Even today at the age of 50 I am a big advocate of walking barefoot. In the summer I walk barefoot whenever possible, in the winter I walk around the house in just a pair of rubberized socks, and in general I’m a fan of quality brands. footwear that seeks to combine barefoot with modern needs. No, I’m not a barefoot runner, but in the warm season I mainly wear Joe Nimble as a sneaker and I particularly love everything Topo Athletics does.
That’s why when I got these Xero Shoes Scrambler Mid I literally rolled my eyes: gods midsole hiking boots with 0 drops and virtually no midsoleultralight and with the Michelin sole that I have gradually learned to appreciate since it entered the world of sports footwear.
Xero Shoes Scrambler Mid: what are these minimal and ultra-light hiking boots?
Since trail running shoes appeared, and since more and more people also use them for hiking, lightness has become a discriminating feature even in trekking boots. But if it is difficult to verify what Xero Shoes says, namely that with just 312 grams of weight (in the standard size) these Scrambler Mids are the lightest hiking boots in the world, there is no doubt that they are very light. And likewise there is no doubt that they are not for everyone, or at least that they are something very different from the idea we have of hiking shoesand that need a period of “accustoming” to the fact that with just 3mm of rubber underfoot you feel practically everything you place your feet on.
The Michelin FiberLite sole
Here, let’s start with the Michelin FiberLite sole. Apart from the fact that there is neither protection nor structure, two cornerstones of hiking shoes that are still indispensable for many, this does not mean that there is no safety. Even by slightly modifying the support of the feet in the more technical passages such as those on stones, boulders or roots, even humid in this early spring, the feeling is always that of great grip and hold. The FiberLite technology actually consists in inserting a special and thin fabric inside the reinforced sole, which makes it light and flexible, and this is another interesting feature.
The upper of the Xero Shoes Scrambler Mid
On the upper of the Xero Shoes Scrambler Mid there are a few aspects to dissect. The first, and simplest, is that we are talking about a wide-toe model, that is, with a wide toe that leaves ample room for movement for the toes. Not a new trend (Altra had started in running) but increasingly widespread and positive as far as I’m concerned. Then the upper is really ultra-light and ultra-destructuredperhaps a little too much when it comes to acting on the inside or outside of the foot.
And above all there is the collar, which instead in contrast to the rest is very solid, enveloping, containing. Which gives back a strange sensation: the ankle is blocked like in a traditional hiking boot, while the foot is very, very free. The Topo Trailventure 2 WP had also arrived at the same concept, but with more midsole and more structure underfoot which gave you a more traditional feeling.
Conclusions
What can I say, in conclusion, about these Xero Shoes Scrambler Mid?
That if you are on a path towards a more natural foot strike, or are a longtime barefoot fan, I am definitely something to try to bring this idea to the trails as well.
That they are certainly not hiking footwear for everyoneor at least that before abandoning the traditional boots for the Xero Shoes Scrambler Mid, an intermediate step through a “natural” model may be necessary, but not yet so barefoot.
That they represent the meeting point of different trends in the world of technical trekking footwear – wide-toe, barefoot or natural, extreme lightness – which will be curious to see if it will in turn become a real trend.
Which are shoes with which to set off immediately on a tourist or hiking trail but not to set off immediately for something more technically demanding, from EE onwards: it is better to get the foot used to it first and “teach” them how to use them.
And that in short, if you have 200 EUR to spend on your hiking equipment for this summer, they are undoubtedly something totally new and different from the usual. And so to try
Advertising
