Huarache Review: Xeros vs. Lunas

stjohnthegambler

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Jun 28, 2010
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www.johnyohe.com
[note: this review is supposed to come with pics and links, but neither seem to be appearing in the 'preview' function here. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Maybe they'll actually appear when I post this. If not, and you'd like to read this review with pics, you can go to my blog: http://johnsbarefootrunningblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/ive-now-spent-enough-time-with-two.html]

I’ve now spent enough time with two (actually three) new huaraches that I know which ones I prefer for which situations. In brief, I’m recommending the Xeros (formerly Invisible Shoes) over Lunas for ‘regular’ runs, including pavement and mild/smooth trails, and for the best minimal feel for walking and hiking. For more rougher and/or longer trails and gravel roads, I’m recommending either the new ‘original’ Lunas, or the Leadvilles. The rest of the review will be a more in depth explanation of why.

First of all, I recommend running barefoot. It feels better, whether on pavement/cement, or most mellow trails. I love being able to feel what I’m running on, and doing so makes each run a unique experience. And it made my plantar fasciitis go away. I basically wouldn’t be running any more if I hadn’t run barefoot.

Still, there are times when a little added layer on the bottom of the feet really helps out, when my feet get a little raw from longer runs, either from the ‘sandpaper’ effect on pavement, or the ‘poking’ effect from trails. I have worn both Vibram Five Fingers (VFFs) and Merrill minimalist shoes but I, and I think most minimalist runners, prefer the feel of huaraches, where the feet are open to the air. Exceptions in the past have been longer runs (50Ks, 50Ms, and a DNF 100M with my VFFs) and snow (a Fat Ass Marathon in the snow with my Merrills), when I just needed a bit more protection than what my huaraches at the time offered.

Those huaraches were Luna’s, from back when Barefoot Ted’s company was a “one monkey operation” and were custom cut for my feet.
I used these huaraches, with the leather lace option, for almost three years, and loved them. The rubber sole was very thin, almost flimsy, giving me the ‘closest to barefoot’ feel I could get. I ran a few half-marathons in them, but mostly they were for when my feet felt raw from longer runs, and/or sometimes for night runs, when I just wasn’t too sure about whether I could see what I’d be running on. Their thinness/flimsiness also made them fairly easily carryable, either by hand, or tucked in the back of a water bottle pouch.
I would probably still be using them if I hadn’t abused them so badly on a hiking trip down in Kentucky, where I was on wet, muddy, hills. When wet, the leather laces stretch, and the rubber soles get slippery, so that I finally put too much weight on one of the side holes and it tore open. Lesson learned: muddy and hilly are the worst conditions for most huaraches.

After that experience, and because I moved out to the ‘Pacific NorthWet’, to Portland, Oregon, I wanted to try a pair of huaraches with hemp laces, which shrink when wet.
Also, I’d been interested in the Luna Leadvilles, with much thicker soles, ever since I’d attempted a 100 Mile Ultramarathon, and completed two 50 Milers, all three of which left my VFF-wearing feet feeling pounded. I didn’t want cushion so much as a thicker barrier for the long-term rock and root contact. So I indulged in buying a pair of both kinds.

Full disclosure: I received a 30% discount from both Luna and Xero in exchange for writing this review. That said, and I’ll repeat this later, the price of the Lunas just seems too much. The ‘original’ Lunas start at $50. The Leadvilles at $95! Not even including the ATS laces, which are another $15. Part of the pleasure of switching to barefoot running was the idea of not having to pay for running shoes anymore, yet now minimal footwear, and sandals, which are essentially a slab of rubber, cost as much as shoes. At the time, I didn’t know how much less the Xeros cost, otherwise I might have decided to just not review the Lunas at all.

Also, I’ll say here, again, that the concept of a sandal, a huarache, is pretty basic. All you need is some slabs of rubber, or rubber-like material, or just hard leather, a whole punch, and some laces. My excuse has always been that I don’t have a workshop, nor any tools to cut rubber, and that at least for the first pair I just wanted to see how they were made before I tried it on my own. But, those are excuses. It’s totally possible to make your own pair. My friend Mark made some for under $20 out of an doormat, which he bought new at Home Depot. Check out his post about it here:

The ‘Original’ Lunas

I was disappointed with my new ‘Original’ Lunas. They’re now cut cookie-cutter style (though you can request a custom fitting, for more money) and though that would seem to cut down on actual time spent making them, the price has gone up since I bought my old pair.

Also: they’re thicker:
Old Lunas vs. New Lunas

Gone is the thin flimsy feel. I don’t know the technicalities, but the new soles are made from a different material, not only thicker, but sort of ‘foamier.’ Some people may not mind this, and in fact may not even know that Lunas used to be thinner (in fact, maybe the company was just responding to consumer demand for a slightly thicker sandal). When I got them in the mail, I had just arrived in Portland, still in dry season, and was exploring the trails of Forest Park: lots of rocks, pebbles, and roots. The ‘Original Lunas’ handled all of these well, in the sense that I felt little discomfort, though could still feel the bumps. The older thinner versions would have still felt a little rough over certain rocky areas (which is not necessarily a bad thing, in my opinion).

I did, and do, like the hemp laces. They do tighten up when wet, though to be honest I haven’t actually worn them in a complete downpour, nor in the super muddy conditions, just because I really like running barefoot in the mud! If anything, they tend to loosen/stretch when dry. I also like the look, which is even more primitive-looking than the leather laces, especially in the traditional ‘gladiator style’ wrap around the ankles, which seems to freak out people even more than the leather, which is always a good thing.

After less than three months though, my new ‘original’ Lunas blew out: The knot on the bottom, where the lace comes up between the big toe and the long-skinny toe, began to tear up through the sole. I’m not exactly sure why/how, because I never had this problem in my older Lunas. I suspect that the hemp rope is thicker, and doesn’t squish down as much as leather, but I also feel like it had something to do with the material of the sole—the foaminess of it, so that, despite the thickness, it’s actually less durable than the earlier rubber.

In any case, I will say that the guys at Luna Sandals were very nice, and quick, about replacing my blown out Lunas, though I haven’t worn the new pair at all, because in the meantime, I had received my Xeros.


Xeros
The Xeros (formerly Invisible Shoes) have the thinner and flimsier-feeling soles of my old Lunas, that feeling I love of being the thinnest they can be besides barefoot.
Xeros vs. Old Lunas

They too are cut cookie-cutter style, and are actually a little wider all around, with two ‘flaps’ that hang out on either side towards the back, for the holes. I don’t mind the extra wideness at all, though I’m not sure it adds any sort of protection.

The thing I really had doubts about with the Xeros is the laces, which are simple nylon shoe strings. They seem to have neither the ruggedness nor the thickness of leather or hemp. Yet, they actually work well. They don’t stretch out when wet, like with leather, nor are they at all bulky like the hemp, but they stay in place, and they’re easy to tie. In fact, they add to the flimsiness/lightness of the whole feel, while keeping the rubber sole tight against the feet. You can now even get soles in colors like pink and blue, along with various colors of laces, though I am not at all interested in this feature. I also liked that with every order, the company includes a rubber hole punch, allowing the buyer to make the hole between the toes, and to customize their sandals, for example adding more holes on the sides for an ‘across the toes’ lace design, for those folks who don’t like the lace coming up between their toes. They even offer free videos on their website on how to do their alternative tying methods.

Best of all with the Xeros is the cost: Around $25 for a pair. I don’t know why anyone would still go with Lunas at this point (with the exception, maybe, of the Leadvilles: see below). Even if you didn’t like the nylon lace, you could buy a pair of hemp or leather laces, and they’d still be cheaper.

Leadvilles

As I stated before, I was curious about the thicker-soled Leadvilles, for possible use on longer ultramarathons. I had no desire for thicker soles for any of my ‘regular’ minimalist use, and as a general rule, I still feel the thinner the better. But I have to confess that I did like my Leadvilles at first purely for their look: Rather than the longer gladiator-style laces, I opted for the new ATS laces ($15) which do a great job of holding the soles tight to the foot, without any extra length needing to wrap around the ankles. Because of that, they actually look more ‘normal’, like for example Tevas (which I can’t wear anymore—too cushion-y, hurts my feet), so that, during the summer at least, one could fit right in with all the other outdoorsy-types. For a while there, I felt like women might not think I was too weird, though apparently I guess sandals, at least on guys, are just not cool anymore.

The problem with the thickness of the soles is that, for general walking around, they tend to hurt my feet. The added cushion, and/or my inabilty to feel what I was walking on, made my walking stride a little longer. I think. I’m not sure. But if I wear them a lot, just for walking around, my heels start to ache, almost that plantar fasciitis feel.

That said, I did run in them, and they provide smooth sailing over rocky trails. I never would have considered running on pavement with them, that just sounds painful. But I did try them out for the Forest Park Marathon. As I said, Forest Park can have some gnarly rocky and rooty parts, enough that there was no way I was going to run that race barefoot. I’ve learned my lesson on that with trail marathons. There’s a point where the pain just slows my way down, and running becomes not fun. My new ‘Original’ Lunas could have handled that, but there’s also a gravel road to end all gravel roads called Leif Erickson that part of the rout was on, and I just didn’t want to have to worry about it. The Leadvilles handled the gnarly gravel without problem. I almost felt guilty somehow, that since I was a minimalist runner, I should have at least a little suffering while running on gravel. But no. For contrast: My friend Katherine ran the race in her VFFs, and was definitely uncomfortable during the gravel road section.

But after that marathon, I have not worn the Leadvilles at all. No need. I will only bring them out when I do an ultra, and maybe for the night section of the Hood To Coast, if I end up on the gravel roads section again. If I didn’t have them, I’d just adapt and overcome with either the new Original Lunas, or maybe my VFFs. But, since I have them, I’ll use them.

To summarize
First I’ll recommend running barefoot. Unless you start getting up into the marathon range, most runners are probably ok with mostly running all barefoot. Still, for those times when some extra protection is needed, I recommend the Xeros over the Lunas, more than anything because of the price, but also for the thinner soles of the Xeros. For super gnarly trails or roads, the Leadvilles will provide excellent protection, though the new ‘Original’ Lunas are almost as thick and might do just as well, though the Leadvilles seem made of more durable material.

I welcome any comments, questions, or suggestions in the comments section below! What’s been your experience with huaraches?

Xero Shoes Website:
http://www.xeroshoes.com/

Luna Sandals Website:
https://www.lunasandals.com/

[This review is cross-posted from my blog]
www.johnyohe.com
 
Good stuff, John! I've been using my Leadvilles (with ATS laces) due to an injured pinky toe (they're the only running shoes I can wear right now) and I'm enjoying them, especially on the rocky stuff like road mix.

Do you find the xeros have a "flop" factor on the front when running? I have some for casual use and wonder about using them for road running.
 
I'd had the 4mm Invisible Shoes at one point and those suckers flapped horribly bad, but my doormat homemade huaraches don't much at all. John, you really don't need a workshop to make your own. I did mine on my kitchen table. The only tool I would really recommend you needing is a hole punch, but if you saved you xero shoes hole punch then your good. A decent pair of scissors will cut through the rubber (mine cut through the rubber glued to a leather upper just fine). If you look you can find doormats for $5 at home depot or lowes. That's what I did. I can get 3-4 pairs of sandals out of 1 doormat. The glue was $7-8 I think, and then I just go to Payless and get some shoe laces for $2. Pretty dang cheap if you ask me.
 
Oh and the suede I get from Michaels for $5. Still really cheap and my favorite sandals that I have, although the Unshoe Pah Tempes are a very close second.
 
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Thanks Nick! I will go the homemade route next time. The 'flop' factor is important, and yes, PB, the Xeros DO have that issue, but that's kind of what I like about them, the fliminess equals 'feel'. That said, I'm not sure I'd wear my Xeros for gnarly trails, in part because of the potential to flop. Good point, and thanks for bringing it up! Maybe the doormat material is the way to go. Nick: does that material affect your feel? Is it still otherwise thin and flexible?
 
John, they wouldn't be my favorite if they didn't have great ground feel. ;) Mike said they are too floppy for him (yes I made him a pair), but he wears them really loose like you can the Lunas with the hemp laces. If he changed out laces in it he could wear them looser just fine. I'm cheap so I use the payless laces and they stretch a bit (especially when wet). You could also just use the xero laces if you liked those, they rubbed raw spots on my feet but I know a lot of people like them. Here's a link to my blog on homemade huaraches out of door mats. I'm too busy to keep up on the blog so there's really not anything else to read on there, but this may help show you how I did mine along with some pictures. http://thebarefootweave.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/homemade-huaraches/
 
i keep forgetting i have those sandals Nick made me. out of sight, out of mind. i'll have to pull them out when the sun comes out. ha!

anyway i prefer my Luna O's over my xeros. if i'm in sandals i don't want to feel the ground. sometimes you have to turn off the braille. if you buy the kit they're only $25. you only need scissors and a hole punch. some drawing skills help to make it look nice otherwise some people make fun of you for how crooked the sandal comes out. i can live with that though. i use the hemp laces. they tighten up in the rain and i think because they soak up water the knot breaks easier. i got lucky in that my two friends who bought lunas with hemp laces have sensitive skin and didn't want to break in the laces. they do have a break in period and i noticed it happens faster when they get wet.
 
some drawing skills help to make it look nice otherwise some people make fun of you for how crooked the sandal comes out.
They looked like rectangular pieces of rubber on your feet Mike. It's funny looking. ;)
i got lucky in that my two friends who bought lunas with hemp laces have sensitive skin and didn't want to break in the laces. they do have a break in period and i noticed it happens faster when they get wet.
Actually Mike, for me it wasn't that the hemp laces needed to break in. For me it was when they get wet they would tighten up so bad they would actually tear my skin, not because they rubbed my skin raw or anything like that. Like I said earlier, you wear them really loose compared to me. I also run in a lot of flooded stuff over here in the park because if I didn't I would be on some boring small loops. We also live in the Pac NW and we get rain all the time. Also, who wants to dodge puddles? I like splashing in puddles.
 
John, they wouldn't be my favorite if they didn't have great ground feel. ;) Mike said they are too floppy for him (yes I made him a pair), but he wears them really loose like you can the Lunas with the hemp laces. If he changed out laces in it he could wear them looser just fine. I'm cheap so I use the payless laces and they stretch a bit (especially when wet). You could also just use the xero laces if you liked those, they rubbed raw spots on my feet but I know a lot of people like them. Here's a link to my blog on homemade huaraches out of door mats. I'm too busy to keep up on the blog so there's really not anything else to read on there, but this may help show you how I did mine along with some pictures. http://thebarefootweave.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/homemade-huaraches/

I REALLY need to get some new laces from my Lunas, something with more stretch. I used them on the pavement yesterday and now I have some nice raw spots. I stopped to adjust them like a million times.
 
They looked like rectangular pieces of rubber on your feet Mike. It's funny looking. ;)

Actually Mike, for me it wasn't that the hemp laces needed to break in. For me it was when they get wet they would tighten up so bad they would actually tear my skin, not because they rubbed my skin raw or anything like that. Like I said earlier, you wear them really loose compared to me. I also run in a lot of flooded stuff over here in the park because if I didn't I would be on some boring small loops. We also live in the Pac NW and we get rain all the time. Also, who wants to dodge puddles? I like splashing in puddles.

Yeah, no "breaking in" with the hemp for me. I think I am going to find a stretchy soft fabric, kind of like elastic, but super thin, kind of more like a mesh fabric that has a little bit of give, and try that. In the rain my "non-hemp" laces sort of stick to my skin. Grrrrrrrrr.
 
Yeah, no "breaking in" with the hemp for me. I think I am going to find a stretchy soft fabric, kind of like elastic, but super thin, kind of more like a mesh fabric that has a little bit of give, and try that. In the rain my "non-hemp" laces sort of stick to my skin. Grrrrrrrrr.
I really really really like my Pah Tempes. They are great in the rain, I just need to trim the front of them as they are a bit long and wide when running through water deeper than about 6 inches.
 
Yeah, no "breaking in" with the hemp for me. I think I am going to find a stretchy soft fabric, kind of like elastic, but super thin, kind of more like a mesh fabric that has a little bit of give, and try that. In the rain my "non-hemp" laces sort of stick to my skin. Grrrrrrrrr.

Dumb question - Do you think something like lock laces, which have elastic, might work?

I just happen to have some Xeros that I haven't put laces in yet and a spare pair of lock laces. I might have to try it out.
 
Thanks for the detailed review John. I am thinking about getting a thicker soled sandal for more rocky trails and for longer distances. I have considered the Luna's, but I will most likely go with the Unshoes Wokova (10mm sole). I have the 6 mm Wokovas and love them on trails, not bad on the roads either.
 
Thanks for the detailed review John. I am thinking about getting a thicker soled sandal for more rocky trails and for longer distances. I have considered the Luna's, but I will most likely go with the Unshoes Wokova (10mm sole). I have the 6 mm Wokovas and love them on trails, not bad on the roads either.
Thanks Rick, I didn't know about these. Looks like the Wokovas are a lot like the Leadvilles, at about half the price! I would go with those! But let us know how they are!
I like the Luna ATS lace, that's the only advantage, but that Wakova lace system seem cool. I'm definitely curious, but not enough to buy another pair of huaraches at this point.
 
I've been thinking about it over the last week and I will probably get the 10mm Wokovas. I gave the 6mm Wokovas a good test with a 22 mile trail hike/run with 7000 ft elevation change. I thought the strap between my toes would really cut in on the downhills but my feet were fine. The trail was technical, but not too rocky so the 6mm worked great, but any more distance, and I would probably want more sole.

I wouldn't mind trying out some other brands of sandals, but I have to stick with what is working for me.

I'll be sure to bring my quiver of Unshoes up to H2C for you to check out. I'll be sure to wash them first.:)
 
i'm going to Mexico for xmas so will once again try for real ones as well as enclosed ones. not sure i'll use them for running.