FAQ

Our co-founder, Lena Phoenix, likes to say, “There is NO reason to start another shoe company… unless your products change people’s lives.”

And if you read the reviews of our shoes and sandals, you’ll hear a lot of people saying just that, even if what was life-changing for them is as simple as finding shoes that are COMFORTABLE.

Frankly, it’s the emails, phone calls, reviews, and letters (yes, actual letters delivered by a mail person) where people share how much Xero Shoes has impacted their lives that keep us going.

We’re creating a MOVEMENT movement: Helping people experience the comfort, fun, and benefits of Natural Movement. And making natural movement the obvious, healthy, choice… the way natural food is currently.

One of our goals is to be respectful stewards of our environment and the planet.

With footwear, especially, performance footwear, there are some limitations to what we can do while still providing the durability, usability, and function our customers want, at a price they can afford.

We’re careful not to jump into “sustainable” or “environmentally beneficial” products or methods without looking at the bigger picture. For example, creating fleece from recycled plastic bottles sounds like a great thing… until it was discovered that fleece sheds synthetic microfibers — tiny bits of plastic that marine scientists say could be jeopardizing our oceans.

We think of our measured, long-term vision approach as being “Environmentally Intelligent.”

Some of the ways we do this include:

• Our minimalist designs use fewer materials than traditional shoes (especially performance products)
• Our simpler designs, without midsole layers, require less energy to manufacture
• Our soles last longer — where most performance shoe companies recommend replacing their products every 3-500 miles, our soles have a 5,000 mile sole warranty.
• Whenever possible, we use renewable materials, like hemp

We look forward to more and better ways we can “tread lightly” as we help you Live Life Feet First!

The short answer is: Start slowly. Give yourself time to get used to using your muscles naturally, to relaxing, and to your gait changes.

For running, you might start with a VERY short run… like 30 seconds! If that’s not fun, there are a number of hints on our site that will help you. When a short run feels easy and fun, add 10 more seconds to your next run. Then “lather, rinse, repeat.”

Listen to your body. Use fun as your guide.

This blog post may be helpful.

Check out this article about proper walking form, whether you’re in bare feet or shoes.

Every time we release a shoe for some specific purpose, like the Speed Force for running, we find that people will do just about anything in it – from hiking to slacklining to weightlifting or using it as a day-to-day shoe.

Trust me, we don’t want to stop you. We think it’s super cool when someone sends us a photo of them at the top of a mountain and the shoe that took them there was our casual Hana 😉

That said, if you’re looking for a specific recommendation, check out our shoe finder here, or contact us directly!
Otherwise, below are some of our most commonly worn shoes for specific activities:

Road Running

HFS
Prio
Z-Trek
Z-Trail EV
Cloud
Genesis

Trail Running
TerraFlex
Mesa Trail
Z-Trail EV

Warm Weather Hiking
TerraFlex
Mesa Trail
Xcursion Fusion
Z-Trek
Z-Trail EV
Cloud

Warm Weather/Beach
Aptos
HFS
Prio
Z-Trek
Z-Trail EV
Genesis
Cloud

Cold Weather Hiking
Alpine
Xcursion Fusion
TerraFlex (with warm socks)

Weightlifting/CrossFit/Fitness
HFS
Prio
Z-Trek
Genesis

Cold weather
Xcursion Fusion
Alpine

Office wear
Prio All-Day
Hana
Glenn

Travel
All of our shoes are travel friendly because they’re so lightweight and versatile. But we’ve heard many people say they used just one of these for a whole vacation (depending on where they went)
Aptos
HFS
Prio
Hana
Z-Trail
Z-Trek
TerraFlex
Denver
Mika

Casual wear
Aptos
Oswego
Hana
Prio All-Day
Jessie
Colorado
Cassie
Alston
Phoenix
Tari
Ashland
Denver

Yes, all of our shoes and sandals are zero-drop.

That means the heel isn’t higher than the ball of the foot, for proper posture.

Xero Shoes is about promoting the benefits (and comfort and FUN) of natural movement, first and foremost. Whenever we can, though, we make vegan-friendly products.

Sometimes we aren’t able to due to the materials needed to construct a shoe that meets the requirements of jobs that require, say, a leather shoe.

At this time, the only shoe available in the UK that is not vegan-friendly is the Glenn. Other non-vegan Xero Shoes styles are Alston, Melbourne, leather Hana, leather Phoenix, which are made of leather, as well as the original Mika, which contains a small amount of wool on the collar. We previously had the Coalton (leather) and Pacifica (wool), though we no longer carry those.

Every product’s page gives a recommendation for selecting the correct size.

Also, see our size guidelines at www.xeroshoes.co.uk/fit.

We understand that ordering shoes online can be hard, especially when the sizing between shoes varies (trust us–we’re working on it!). If you’re still unsure, please email our Customer Happiness team at [email protected].

Also, keep in mind that we offer free domestic exchanges in case you get a size that doesn’t feel right.

Xero Shoes are designed to let your feet do what’s natural — bend, flex, move and feel the world.

Research shows that “supporting” your arch can make your foot weaker in as little as a few weeks, while even just walking in a minimalist shoe can improve foot muscle strength.

We want to let your feet be feet… and support you for life.

Since our soles are flat, with no built-in arch support, they’re probably the best shoe to use if you decide to add an insole.

So you know, though, our shoes are intentionally designed to let your feet bend, flex, and move naturally. Research shows that “supporting” your arch or immobilizing your foot with an orthotic can make your foot weaker in as little as a few weeks, while even just walking in a minimalist shoe can improve foot muscle strength.

We’ve heard from a number of customers who wear CorrectToes with their Xero Shoes.

Most of them are wearing the product with our sandals, but we know of some who wear CorrectToes with our closed-toe shoes also. It will depend, in part, on your foot’s width.

The more demand we have for particular shoes or colours, the more we’re able to offer.

Email [email protected] with your suggestions if you’d like to see a certain colour or style.

Email [email protected] if you have a suggestion or request for a specific shoe, colour, or size. The more demand we have, the greater our ability to make more shoes (this includes making men’s versions of our women’s shoes and visa versa).

The women’s styles will fit more narrowly than the men’s. If you are a man with narrow feet, then you may prefer the “women’s” sizes. If you are a woman with a wider foot, then you may want to try the “men’s” styles.

The difference in length between men’s and women’s closed-toe shoes is 1 size.

We find that temperature ratings aren’t very accurate. They vary greatly depending on environmental factors, like humidity and typical weather (a Tennessee snowstorm is quite different from one in Colorado!)

Below is an overview that might help:

Sandals
We hope you don’t have to ask, but in case you do…our sandals will not keep your feet warm.  Add a pair of socks and you can make it through colder weather. Find some waterproof, insulated socks and you can be one of those people who wears socks all year-’round. Check out what our CEO, Steven Sashen, has done in a Colorado winter

Closed Toe Shoes
Most of our closed-toe shoes are not designed to keep your feet warm. They’ll be just as warm as a traditional closed-toe shoe.

Water Resistant Boots and Shoes

The following boots are water resistant, not waterproof. They’ll repel water to a certain degree and keep your feet warm, but they aren’t “trudge through a slushy puddle in the middle of winter” level weatherproof.

If you love the style of one of our water-resistant shoes, you can enhance its ability to repel water by adding a waterproof coating, like a Scotch Guard spray or beeswax.

Hana
Mika
Denver

Waterproof Boots

Currently, the Xcursion Fusion hiking boots and Alpine snow boots are our only fully-waterproof options. These shoes are fully waterproof and will keep your feet dry in wet-weather conditions. Bring it on, monsoon!

We design all of our shoes here in Colorado. Xero Shoes are responsibly, ethically, and fairly manufactured in China.

While we would love to manufacture in America, it is literally not possible at this time, in the same way, it’s not possible to domestically manufacture the device you’re using to read this answer.

Performance footwear manufacturing moved to Asia in the 70s and shows no likelihood of moving back. Note that some companies that claim “made in America” are still sourcing their materials from overseas (or the US companies from which they buy their materials are doing so).

We visit and work with our factories multiple times per year.  We also have an on-the-ground manufacturing agent who oversees the factories when we’re not there to ensure that conditions are good, workers are treated fairly, and the shoes are made in compliance with all local laws and regulations. The factories we use to treat and pay their workers exceptionally well.

Companies much larger than ours use these same factories and have spent millions of dollars on audits to assure themselves and their wholesale partners about the quality and conditions.

While our shoes are low to the ground for balance and agility, and flexible enough to let your feet bend and move naturally, our shoes are not electrically conductive.

We have heard from some customers who made their Xero Shoes conductive by putting a rivet or grommet through the soles but we do not have any personal experience with this.

Please keep in mind that any alterations to the shoes would not be covered under warranty.

While we stand behind the quality of our products, we also know the reality: nothing is perfect and nothing goes 100% according to plan. That’s why we have a 2 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty.

There are more details about our warranty here.

Likewise, please contact us so we can evaluate your situation and give you the correct remedy options.

The simplest answer is: Do they feel right?

Sizing is largely about personal preference. You could take 3 people with identical feet, put them in the same shoe, and they’d have 3 different opinions about how the shoe fits.

Some people think you need a lot of room in front of your toes. This is true for shoes with thick midsoles, but not with Xero Shoes (when thicker shoes bend, the “inside” shortens faster than the outside… like what happens when you bend a phone book).

Some people like their toes to lightly touch the front of the shoe because it gives them additional feedback.

We recommend wearing the shoes indoors for a bit to see how they feel (remember, if you need to return or exchange, the product must be in “new and unworn” condition).

If you’re a woman with a wider foot, you may be more comfortable in a “men’s” style. And if you’re a man with a narrower foot, you may like a “women’s” style better.

If you have other questions about fit, feel free to reach out so we can help!

There’s a simple way to shorten the straps on the Cloud or Genesis at https://xeroshoes.com/adjust/

We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Much of our product development comes from hearing what you want next.

Send an email with your requests or suggestions to: [email protected].

By the way, it can take up to 2 years to develop a new shoe. So we may already be working on what you want 😉

Suffice it to say, the footwear industry is very competitive and we can’t reveal ALL our plans for future products.

The best way to find out about new releases is to sign up for our newsletter at https://www.xeroshoes.co.uk/newsletter/ and to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you have a great suggestion for a new shoe or a request about an existing one, send us an email — [email protected].