Strength training and CrossFit have been the centerpieces of my fitness regimen for the last 10 years. Before that, I was primarily focused on cycling. As I’ve gotten older, a more well-rounded routine has become more appealing.
Over the years, I’ve learned from personal experience that shoes are a big deal when it comes to fitness and training. Years ago, I’d buy whatever sneakers looked great and fit well—bonus points if they were on sale. That’s no longer the case.
This week, I made the switch from what I thought were excellent training shoes, the Adidas Dropset, to the Xero Prio zero-drop, barefoot-style shoe—which I found at REI for an incredible $53 (practically free for this kind of shoe).
So what do I think? It’s been less than a week, but so far, I love them. Though I have one caveat, which I’ll get to in a bit. Otherwise, I cannot recommend these highly enough.
Why Did I Scrap My Adidas Dropset?
I didn’t scrap them so much as demote them. After three years of heavy workouts, my Dropsets are showing their age. The material in the upper and the soles, which are pretty strong, is finally starting to fray. The shoe’s overall structure is also losing integrity—occasionally causing some mild bunion pain. Otherwise, I can’t complain. They have been great, strong, extremely stable, and grippy shoes, which is exactly what I needed when I replaced my Nike Metcon 3s (which, in my opinion, are lousy shoes despite being well-built and stable).
Why Xero?
I’m a big fan of Dr. Peter Attia’s podcast, The Drive. While I really like his book, Outlive, his podcast, in my opinion, is better and more immediately useful. In episode 296, Peter interviewed Courtney Conley, a specialist in foot health, strength, and mobility. It’s a great episode that I won’t recap here. Suffice to say, it sent me on a week-long research journey into the relationship between foot health and shoes, or as Peter outlines in his show notes, “the importance of prioritizing footwear that promotes natural foot movement and strength while considering individual comfort and foot health needs.”
While there are a variety of highly-rated zero-drop, barefoot-style shoes out there, I kept coming back to the Xeros based on what I’d read. I happened to see the Xero Prio on sale at REI several days ago and decided to try them out. And I’m really, really happy with them!
Why I Already Love the Xero Prios
In sum, as I’ve already said, I’m impressed.
First, they are amazingly soft and comfortable. The sole has enough cushioning to feel great while maintaining the overall zero drop design—that is, there is no difference in the distance from the bottom of your foot to the surface you’re walking on, from the back to the front of the shoe. In contrast, most training and running shoes have a noticeable drop from heel to toe, meaning your heel is elevated into an unnatural position.
Second, the shoe is extremely light and flexible. Wearing the Xero Prio for a workout genuinely feels like being barefoot, yet protected at the same time. As you can see in the accompanying photos, the material is extremely breathable, too. Xero’s promotional materials show how this shoe can be twisted and flexed like a piece of rubber, allowing your foot to move and flex naturally without resistance. In comparison, the Nike Metcons feel like having your feet thrown into solitary confinement. Amazingly, Nike even recommends buying a size larger than normal because their shoes run small, which makes me wonder why they don’t just change their sizing scale to accommodate, you know, everyone. The Adidas Dropsets are more comfortable than the Nike Metcons, with a wider toebox and a generally better overall fit. However, the Dropsets are still pretty rigid—and not always in a good way.
Third, speaking of the toebox… Xero advertises its shoes as having a wider toebox that allows your toes move and splay the way they were meant to. So far, I’ve found this to be true. It’s also a major reason why these shoes feel so good. Good cushioning and protection, and total freedom of foot movement without constriction.
Finally, they are superbly grippy. During a CrossFit class today at my gym, floor grip was off the charts. It was really nice. Yes, the Nikes and Adidas models are pretty grippy, but I’ve experienced the odd slip with both brands. So far, that doesn’t even seem possible with the Xeros. Time will tell.
The One Thing I Don’t Like: They’re Not Good for Cycling
Now, for my one rather ironic complaint. The Xero Prios are terrible for cycling, both indoors and outdoors. Wearing these shoes on a bike is like riding barefoot, which is uncomfortable and inefficient. Cycling requires a stiff sole that acts as a solid platform, allowing you to transmit a lot of leg muscle energy to the road. With the Prios, just like riding barefoot, a lot of that leg energy is lost because your foot muscles are working overtime to compensate for the overly flexed position biking requires of them. This is actually a compliment, because it’s precisely what Xero is striving to accomplish—designing and selling shoes that make it feel like you’re not wearing anything.
While I expect this to be a minor issue for most people, it’s the main reason why I’ll probably keep my Adidas Dropsets—they have a relatively stiff sole that makes them well-suited for biking. And if your are an avid cycler, these are not the shoes for you.
Otherwise, as of right now, Xeros are my new workout shoes. They are amazingly comfortable, even for intense CrossFit work. They give my feet and toes all the room they need to move naturally, they are extremely lightweight, they are well-ventilated, they appear to be well-made (though some reviewers have suggested otherwise), and they are incredibly affordable right now—which is probably due to the launch of Xero’s latest model, the 360. By all accounts the 360 is a stellar shoe that significantly improves on the Prio.
I’ll follow-up with a longer-term review down the road.
