Xero Shoes Men’s Prio Barefoot Athletic Sneaker

These shoes are amazing, and reasonably priced! Over the last several years, i have been trying to convert all of my footwear to zero drop. Between Xero, Lems, and my Danner Tachyon boots, I’ve been so wildly happy and back pain free. The sensation of feeling as if I’m barefoot, in shoes, has been exhilarating! These are high quality, lightweight, and allow me to have full contact with the ground.

Bought these after they were recommended by Knees Over Toes Guy.Typical shoes (unnaturally) bunch your toes together and give you a raised heel.I think narrow toe boxes are meant to look better as they make your foot appear slender and they also *seem* to emulate and create an ideal pushing motion of your foot.Raised heels are likely to be used to exaggerate your foots position to push off the ball of your foot.These are just my thoughts.The PROBLEM with narrow toe boxes is that they deform your feet and cause bunions.Raised heels on shoes shorten the length of your Achilles’ tendon, since it does not have to be elongated as much when the heel is raised.These aren’t opinions. Raised heels also makes you more vulnerable to rolling you ankle AND the rolls will be worse, as your heel is further from the ground. This is proven, see KoT guy and SquatU videos on this.Now that I explained how typical shoes work,Here is how these shoes function:These shoes do Not Have an elevated heel. They do have a toe box that is shaped to fit your foot in a more natural shape.This enables you to use your foot like a tripod and get maximum stability from your foot. This is great for weight lifters.The flat bottom profile returns your Achilles’ tendon length to its natural state and promotes better ankle mobility, which is pivotal to a deep squat. (If your ankle mobility is less than ideal, try elevating your heel on some plates.)I have always ordered shoes too big because I did not like the feeling of my toes touching the sides of my shoes. I used to wear 11-12 shoes so my I could get a wider shoe at expense of having extra space at the end.I ordered 11’s of this shoe and they had far too much space at the end.I returned for 10.5’s and they fit much better. I don’t need extra space at the end of the shoe. Also, the extra space causes your foot to slide in your shoe, creating unnecessary calluses.Cons:These shoes certainly aren’t the most stylish. Could be worse but they aren’t anything to brag about.The wide toe box looks unnatural since most ppl wear narrow shoes.The shoes are quite thin. This is great for foot awareness as much of that is lost with shoes on, but I cannot wear these walking on rocks or roots, as you’ll feel every one. Concrete is not terrible but your feet weren’t really made to walk on such a hard material so more cushion would be helpful.Running in these shoes puts a great deal of force on your calves.I wear these at the gym and walking around the store and flat areas.My feet are noticeably stronger and I can actually feel the ground under my feet with them on. I’m much more aware of how my feet are moving and reacting. My balance has improved drastically.KoT guy said he used these for basketball. I thought he was crazy until I tried it. I’ve never worn low top shoes for basketball due to my previously weak ankles. Now these are my basketball shoe. They have great tread. (KoT guy is currently developing wide toe, zero drop basketball shoes with a YouTube sneaker head that will have a thicker sole. I will buy them when they are released).I recommend these for everyone, but I do think it’s important you understand the “why” of the shoes, their use cases, and how they react on some terrain.

This is my 3rd pair of Prios that I have owned, and I also have a pair of the Aptos. With that being said, for the past 3 years or so, I have worn nothing but Xero shoes. As a professional athlete, I am always looking for quality products that help to both increase my quality of life and maximize my athletic potential. This product is a home run for both. I know that may sound like hyperbole, but the feet are an aspect of the human body that are both misunderstood and often neglected. If an individual’s feet have an issue, the issue works its way up the kinetic chain and will cause further issues in the body up the chain. Tight feet lead to tight ankles which lead to tight calves which leads to weak and achey knees, etc. By restoring the functionality of the feet (which is lost in most individuals because of years of “regular” shoe wear) pain, imbalances and weakness in different areas of the body can be remedied. The feet are made to splay naturally and move and bend with the world, yet it has been made normal to cram our feet into shoes with tight toe boxes, elevated heels, and so much cushion that our feet cannot properly send proprioceptive feedback signals to our brain. By doing something as simple as changing your shoes, you can regain the strength and flexibility that the foot should naturally have. Countries that are extremely poor produce some of the world’s best athletes, and I believe that this is because shoes cannot be afforded, so children never lose the strength and flexibility that the foot is naturally meant to have. Personally, I will never wear a “normal” pair of shoes again. By wearing xero shoes and combining this with my training in the Knees over toes training philosophy, my athleticism has gone through the roof, and my body has become more resilient than it ever has. I know this may sound like BS to some, but I am very passionate about helping others achieve their goals, and I know some may see this and give xero shoes a shot for the first time. I promise you, you will not regret it. If you wear xero shoes for the first time, your feet will surely have to adjust, but after continued use your body will get used to them. In addition to the xero shoes, I also use toe spacers either while relaxing or sometimes even while I’m wearing the shoes to help stretch and strengthen the toes, which I also highly recommend giving a shot. All in all, I truly believe that these shoes can change your life if you let them. Most people think that they need a shoe with more cushion, but those kind of shoes are actually crippling your body. Instead, you should wear something minimal and let the body adjust and adapt, which it is plenty capable of doing.

Design looks good and sturdy, with a fairly sized toebox. Do not that it doesn't allow full toe spread, if you're looking into the barefoot shoes option. Nice bonus though that the silver strips in this model are reflectorized - useful for certain outdoor conditions

If you have planter fictitious these shoes really help.