I've now given up on Xero and here's why. After purchasing at least a dozen pairs of Xero shoes, I noticed what can only be described as a catastrophic drop in quality. There were clear signs - the first pair of shoes I bought was made of quality materials (not including the crumbling sole in the photo) - while all new shoes have scuffs or frays around the reinforced toe. I killed the last half dozen boots in under 6 months and under 300 miles. IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO WEAR THROUGH THE SOLE FOR ANY LONGER TIME (calling their 5000 mile guarantee into question) as the sole will separate from the upper long before that. Fixing them is not an option as the fabric used is a cheap laminated material that will delaminate and fall apart. For the average user, this might not be a problem since many people don't accumulate kilometers in their shoes like runners do. from the landfill.