Overall impressions: To me (I am no expert) Forclaz does not seem like a knock-off of Xero. Forclaz is very good value for the money but not even close to Xero in aesthetics, comfort & attention to detail.
| XERO | FORCLAZ | |
| Price (2021) | Approx. 80-100 EUR in Europe | Approx. 22 EUR in Europe |
| Sizing | 39,5 | 40 (inner length: 260 mm) |
| Toebox area | Approx. 100 mm wide , has some flexibility at one side | Approx. 100 mm wide , has no flexibility |
| Sole | Zero drop 8 mm 3-layer sole with 2 mm carefully designed lugs, decent ground feel yet high comfort level, very flexible, very good grip, black & grey mix | Zero drop 5 mm with 2 mm symbolical lugs, very simple, very strong ground feel, no cushioning, super flexible, haven’t tried grip but don’t expect much, brown – not very nice if you look at it from close but on the feet it looks OK, there’s a slight rim that might not be comfortable if your feet are over it (mine aren’t) |
| Heel-rim | Ergonomically shaped, firm but soft, relatively low | Bulky, high and stiff, might be uncomfortable if your feet fill the sandals fully (the weakest point in the construction) |
| Straps | 3-fold across the foot + heel part, adaptable in all 4 dimensions, very secure, beautiful design (comes in different nice colours), only the heel part is a bit short & many people add extra velcro to be able to close it – an important point for further development | 2-fold across the foot + heel part, adaptable only at the front and around the ankle therefore provides a looser fit, very basic look, grey colour, velcro long enough |
| Weight | 250 g/pair | 300 g/pair |
| Sum-up | Look good & feel good, very versatile, perfect for pavement or hillsides, super comfortable and secure. | Look OK on feet, not so great from close up, very basic, very barefoot, not super secure on my feet but acceptable, will use them as slippers because they are quick & easy to put on & off. Proved quite uncomfortable for me at a walk test, pls. see below. |
Forclaz Trek impressions after a longer walk in town
What I liked:
- light
- zero drop
- thin & very flexible sole
- very strong ground feel (2nd best after my Skinners)
- easy to put on and take off
- on my feet they look much better than up close without feet
- they go surprisingly well with my summer dress on the dressier side
What I disliked:
- no shock absorption at all, even less than in Skinners (!), so walking on concrete is very uncomfortable in them, even if you slow down & try to be careful
- I felt their own lugs through the sole & after a while it became painful
- the balls of my feet were still sore the next morning ☹
- without a cross-strap, they don’t sit securely on my feet, which did not bother me much while wearing them as slippers at home – but now when walking, after 1 hour my heel started hurting (that’s how my feet tell me that something is not OK)