Xero Shoes

4,117 people entered our Z-Trail our Ultimate Sandal Sweepstakes Giveaway! And we’re thrilled to annouce the 61 winners… 58 were randomly chosen and 3 were commenters.

And then, well, we added more prizes and winners, as you’ll see below 😉

Oh, and over 2,200 people grabbed their Z-Trail sandals during the launch!

If you weren’t a winner, you can still check out our awesome prize donators. Scroll through the list, and click on the images that you want to check out.

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Our winning commenters

First, thank ALL of you who submitted comments, especially those of you who’ve been wearing Xeros and shared your experiences over the years. Please know that we are tremendously grateful for all your support and thrilled to hear about what you’ve learned, what you’ve done, and the fun that you’ve had.

Frankly, there were WAY more than 3 that we loved so, picking “winners” was a real challenge. Search for the winners in the comments below; you won’t be disappointed.

Our top 3 commenters, who each get a pair of Z-Trails:

First, for both volume and creativity, Erik Thompson. Erik submitted a LOT of comments, each one more fun than the next (and you know we like to #FeelRealFun around here). One sample:

I want some Umara’s to traverse the Sahara,
and feel the sun on my rubber-soled toes,

Not booties nor Vibrams or five-fingered slip-ons
shall grace my ground hands as friendlies or foes.

Next, I have a phrase that I use a lot when I’m evaluating anything: “Let’s look at the math.” And, yes, I say that about things that have nothing to do with math. But Robby Clark got me with his Xero sum math:

1) The idea of absolute truth has interested philosophers, scientists, and … 2) In science, doubt has been cast on the notion of absolutes by theories … 3) In pure mathematics , however, there is said to be a proof for the existence of absolute truth.

mathematically — where p=price, f=fun, r=run, c=climb, c1=comfort, h1= health and wellness, Z= Z Trail Sandal
f + r(c)/ p(c1) (h1 )= Z

Finally (kinda… you’ll see in a moment), Lena is an award-winning novelist, so we were taken by one of the longer entries, practically a short story by Rachel:

There was once a woman who wished to liberate her feet from stiff
leather and heavy soles, so she removed her shoes and went barefoot. The
first few steps were bliss, but as she continued along a sun-heated path strewn
with sharp-edged stones, her pleasure turned to pain. With a heavy heart, she put
her shoes back on again, still yearning for freedom. In desperation, she
set out to consult the sage who lived high on a mountain. Though her legs grew heavier
with every step, she at last reached the summit, and found the sage
seated in front of a cave.

Before the woman could even catch her breath, the sage
looked at the confining shoes on her feet and nodded. “Umara Z-Trail”, he pronounced
wisely. “The ultimate sport sandal.”

“Pardon?” said the woman, still wheezing.

“Xeroshoes.com,” said the sage. He reached into the cave and
drew out a pair of the lightest, most streamlined sandals the woman had ever
seen. To her wonder they fit like a second pair of skin. She could
feel the earth under her soles; she could splay her toes, point and flex and
arch her feet. Best of all, there was no discomfort as she walked and then
leaped around the rocky summit.

“Thank you, oh thank you!” the woman exclaimed.

“De nada,” said the sage.

With the surefootedness of a mountain
goat, and the spring of a gazelle, the woman descended the mountain. And she
walked, skipped, and ran happily ever after.

But there was an audience favorite (that we also liked)… so we added one more winning pair to:

William Kennedy, whose post had the most Likes:

I’d like to win the Z-Trail,
I’d like to win them now,
I’d like to win the Z-Trail but I do not quite know how.
You see, my writing’s not that funny,
My writing’s not that grand,
My writing’s not that catchy,
In fact, it’s rather bland.
Oh wait, I’ll write a poem,
Or maybe it’s a song,
Regardless of it’s structure,
I hope you’ll follow along.
I’ll wear them in the daytime,
I’ll wear them late at night,
I’ll wear them while I lay in bed,
(Just do not tell my wife).
These Z-Trails look amazing,
These Z-Trails look so sweet.
Thank you Steven and Lena,
for caring for our feet.

Then we decided that some of our other favorites deserved Honorable Mentions… and $25 gift certificates.

Thanks Dominique Navarro, who also rhymed her way into our hearts:

There was an old lady who lived in her shoes,
She had such sore feet she did not know what to do!
She sought out help from her doctor, chiropractor, and more,
and to her dismay she got sent to the store,
To purchase orthotics, support shoes, and drugs
For the pain that just got worse from the advice of those thugs.
She cried in agony desperate for help, when
miraculously she found a video with Master Sashen!
He shared with the world his wisdom about shoes,
And said, keep wearing em and guaranteed you’ll lose.
So she decided to go xero for the sake of her feet,
And shared xero wisdom with all she would meet.
Buy xero shoes and feel the world if you dare,
Z-trail are the newest so go get a pair!
?

Another volume contributor, Ian Salsman never failed to entertain. His simplest says it best:

Xero Shoes rock so I don’t hurt my feet when I step on those rocks.

but he also went for the sing-along riff with:

I’m so excited
And I just can’t hide it
I’m about to lose control and I think I like it
I’m so excited
And I just can’t hide it
And I know
I know
I know
I know
I know
I want [Z-Trail]
I want [Z-Trail]

And, finally, Sara T simply nailed it with her review:

I’ve been salivating over the new Z-Trail design for days. While I love the design of Chacos, and have bought 3 different pairs over the years, they have all been relegated to eBay, as I despise 1) the ridiculous weight and 2) the molded arch. My poor flat feet hated them with a passion, but they were the outdoor sandal I was “supposed to” wear. So while hemming and hawing about whether to buy a pair, I remembered my DIY kit sandals I bought back in ’12 and wore faithfully for several years. I couldn’t justify purchasing more sandals when I still have plenty of my 5,000 miles left on these, and hadn’t even been faithful to the barefoot cause (I’m so ashamed!). So I took them for a spin this morning, instead of the Brooks I’ve been hiking and jogging in. AMAZING! While I’ve been lazy about which shoe to wear, I’ve (naively) tried to keep my barefoot mechanics. And this morning, in my trusty huaraches, I realized I had completely failed! Typical running shoes are impossible to run properly in. This morning, it all came back. My toes pointed, my feet landed under my body, my heels kicked up more, my toes and arches were engaged, and I immediately started stepping over the log again (best visualization I had learned for how to step). I was jogging for real, not plodding along. Thank you, Steve and Lena, for continuing to realize the vision, for all the hard work you put into a product you believe in, and for the excellence you put into your products and customer service.

Dennis (our product designer) and Janice (our Customer Happiness Manager) were in the military, so they especially liked Sonia’s “FOX’s Creed”:

These are my Z-Trail Sport Sandals. There are many like them, but these are mine. My Z-Trail Sport Sandals are my best friend. They are my life. I must master them as I must master my life.

And now onto our random winners: