Searching for The Best Barefoot Hiking and Trail Running Shoes for Summer | Hiking Enthusiast Investigates

Since my squareish feet outgrew my beloved TerraFlex, I've been searching for the perfect hiking shoes for (mostly) summer. In this article, I take you through my search for a versatile barefoot hiking shoe for small and wide feet. I'll share my picks with a focus on traction and breathability. Enjoy!

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• What to Look For in Barefoot Hiking & Trail Running Shoes for Summer

  • Guide - What to Look For

  • Shoe Options for Consideration - Comparisons and Thoughts

    1. Scrambler Low by Xero Shoes

    2. Mesa Trail by Xero Shoes

    3. TerraFlex by Xero Shoes

    4. DayLite Hiker Fusion by Xero Shoes

    5. Scrambler Mid by Xero Shoes

    6. Vapor Glove 6 by Merrell

    7. Trail Glove 7 by Merrell

    8. Trail and Running Shoes by Saguaro (The Budget Option)

    9. Other Options

• The Chosen One: Scrambler Low

• Conclusion

• Resources

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Introduction

What should you look for in a hiking shoe for summer? Summer and winter hikes look very different from one another so, naturally, the capabilities required of our shoes can vary just as much. At first, I only had one pair of barefoot hiking shoes, but as my hikes became longer and the weather conditions more varied, so I became more demanding as well and needed to expand my shoe "collection" (oh no, so sad... *ironic giggle*).

After enjoying two wonderful seasons with the awesome TerraFlex through summer, fall and spring, in the spring of this 2024, I realized my feet had grown too big to be comfortable in my TerraFlex and I needed new hiking shoes. And so my search for new hiking shoes began.

PS: Quick disclaimer that everything you read on this blog, including this article, are my own opinions, which are not bought or sponsored by anyone or any corporation. Did I mention, Happy New Year?! What you will read below is the fruit of my last efforts in 2024, disrupted by lots of holiday season work and fun, and finally materializing here in 2025. Enjoy the read! :)

What to Look For in Barefoot Hiking & Trail Running Shoes for Summer

Sometimes you just want a shoe that is sort of like a Swiss knife, you know? A jack-of-all-trades that should master them all... This was a big ask but it was what I needed.

My feet are stronger and bigger since I switched to barefoot shoes but they are still small and squareish. These new shoes and I will go places, we will walk steep, uphill and downhill, we will get out and HIKE. In the next section, I outline what I was looking for. If you are currently in the market for barefoot hiking shoes, I believe this will be a really useful guide for you.

Guide - What to Look For

1. My feet need a very wide toe box and not all brands offer wide enough shoes for me. You will need a toe box with enough space for your toes not to feel squeezed but also not so big that they are dancing too freely inside the shoe. Your foot should not feel squeezed, but secure. You also want a bit of extra length at the top so your downhill hiking stretches are not uncomfortable when the foot slides down a bit, which I is expected in steep sections.

2. You want sturdy yet still very breathable, lightweight shoes for outdoor adventures! I like my summer shoes to be as weightless as you can possibly build them.

3. A sole with excellent traction but also good ground feel and a good amount of flexibility.

4. The toes should feel protected! No flimsy toe cap allowed for my hiking shoes.

5. This goes without saying for barefoot enthusiasts, but for me a zero drop is a must.

6. I wanted summer shoes that are still usable in fall/autumn or spring... And could they be slightly water resistant?! These points would be an extra but by no means a non-negotiable. At the end of the day, you need to decide how specific your usage will be or, on the contrary, how versatile your shoe should be.

7. I wanted these shoes to look cool enough to wear in long city tours, not just on mountains and trails. I will take them with me as a weekend-away-shoe when I pack light.

So there I was, searching for a robust summer shoe with a fresh, breezy mesh that could withstand light rain and have good traction on mud. Maybe this was asking too much... so I was willing to sacrifice some function here or there. I would be willing to sacrifice water resistance for example, but not traction or breathability.

Finding a light yet robust barefoot summer shoe for small, wide feet is not the easiest task. The HFS by Xero Shoes (my favorite running shoe of all time) suits most of my activities but when it comes to very rocky ground or mud, it doesn't stand a chance as the foot sits very low and the sole is not very grippy - it is not a trail shoe. To avoid wet feet on mountain hikes, even in summer, I recommend wearing shoes with a robust sole that takes you a little bit off the ground.

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Shoe Options for Consideration - Comparisons and Thoughts

Keep in mind that my focus was on finding an excellent summer barefoot shoe for hiking and trail running. My goal was to find a lightweight, very breathable shoe with outstanding traction for my small yet wide feet. I was looking and looking, and considered the following shoe models:

Scrambler Low by Xero Shoes

I chose the Scrambler Low due to its incredible combination of a very sturdy and grippy sole, breathable mesh and being suited not only for summer use but also for fall/autumn and spring. This shoe seems to have the most squareish toe box (aka anatomically correct shape for me) and overall wider shoe shape on Xeros' hiking shoes, so it was the winner!

Pros:

• Widest toe box in Xero's hiking section, as far as I can tell

• The Michelin made, mountain bike tire-inspired outsole has superb traction

• Very breathable

Cons:

• Crickets... None yet

Mesa Trail by Xero Shoes

This was an extremely close second! If I was not thinking about spring and fall at all but exclusively hot summer hikes, I would have picked the Mesa Trail. I chose the Scrambler Low thinking more about trails where I encounter less dry or really muddy conditions, if it is not a full blown summer day and I might want a little more protection. But the Mesa Trail looks incredible, super lightweight and breathable.

Pros:

• Breathable mesh

• Rugged, grippy outsole for the trails

Cons:

• Might be too cold for cooler days (this isn't a real con, just a characteristic)

TerraFlex by Xero Shoes

I was essentially looking for a shoe with a sole as robust as the TerraFlex sole, that was one of my priorities. I eliminated the TerraFlex from my shortlist for summer hiking adventures, only because I needed a thinner and cooler upper. Check out my review of the TerraFlex in this article, it is an awesome barefoot hiking shoe.

Pros:

• Excellent rugged, grippy outsole for the trails

• Water resistant upper

• Protective toe cap

Cons:

• Too hot for summer hiking (for me)

DayLite Hiker Fusion by Xero Shoes

The same mentioned about the TerraFlex's warmth can be said here too. The padding around the ankle would probably make this shoe too hot for me in summer - I just prefer breezier shoes. What made the DayLight Hiker Fusion truly not an option for me unfortunately, was its narrow toe box, I have wide feet so this one does not suit my foot shape at all. This would have been an interesting option if I could overlook the narrow toe box and went one or two sizes up, but I can't overlook the narrow toe box.

Pros:

• Keeps ankles secure

Cons:

• Narrow toe box

• Sole shape isn't wider at the top

I tried the DayLite Hiker Fusion and the Scrambler Low in the same size (plus a third shoe model) and I found the Scrambler Low has a more spacious toe box, among other findings, of course. See this article comparing three different shoe models in detail.

Scrambler Mid by Xero Shoes

Like the TerraFlex, the Scrambler Mid would be an excellent option if you are looking for warmer, or in the case of the Scrambler Mid, ankle height hiking shoes. I didn't have the opportunity to try these on, so take this with a grain of salt, but if they are as good as the Scrambler Low, they are almost guaranteed to be an excellent hiking shoe for fall/autumn and winter.

Pros:

• The Michelin made, mountain bike tire-inspired outsole has superb traction

• They look SO good

Cons:

• I didn't try these so I don't know :)

Vapor Glove 6 by Merrell

The Vapor Glove 6 almost had me! I tried it in a shop and felt like I was walking truly barefoot. This super lightweight shoe and its very thin sole would be perfect for me for every day use but it would not be suitable for some types of terrain so I could not justify this purchase to myself. Plus, they would be a bit more perfect for me if they were wider at the front - this toe box is on the narrow side. I focused on my search for a thicker sole for my hiking and trail running shoe.

Pros:

• Suuuuuuper lightweight, it is like being barefoot

• Very breathable mesh

• Amazing ground feel

Cons:

• The thin sole is too thin for very rugged terrain (for me)

Trail Glove 7 by Merrell

The experience of walking in the Trail Glove was a stark contrast to walking in the Vapor Glove and honestly, it was a big disappointment. After trying the Vapor Glove, I had high hopes for the Trail Glove but the soles on these two shoe models are night and day: the Vapor Glove has the thinnest, most flexible sole you can imagine, while the Trail Glove has an inflexible sole which I feel there is no place for in a truly barefoot shoe. I categorize the Trail Glove's toe box and even the overall shoe shape as not being actually foot shaped. This shoe is too narrow for normal to wide feet. I hope this model will be improved or replaced by something with a nice flexible sole and a spacious toe box.

Pros:

• Lightweight

Cons:

• Inflexible sole

• Not anatomically shaped, narrow toe box

• Felt like what I imagine a straitjacket to feel like if straitjackets were tied around people's toes. Sorry Merrell, you can do better next time, I would love to give you constructive feedback. :)

Trail and Running Shoes by Saguaro (The Budget Option)

I could write an entire article about the challenges of pricing in the barefoot shoe world and it would be a disservice not to mention the wide array of affordable shoes Saguaro offers. While I am not a huge supporter of how expensive some barefoot shoes seem to have become, I am also still somewhat conflicted about paying prices that are "too affordable" and supporting Amazon versus smaller and exclusively barefoot brands. Having said that, I still tried a summer hiking shoe from Saguaro, an Amazon brand. It seemed comfortable but I couldn't fully tell because their smallest size is too long for my foot. That was not the case with the winter models' sizing, however. I am currently testing a pair of winter barefoot shoes from Saguaro and I will give you more details in an upoming article. Stay tuned.

Pros:

• Breathable mesh

• Very flexible outsole

• Affordable

Cons:

• Price point makes it harder on other brands...?

• Not sure if they are durable

Other Options: Vivobarefoot, Be Lenka, Lems

For one reason or another, be it a high price tag, a sizing incompatibility, an availibility compatibility etc., there were a number of other barefoot hiking shoes I looked into during my search for my new summer hiking and trail running shoes. The shoes I mentioned before, are the ones I considered more seriously, but I also want to mention some honourable mentions which I would have been happy to test if they had either a wider toe box, wider overall shoe shape, smaller women's numbers, or a lower price tag.

1. Vivobarefoot make awesome barefoot shoes which unfortunately aren't suitable for my wide feet, I haven't purchased shoes from Vivobarefoot yet because their overall shape and toe box are too narrow for my feet (yes, I tried it once). I would love to see them make wider shoes so I can experience them and see what the Vivobarefoot fuss is all about. A slight con for me is that Vivo shoes are quite expensive, although I really appreciate that they have the ReVivo initiative to refurbish and sell second-hand shoes at a lower price - that's awesome.

2. I considered Be Lenka's Trailwalker but unfortunately could not try them. Plus, I am not sure their sole would suit my current needs and also not sure if their smallest size is not a bit too long for me, so I didn't take chances this time.

3. Lems have some very interesting hiking boots for colder weather and for summer the Primal 3 shoe models look good as well however, it isn't really a hiking shoe but more for casual wear. Take a look at their website and just make sure you read the shoe specs carefully, lots of their shoes have a heel rise (meaning they are not zero drop aka actually barefoot) but you can also filter your search using their barefoot section. From looking at their site and reading reviews online, it looks like Lems are a solid option if you are searching for robust shoes with a wide toe box and soles that aren't too thin.

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The Chosen One: Scrambler Low

The tale of my search for the perfect summer shoes for my squareish feet would not be complete if I wouldn't show you the comparison I did between three shoe models, which was the defining factor in making the choice I made. To learn more, read this article comparing three completely different shoes from the same maker.

Regarding my choice, I am super happy with it so far. I have worn these shoes on a variety of weather conditions, including cold but dry days, where wearing thick socks is enough... For more details, I encourage you to read my full review of the Scrambler Low trail shoe - coming soon!

Late sunrise photos of my Scrambler Lows

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Conclusion

To definitively state which are the ultimate best barefoot hiking shoes, I would like to conduct a more in-depth investigation but trust me, it already required some effort to put all this research together. The best for me might not be the best for you and what I love to wear in summer might be different from what you like. But if you are looking for barefoot shoes with amazing traction, a robust sole with great ground feel and a breezy upper for serious hikes and day long outings, then you might want to try the Scrambler Low! Check out my review of the Scrambler Low trail shoe - coming soon!

What about cold and rainy days?, you ask. What about hiking in the snow? Well, sometime in 2022, I needed waterproof hiking shoes for the winter season, which lead me to Xero's Xcursion Fusion, which I will tell you about some other day. As always, I sincerely hope you enjoyed the read and I would love to hear about your own experiences with barefoot shoes. :D

Please note: this article is not sponsored in any way, I am simply sharing my experiences and opinions.

Resources

• Read The Ultimate Guide to Foot Type, Measuring and Perfect Shoe Fit

• What are barefoot or minimalist shoes?

• Barefoot Glossary - I created this glossary to help you navigate the terms of the barefoot world!

• Find other interesting links in the Barefoot Shoes Resources

If my blog has helped you in any way, consider using my links for your purchases. When you use my link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For details, see my Disclaimer.

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