Xero Mesa Summit WP Review | Barefoot Feel Meets Waterproof Trail Protection

The Xero Mesa Summit WP is a minimalist, barefoot-inspired shoe designed to give you the feel of barefoot running while still providing a lugged outsole and waterproofing to protect your feet out on the trail. 

The shoe is light, high-tech, and a lot of fun for a more grounded feel on the run.

Xero has been around since 2009 with the intention of putting out shoes that allow your feet to move flexibly and support the natural movement of your feet as though you’re walking or running barefoot.

Their shoes have a wide toe box, zero drop, and a flexibility that mimics that barefoot feel.

While that barefoot-inspired grounding can be an excellent way to train your feet’s strength and support natural movement, some protection of your feet is certainly something you’d want when you get into rougher terrain like hiking and trail running.

In the few weeks I’ve had the Mesa Summit, I’ve tested the shoe over a couple of light hikes, a trail run on a more technical trail, and a few 3-5 mile runs on mixed terrain. I ran on hot fall days and rainy, muddy afternoons.

As always, we’re here to give you the pros, the cons, and our honest assessment of this shoe.

If you’re hoping to give a minimalist shoe a try out on the trails, the Xero Mesa Summit WP could be a solid option for you.

Let’s check it out to see how it stacks up to the hype!

Xero Mesa Summit WP Overview

If you’re curious about a minimalist shoe that can take you from the roads to the trails, the Xero Mesa Summit WP is a fun and interesting low-profile option worth checking out.

This shoe is a waterproof, minimalist shoe made for hiking and trail running that gives you the feel of being barefoot while still protecting you from the elements.

The WP model is especially good if you live in a climate with mixed weather, as the waterproof element really holds up in puddles and rain.

If you aren’t familiar with Xero as a brand, they specialize in producing minimalist designs that mimic barefoot running and walking. The idea here is that barefoot running imitates the natural biomechanics of the human foot instead of adding in unnecessary artificial support.

Coming out of the box, this shoe really looks like it’s modeled after the human foot. The wide toe box, narrower heel, and grounded flat design show off the key elements of minimalism in the shoe.

Because this particular model is designed with trail running in mind, it is a little heavier than other Xero shoes thanks to the lugs on the outsole built for durability out on the trails.

From a design perspective, this shoe feels like a true trail runner’s aesthetic. The colorways are sporty and streamlined, while the design elements of the upper and outsole look rugged and technical with outdoor terrain in mind.

I liked that the design never looks bulky, and the contrasting color accents add personality, making this a shoe that looks equally appropriate with trail gear or casual athleisure.

I also really liked how durable these shoes looked immediately out of the box; they seem like they’d hold up for a lot of miles over time thanks to the substantial rubber outsole and lugs.

I’d reach for these shoes most often for hiking and shorter trail running where the lack of cushion or support won’t interfere with my mileage.

These shoes really balanced comfort and technical support with their minimalist design, and I would recommend them especially if you’re hoping to get out for a hike or short run on mixed surfaces or moderately technical trails.

This shoe has a 0 mm drop, so this shoe may feel a bit different on foot for runners used to a more pronounced heel-to-toe drop. We love to see runners playing with heel drop in their running shoe rotation, as it can often help with knee pain and other issues. 

Xero offers the shoe in 3 colorways for women and 3 colorways for men. I personally loved the bright orange I received for a pop of color on the trail, especially with the mountain design built into it!

Xero Mesa Summit WP Fit

Length: True to size
Width: Standard, with a narrower heel
Toe Box: Wide, foot-shaped
Arch: Neutral, zero-drop platform
Volume: Moderate, with plenty of room in the toe box

The Xero Mesa Summit WP fits true to size for me, with a lot of room in the toe box that can accommodate wider feet.

This is one of the biggest benefits of this shoe to me, as it gives a standard foot a lot of room to swell or move appropriately during runs in any weather. Particularly as it gets hot, I notice my feet tend to swell quite a bit on my runs, and I liked that they never felt too snug in these shoes.

The shoe features an internal lockdown system called the Xero Lockdown that helps keep the shoe secure throughout the midfoot and heel even with that wider toe box.

Because this is a minimalist shoe, the heel collar and tongue are both very thin and light without any padding at all. The fabric tongue and heel collar are designed to be protective of any dirt or debris entering the shoe.

Xero Mesa Summit WP Feel

Underfoot, the lugged outsole feels durable and provides strong traction, while also being extremely thin to keep your foot feeling grounded to the road and the trail.

Its zero-drop platform keeps the heel and forefoot level, while the ESS rock guard adds protection from sharp rocks.

The upper is built with a 3D-printed overlay that gives the shoe flexibility and support while also ensuring your feet stay dry even when you hit a big puddle, which I did several times!

Those features give it a more protective construction while preserving the flexibility central to Xero’s barefoot approach.

For a wet-weather outing, the Mesa Summit WP features Xero’s XeroTex waterproof membrane and a knit collar designed to keep debris out of your shoe on the go.

The waterproof performance of these shoes really stands out for me. I took these out on some rainy days on the trail and never felt like my feet were getting soggy. The internal sock-fit system felt like it kept water out effectively, even on the sides and in big puddles on my runs.

This shoe is really built for someone who wants to feel the ground beneath them. It is not the plush, maximalist design of many of the high-stack shoes I’ve tested lately.

That being said, the shoe never feels so minimalist that it trades off protection for that barefoot design. The lugged outsole makes you feel consistently protected from the elements and able to move over moderate terrain while still getting that ground feel underfoot.

Overall, the Xero Mesa Summit WP was a lot of fun to try out as my introduction to the minimalist, barefoot running life!

While I would still reach for a more cushioned and supportive shoe for my longer runs, I liked the durability and ground feel in this shoe, paired with the exceptional water protection out in the rain.

If you’re looking for a shoe that will let you feel the ground on your trail runs while still keeping out the elements, this shoe could be a great fit for you.

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