Hello, my name’s Andrew, and these are the Xero HFS, the best all-purpose barefoot shoes for walk, run, and gym.

Features

For training two of my favorite barefoot shoes are the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite and the Vibram V-Trek, but for some people they’re a little too minimalist.

So I asked Xero for a pair of their HFS (aka Highly Flexible Shoe) to test, and it’s like they took the perfect barefoot sole and combined it with all the best features of a regular trainer.

Upper

Because the HFS has a wide, foot-shaped toebox with two layers of breathable mesh, plus heel padding, visibility strips, cross-straps, and 360º reinforcement to prevent tear-outs.

Sole/Tread

Underneath you’ve got a 5mm sole with vertical cuts that make it ultra flexible in every direction and a semi-aggressive tread that’s angled front and back for grip.

Although the pewter color is my favorite, the HFS also comes in light grey, navy, blue, yellow, glacier, and black.

Testing

While I usually like a thinner 3–4mm sole for better ground feel on roads, the vertical lines cut into the HFS give it the flexibility of a much lighter barefoot shoe.

Road Running

So when I went out for my first road run it kind of seemed like I was bouncing along softly versus the tapping sensation you can get from a harder sole.

Also, while the HFS weighed a bit more than my Primus Lite’s and V-Trek’s, the extra padding gave them a better heel lockdown, which was great for preventing blisters on long runs and for some extra security when doing speed work.

Cross-Training

For interval training and dynamic movements like luging, jumping, and squatting, the cross straps gave me a good amount of stability without feeling rigid…

…and in general the HFS looks so much like a normal trainer that you could easily wear them to the gym every day for a year without anyone realizing they’re barefoot shoes.

Walking/Biking

Finally, the curved heel and flexible rubber felt really nice for walking long distances, and with the curved heel and breathable mesh the HFS also worked well as a lightweight biking shoe.

Conclusion

Overall the Xero Shoes HFS is a great option for someone who wants one barefoot shoe that can do absolutely everything from walking to road running to gym workouts.

Pros/Cons

Because the toebox is wide and breathable, the cross straps and heel padding provide lots of stability, and the thicker yet softer sole is the perfect balance of flexibility and protection.

However, they’re a bit heavy for racing, there’s less ground feel than in a 3–4mm sole, and the toe box might be a little pointy for anyone with extra-wide feet.

Alternatives

In terms of similar barefoot shoes…

Resources

If you want to support the channel, you can shop with the referral links above/below, or watch my Zero-Drop Transition video to learn more about barefooting.

If you have a question about the Xero Shoes HFS, or about barefoot shoes in general, let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading. Catcha ya next time. peace!