We have invited long term customer and passionate barefoot advocate Anna Fox to review some trainers for us. We are delighted to copy her review here in this blog post. 

Barebarics vs Xero vs Realfoot

For this comparison review I thought it would be interesting to have shoes quite distinct from each other. Although the Realfoot are more of a shoe than a trainer, I wanted to try shoes/trainers that were also suitable for off road and practical for my lifestyle.

Barebarics Axiom-White and light grey - EU37

I chose the Barebarics on a smaller size for my daughter, who is now twelve, to compare on width etc with the others, but also to see how they stood up in comparison regarding ground feel as I had heard they were more on the “friendly” side regarding sole thickness. I thought they were interesting for her age group, who are now in adult shoes, still wearing Barefoot shoes but also are looking for more “normal” looking shoes! 

Be Lenka Barebarics Axiom Sneakers White 

First impressions

I felt these were actually nicer in real life than they look on the photographs, they look very wide and actually have good flexibilty considering the stack height is at 10mm. I thought they looked perfect for my 12 year old daughter as they look quite conventional and from the side they look like they have a heel, but actually its just the outer design, they are zero drop. So they wont stand out as “Barefoot” in a crowd. I asked straight away if she had ground feel and she said she did, which I was pleased to hear.

Materials

These are vegan uppers made from sustainable leather look microfibre and polyester. The lining is made from Dermodry Coolmax® technical fabric, which keeps feet dry and comfortable. They are well sealed, so will tolerate water splashes and rain.

Fit

These are nice and wide and fairly deep. So they are suitable for wider splayed toes and high insteps. As they attach well to the foot, I do feel they will work quite well for a narrower foot that is on the deeper side as well. They will also be a great transition shoe, due to the slightly thicker sole.

Sole/insole

Barebarics comfort grip sole unit. These are made from soft synthetic rubber, with great traction and long-term resistance to wear and tear. The insole consists of removeable cork for sweat drainage. The insole is 2mm thick and removable, which reduces the stack height to a reasonable 8mm. They are 10mm overall inc 2mm tread. They are lightweight, and this is expressed in the flexibility of the lightweight rubber used. They are zero drop.

These shoes are designed for comfort in urban environments, so the heel is less flexible than the rest of the shoe, but it does not limit to the point of not being barefoot friendly. The inner sole unit does not express as thick as 6mm as it compresses down to more like 4mm, so there is more ground feel than would be expected.

For my daughter I let her choose whether she wished to remove the insole or not, and she only wears them in town anyway, she is enjoying the comfort of the insole, it makes a change for her. They are not suitable for those that like very Barefoot thin soles, will work well for those transitioning.

Sizing EU36-47

Pricing and obtaining

Since I received, this style is no longer available from Barebarics, but HLS have them £120 HERE. Barebarics equivalent at the moment looks to me like the Revive and Revive X. They are £125

Overall impression

Before obtaining these for my daughter I was warned they were on the thicker side regarding the soles, so I wasn't sure if I really wanted her to wear them. However I realised they are way more flexible and light than I imagined and my daughter said she had good ground feel even with the insoles. They are light and actually quite aesthetically pleasing.

As I stated before they make a great shoe for her age group (12) and teens that don't want their shoes to look “too barefoot” and different from their peers. Without compromising their feet. After a childhood of wearing Barefoot only, I dont think these will harm in any way and I feel are as far as I would ever compromise for my young teen. The toebox is very wide and as her feet already have a strong arch, and as these aren't her only shoes, I am very happy with them.

The review I hope gives an overview of what to expect from Barebarics overall, as all their shoes are designed similar.

Xero mesa Trail ll EU39.5-Dark Grey/Sapphire

Xero Mesa Trail II Shoes Dark Grey Saphire

First Impressions

When compared to the Barebarics and Realfoot inititally these looked very narrow, however I feel that this is a bit of an optical illusion, due to the toe protector shape. They are much wider than they appear, although not in the same league as the toebox of the other two. They are also a very breathable design that will be good for warmer temperatures and the lugs will help off road. These are trail running trainers.

Materials

Breathable Mesh upper with moisture wicking lining. I can't imagine they will stand up to water, but will dry quickly.

Fit

These are wider than they appear and are fairly deep. I sized up half a size, which I recommend if you have wider feet. They are not suitable for very splayed toes, so I would say they are medium/wide. They secure well to the foot and feel very secure with the toecap for off road adventures.

Sole/Insole

These are zero drop with 3.5mm lugs. The sole thickness is 5mm with their special 3mm trailfoam layer. I must stress that the foam layer is not really 3mm in height, as it compresses when you put weight on it. They have a removable 2mm insole.

The stack height without the insole comes to 11.5mm, but it really isnt that high. It feels more like 9.5mm, you only really notice the lugs giving height. Without the lugs they would be more like 6mm. As the lugs dont impact flexibility and ground feel is more relative to a 6mm sole. These arent suitable for wearing in town etc. The lugs need soft or irregular ground surface.

Sizing

UK 1.5-8 (adult) Xero sizes are in USA and their UK sizing is way off. Please use HLS’s sizing guide for a correct fit. Even though I sized up a little bit, they are a Xero UK size 7.5, but they are actually a UK6.

Pricing and Obtaining

£130 and available from Happy Little Soles HERE.

Overall impressions

I was happily surprised with these. They are wider than they look, they feel robust, but are lightweight. Im not a runner, but they feel fine for when im walking off road. As i live in fields, they are perfect for hotter days, where i dont feel like wearing sandals.

Realfoot Trekker low-Navy-EU39

Initial impressions

First of all with these shoes i received the Bordeaux colour initially, but unfortunately they were too small, so i had to settle for the Navy colour. So the photos in the review will be in both colours.

These are beautiful shoes with the widest toebox i have seen so far. Compared to the Xero the toebox looked very very wide. I personally preferred them in the Bordeaux colour which I feel suited the style better but there are an array of colours in this style.

Materials

These are a Nubuck leather upper with a waterproof Tepor membrane. They have a textile lining, with a gusseted tongue for added protection from water.

Fit

These have a super wide toebox and are relatively deep and nicely adjustable with the hook and loop lacing. This is really helpful for putting them on and adjusting them quickly, and getting a secure fit. They are quite shallow at the back, due to the low cut, so correct adjustment of the lacing is paramount. They are comfortable and warm. They are not suitable for narrow or shallow feet.

Sole/Insole

They have a 4mm sole which is Zero drop, with an optional 4mm shock absorbing insole. They have short lugs of 1mm, but they provide good grip. These are shoes that are designed for off road and on road, so they are very practical, as the lugs are not too deep for town environments at all. They fit in both environments. As the 4mm insole can be removed, which lowers the sole thickness to 5mm, these are the most Barefoot out of the 3 in the review.

Sizing

EU 33-47, so they start at quite a small size. I struggled with sizing as they came up small. Even with using HLS’s size guide, 5mm space wasnt enough, probably due to the cushion on the top of the back pushing my foot forward a bit.

Pricing and obtaining

These are available from Happy Little Soles HERE, no need to get shipped from Europe. They are £135 I feel they will be long lasting and with the money. They also have a vegan option available.

Realfoot Trekker Low Vegan Black

Overall impression

I love them and they are very comfortable. I do feel its essential to get the right fit with these. I feel there are some foot shapes they really wont suit. They are very waterproof and super practical being a cross over between town and trail. So great value to have an all in one shoe for those needs. They are very Barefoot and warm. Very suitable for autumn and winter, I wear in summer with no socks and they are breathable.

Overall comparison thoughts

Realfoot toebox vs Xero

Xero vs Barebarics toebox (Barebarics approx 2 sizes smaller)

Xero vs Realfoot

Barebarics vs Xero (approx 2 sizes smaller)

Barebarics vs Realfoot (approx a size smaller)

All of these shoes are pretty unique to be honest. The Barebarics are definitely the favourite for the youth, with comfort in mind, and aesthetics, with them looking more mainstream, without compromising too much on the BF credentials.

The Xero win in terms of being suitable for more foot types, and for running, these will be the most suitable due to the deep lugs and lightness on the foot. However they fail in terms of being no good for urban environments, but that is not what they are made for, so best not to expect that.

The Barebarics would be a better alternative for Urban trainers for the narrower foot with less toe spray.

The realfoot are super versatile, with being for urban and trail and being waterproof. However they lack suitability for narrower, shallower feet, but are perfect for those wider feet, especially those with splayed toes. They are the most Barefoot.

So out of all three, there is no winner. They are all pretty equal in terms of flexibility, although you can feel the Barebarics thicker sole. The lightest are the Xero, the Barebarics are the heaviest, the Realfoot are light, which is quite amazing with them being designed for waterproofness in mind as well.

If I was to choose, I just couldn't really, as they are unique, but if I had to choose one, I would have to go with the one that suited my foot type most, and the most Barefoot, which for me would be the Realfoot. It will be different for everyone and its great that we have this variety available. In my eyes they all win.