Are Xero Shoes Women’s HFS II Any Good? An Honest Review

I’ve always been curious about trying minimalist shoes, but I’ll admit – I was a bit nervous about making the switch from regular shoes. My fears were that they wouldn’t hold up on my 1-1.5 hour long walks, or be supportive enough for the various activities I participate in, or would cause my arthritis to flare up. However, I had heard great things about Xero Shoes from my friend and fitness expert, Jake Dermer, who owns several different pairs. And so, 6 months ago, I finally bit the bullet and picked up a pair of the women’s HFS II by Xero Shoes.

I’m happy to report that the women’s HFS II are everything I’ve ever wanted in a pair of shoes. In the past, I’ve tried several other brands in hopes that they would provide the support and comfort I was seeking. I’ve worn Keds, which gave a barefoot feel without the support, causing my arches and heels to ache after using them. I’ve also tried the La Sportiva Bushidos, which were fantastic on the support front, but too stiff and constrictive overall, leaving my feet swollen and sore after long walks. The HFS IIs, on the other hand, are comfortable, supportive, and versatile when it comes to exercise. They are now my absolute favorite pair of shoes, and I wear them pretty much every day. Here are my thoughts and experiences after wearing them for 6 months:

WHY I LOVE THE WOMEN’S HFS II BY XERO SHOES

Stable and Supportive

Whether I’m walking, stretching, or lifting weights, the structure of the Xero Shoes HFS II keeps my feet feeling supported and safe. My previous cross-training shoes were a pair of Nike Metcons, and while they did offer support, I found them pretty stiff and difficult to move in. I also struggled with my balance in the Metcons, especially when doing squats or deadlifts. I felt like I was going to tip forwards or backwards, and regularly took them off in favor of lifting in my socks. Comparatively, the HFS IIs are completely stable and help me feel secure so that I can focus on my form and not on my balance.

Super Sticky Grip

Another reason I love the HFS IIs is because of how sticky the bottoms are. They have a tire tread-inspired sole, which allows them to maintain traction on different surfaces. Regardless of whether I'm on pavement, grass, or my yoga mat, I know my feet are going to stay wherever I place them. This has become particularly helpful during my warm up stretches and flexibility training. I’ve been working on achieving a full side split, and have had issues with slipping while wearing socks, other shoes, or even in my bare feet. However, when I practice the splits in the HFS IIs, my feet don't budge at all.

Extremely Flexible

The women’s HSF II are some of the most flexible shoes I’ve ever worn. They move fluidly with my feet without causing pain or discomfort in my toes, and always bounce back to their original form. I perform a warm-up routine before climbing or other exercise that includes a lot of deep squats and lunging positions. Because I have arthritis in my toes, these positions can be painful for me when wearing stiffer shoes, which usually pinch my toes and trap them in awkward positions. But the flexibility of the women’s HFS II helps me maintain my stretching positions with minimal pain.

Comfortable As Heck

I mistakenly assumed that barefoot shoes would feel thin and stiff, but the HFS II by Xero Shoes feels soft and comfortable, almost like putting on a thick pair of socks with a sole. They’re so light, I sometimes forget I’m wearing them! The toe box is wide and spacious with enough room to fit all my toes without cramping them together. When I go climbing, I wear very tight shoes that help me maintain power and precision on the wall. The HFS IIs help my feet to recover from this by allowing them to spread out and promoting circulation. Let me tell you: slipping my feet into a pair of HFS IIs after 2+ hours of climbing feels like absolute heaven!

Pretty Darn Durable

I’ve taken the HFS IIs everywhere, from the chalky floors of my climbing gym, to the gritty alleyways of the city, to the grassy trails of a local park, and they barely have any scratches on them. They also seem to repel dirt and dust, and I haven’t yet had to clean them at all. When I was unexpectedly caught in a rainstorm while wearing these shoes, I was amazed at how they maintained their shape after being completely soaked. The moisture-wicking lining of the HFS II also helped my feet to dry out quickly once the storm had passed.

How long does it take to break in Xero Shoes?

Thankfully, the break-in period was relatively easy for me. The Xero Shoes website suggests taking your time when transitioning to wearing minimalist shoes, so I started out by wearing the HFS II at home for a few minutes at a time. I then started wearing them on my way to the gym and during my warm-ups. After about a week, I took them on their first 10-minute walk. I didn’t notice any pain from doing that, so I increased it to 20-minutes the next day. Although my feet felt ok the morning after, my hip bones were sore and tight and I felt incredibly fatigued.

This is to be expected when your body is adjusting to something that can affect the alignment of your hips, knees, and spine, so I didn’t let that stop me. I decided to go back down to 10-minute walks for the next few days, then continued adding 5 minutes every few days until I could comfortably walk for an hour. Overall, it took me a little over a month to break in the HFS IIs. Your break-in experience might vary depending on your age, fitness level, genetics, and experience with minimalist footwear, so don’t be worried if it takes longer (or shorter) than that.

Are Xero Shoes HFS II good for running?

Here’s where I ran into a bit of an issue with these shoes (no pun intended). The HFS II is technically a running shoe, but I did not have a good experience running in them. I started out with 30 seconds, as suggested by the Xero Shoes website, and ended up in a great deal of pain the next day, especially in my hips, knees, calves, and shins. Both the Nike Metcon and La Sportiva Bushido performed way better, in my opinion, since I was able to run in them right off the bat without any pain. To be completely fair, I don’t consider myself a runner. I’ve done a few 5Ks and can usually manage 5-10 minutes on a treadmill, but it’s not something I do regularly, so perhaps my lack of experience was at play in this case.

The Xero Shoes website estimates 1-4 months to fully transition to barefoot running, so I’m sure I could have had better results if I’d had the patience to stick it out and adjust my running form. However, based on the amount of pain I was in from just 30 seconds, I decided to throw in the towel. Unless you are an experienced runner, have run in barefoot shoes before, and/or are willing to put in the time to break them in, I wouldn’t really recommend running in the HFS IIs. I would also be wary of jumping in them. When testing them out, box jumps felt ok, but there wasn’t enough “bounce” in the shoes for activities like jumping rope, jumping jacks, or anything that requires continuous dynamic movement.

Are Xero Shoes true to size?

I was a little nervous about choosing the right size for the women’s HFS II, since some of the reviews mentioned that the shoes ran big. I was particularly worried that they would look like clown shoes on my rather large feet. I’m usually a women’s 8.5 or 9 in athletic shoes, so I went with the 8.5 for the HFS II, which ended up looking quite cute and sporty. Not at all clown-like!

I did decide to wear socks with my Xero Shoes too, which probably helped them fit a little better. Socks tend to take away from the barefoot feel slightly, but they also keep my shoes from smelling and my feet from getting dirty. Also, I’ve had some pretty bad experiences with shoes that rubbed my feet raw and caused blisters when I didn’t wear socks. I don’t feel that my socks have dampened the effects of minimalist shoes too much. I can still feel any surface I’m standing on through the shoes and socks, as well the muscles in my feet engaging as I walk.

If you’re interested in trying barefoot shoes for yourself and are looking for a good introductory, all-around shoe, I would highly recommend the women’s HFS II by Xero Shoes. My feet feel better than they have in years, and the pain that I’ve felt from other shoes is almost non-existent. Although they are made for running, I found they performed well in a variety of other activities, including weightlifting, walking, stretching, and calisthenics. With the promise of stronger feet, enhanced body awareness, and better alignment of the knees, hips, and spine, I’m looking forward to experiencing the benefits of wearing these minimalist shoes long-term.