material”
Made in: China, designed in UK

My feeling : 😃🤎 (🙁 for loosed glue)

Freet – Mudee

After some weeks in snow with Mudee från Freet Footwear I want to tell you about how I experience the temperatures. The temps are always an issue during winter for barefoot shoes and the rhin soles make it a challange for sure. The upside is that the feet works more and many barefooter experience it helps to keep warm.

First impression is a light roomy boot and I have not experienced any problem with the grip! I have used them daily at forest walks in temperatures between -1°C and -11°C (30-12 F). The shaft is low so the snow easily get into the boots but there will come a model with higher shaft!

I have taken 1.5 h walks in snow during different temperatures, the toebox is roomy enough for an extra sock, my favorite is a medium loose fitting alpaca wool sock. Down to about -6°C (43 F) the feet is quite toasty with the extra sock, but remember we are now talking about movement, not standing still.

When -11°C (12 F) feet is “lagom” (not to warm not to cold) with wool socks but way too cold without. Even if it’s cold the feet can be sweaty and the boots become a bit damp so be careful if first walking longer and then standing still. For me using the alpaca sock, standing still is fine for 20-30 minutes after an hours walk in -6°C (43 F), then it starting to get cold quite quick.

A good idea is to size up with this boot, I took size 41 and normally choose 39-40. Price £110.

I will come back with a full review but need to wear it more first and also under no snow circumstances.

Lems – Boulder Waterproof

I had big expectations of Lems Boulder Waterproof in my hunt for a waterproof boot. First of all, I would not consider them as waterproof💧. The first weeks they kept the water out but then they started to take in water. Now, after a year, I have worn them 200 – 250 h in terrain and they let in water from uper seams, soles but even the toung is leaking. After impregnation it’s better but not waterproof, I mostly use Snowseal that should be good. Pic below shows footprint after 1,5 h in forest (not rainy, just wet ground).

The first feeling is a toebox that is big enough (the big toe area could be less sloped though and it’s little tight with toe separstors) but it feels as the outsides of the forefeet is a little bit higher than the inside and after wearing it indoors for a while a little bit uncomfortable feeling outside the forefoot appears but that disappeared after a while. Also the heel counters generated a feeling that it is “something there” like small pillows besides the achilles tendons, that was solved after some days using but the feeling of a little bit higher outside sole remains.
If I had tried these boots a couple of years ago I would have been overwhelmed but after years in thin soles the 9.0 mm outsole and 3,5 mm footbed feels unflexible and the toe spring become noticeable when the sole not flex enought. I guess my feet also become more sensible for small inconveniences. One Boulder boot weights 365 g. Price: $165
Lems recommend to size up ½ so for me I took Wmn´s 9,5 which in the end turned out to be a good choise (normally I´m US 8, EU 39).

Exempel of the lack of waterproofness. Before walk I impregnate the shoes with sno-seal*. I walked about 10 000 steps in forrest, no rain, just on path, avoided to walk in water. No wet vegetatione against the shoe. Below see the innersoles.

*I don’t recommend Sno-Seal because at the label I can read that the product is toxic to aquatic organisms.

My feeling: 🙂💧🤨

Lems web page: www.lemsshoes.com

Ahinsa – Jaya Bare

The search for really waterproof hiking boots continues👣💧🌲. Jaya Bare from Ahinsa is vegan, shall be waterproof and are handmade in Czech Republic. I had so high expectations for these boots and the shape looks so good. The toebox is generous and so are the hight over the toes but as you can see the boots has a “marked waist” and here occurred the problem for my feet – the boots become too tight.

Above compares with Milagro from Boty Luks and the tight section is marked with yellow line. I think that´s a pitty for shoes with laces – it would be better to make it more spacious and let the laces do the job instead so that the shoes fits more shapes of feet. When I used “common not footshaped” shoes this was very rarely a problem but for barefoot shoes it´s not that uncommon for me. I thinking maybe producers want to compensate the bigger front with low and tight middle part to make the appearance neater🤔. Overall the shoes looks good and I do think it can keep the water out. The feeling over the tongue is a bit plastic but I think that´s ok because the usp it´s vegan, to compare with leater would not be fair

My feeling: 😥

Vivobarefoot – Tracker

The Tracker from Vivobarefoot is light, good looking and comfy. It should also be waterproof and it was in the beginning. At first there was just problem with the fabric tounge during rain or if I happened to step in deeper water. But now after approx 2 years use it also take in water at the sole. I have used these a lot also during snowy winter and as long you are moving the feet keeps warm (probably because the thin sole allows the feet to work with the terrain). The grip in terrain is ok, better than Lems Boulder.

A minor is the unnecessarily long laces and I bought size EU39 and should gone up one size to get more space because the toe box is not very roomy.

Price: 23€

Feeling: 🙂😔