Xero XT Max: Quick Evaluation
By Andrea Myers
Xero XT MaxPrice: $149.99 at Xero
Weight: 7.4oz, 210g (men's size 9), 6.4oz, 181g (women's size 7)
Stack Height: 7.5 mm heel / 7.5 mm forefoot (includes 3.5mm removable insole)
Drop: 0 mm
Shoe Purpose: Minimalist Strength Training Shoe
Pros: Light on foot, grippy outsole, anatomical toe box yet secure overall fit
Cons: Quick lock laces require daily adjustment as compared to regular laces
SIMILAR SHOES: Inov-8 Bare-XF v2, like a lighter version of Xero HFS II
PAST MODEL: new model
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
I have tested the Xero XT Max for all of my twice weekly strength sessions since I receive the shoe a month ago. This includes a stationary bike warmup, ladder drills, box jump variations, sled pulls, deadlift variations, Bulgarian split squats, Cossack squats, single leg calf raises, and a variety of core and upper body exercises. I use TYR L-1 Lifters for cleans and regular squats. The XT Max has performed exceptionally for all of my exercises.
The fit is both comfortable and secure, which is not always the case with minimalist shoes with an anatomical toe box, which sometimes can be too loose or wide, allowing unwanted foot translation in the shoe. The shoe fits true to size in my usual women's 9.5, allowing sufficient width for my MTPs without allowing any medial-lateral foot translation. I have about half a thumb's width from the front of my big toe to the end of the shoe, which would make the shoe fit short for running, but it fits perfectly for lifting. I did not experience any pinching of my big toe during ladder drills or box jumps, as I have with shoes that fit shorter. The upper is a flexible mesh material that provides sufficient breathability. One of my workouts was on vacation in a gym that had no A/C and the interior temperature was 77 degrees. My feet did not feel any warmer during this workout than workouts in my usual gym.
There is no heel counter and there is minimal internal padding. The heel fits securely thanks to the additional reinforcement from Xero's sandal-style strap design, which integrates with the laces to securely lock down the midfoot and rearfoot. My one complaint about the shoe is that it uses quick lock laces instead of regular ones. While the laces stay securely in place once tightened, I have to reset the lace tension over my entire foot every workout, unlike shoes with regular laces (like the HFS II), where I can just untie and retie them each time I wear them without having to retighten the laces over the forefoot and midfoot.
The rubber outsole features small, variable shape lugs that provide exceptional grip. The sole is very flexible in the forefoot and midfoot and stiffer in the rearfoot. This allows the shoe to perform well both for agility exercises and lifting. The shoe feels stable and connected to the ground during deadlifts and split squats thanks to the stiffer rearfoot, but the flexible forefoot makes the shoe highly responsive during agility drills and plyometrics. Like all Xero shoes, the 3.5mm insole is removable if you prefer to have your foot even closer to the ground. I prefer to have the small amount of padding from the insole, so I did not test the shoe without it.
Prior to using the HFS II and the Xero Max, I was using the Topo ST-5, but I increasingly noticed that the arch support from the Topo Ortholite insole was forcing my foot a little too far laterally, particularly during single leg RDLs. The Xero insole has no arch support and I feel comfortable and connected to the ground when doing single leg RDLs in the Xero Max. After about eight workouts in the shoe, there is no visible wear on the rubber outsole. Xero has a 5000 mile sole warranty for this shoe, so it should last a long time, particularly if it is only being used in the gym.
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: No
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Yes
How Flexible is the Shoe: Very flexible forefoot and midfoot, moderate rearfoot
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: N/A
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: Yes, and you can use it without an insole
Recommended for Sockless: Yes
Durability Expectation: High
FINAL THOUGHTS
Andrea
Fit: A- (Comfortable anatomical toe box, but overall secure fit. Minus half a grade due to speed laces.)
Performance: A (Performs well at everything I do in the gym - agility, plyometrics, sled, and regular strength work.)
Stability: [minimalist] A (A well designed minimalist shoe for lifting, but absolutely no stability features. Low stack and zero drop will require sufficient ankle and foot mobility and strength.)
Value: A ($150 for a shoe that will last years and has a 5000 mile sole warranty is a great value.)
Personal: A (My new favorite lifting shoe, although I will replace the speed laces with regular ones.)
Overall Design: A
The Xero XT Max is a zero drop, extremely low stack lifting shoe. It will work best for those who are already accustomed to minimalist shoes for lifting and have sufficient ankle and foot mobility and strength. It is a do it all gym shoe that can handle heavy strength work as well as plyometrics and agility work. I like that Xero made the rearfoot less flexible than the forefoot and midfoot, which provides increased stability for dead-lifting. It is definitely an upgrade over the heavier and bulkier HFS II that I had previously been using for these workouts, and I will continue to use it, just with regular laces instead of the stock speed laces.
SHOP | SUPPORT DORXero XT MaxPrice: $149.99 at Running Warehouse
Shop Men | Shop Women
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FURTHER READING
Inov8 offers a very low stack trail trainer.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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