Xero made an Oxford-style barefoot shoe that looks smart enough for the office and for smart casual events at an affordable price point. I fee l this is an under represented area of the men's barefoot world so I had high hopes for this shoe.

Spolier: it's close - but the outsole ruins it.

Overview: A Barefoot Oxford With Promise (and One Major Flaw)

I picked up the Xero Glenn hoping I could wear this shoe into the office for anything smart casual events. My work commute is 20 mins walking each way, so I've als been using it for that - we will go into the details of that later.

Xero has a large product line and to be honest none of their shoes really interested me asides from this. I had been looking around in the market for other shoes to fill the void but couldnt find any for a decent price.

Xero Glenn Top down — *The Xero Glenn ticks a lot of boxes: affordable, looks great, comfy*

Fit & Comfort: Surprisingly Roomy, But Not All-Day Friendly

The Glenn fits true to size and gives you plenty of room. Definetly more room that other vivobarefoot and barefoot brands that I have tried. We're off to a good start here. Additional this shoe has volume in the forefoot. When I compare this to the Vivobarefoot RA (Full Review available here) you'll notice the height difference in the toebox. In my view its not a bod or good thing for me, doesnt impact me too much.

The lock down is also decent and didnt have any issues wearing it throughout the day.

*Top - Glenn Bottom - Vivobarefoot RA. The RA is a slightly sleeker design while the Glenn as a bit more volume in the forefoot*

Upper Materials: Tough Leather That Looks the Part (But Doesn’t Feel It)

The leather upper looks very good for a barefoot shoes, One of the reasons I bought the shoe in the first place. It's clean and simple enough to pass in most office settings. The shoe appears to have a thick sole, with the white midsole at the bottom though. This is just an illusion it's purely a barefoot shoe. Xero had done a good job here.

Note that the volume of the toe box in this shoe does add a little to the clunkyness of it. The high-volume upper gives it a chunkier silhouette from the side, but it’s still passable in most business-casual settings.

But once you touch it, the story changes. It feels harsh and quite thick, which kills any sense of luxury. Due to the thicknes, the upper does need in some break-in time. Even though there is width I didn't find this the most comfortable shoe due to the thicker material. There wasn't anything digging into my feet, its just not a softer leather to feel on your feet.

To Xero's credit, the build quality seems excellent. After 6 months of wearing this shoe at least twice a week. It feels solid and well-constructed, and I wouldn’t question their 5,000-mile warranty.

Xero Glenn Casual Top down — *Great looking upper and feels very well made*

Outsole: The Dealbreaker That Took Me Down

This is where things go off the rails. The grip is genuinely awful. To give you an idea here are some experiences I have had with it:

I first noticed it, when I slipped slightly tiles during the first couple of wears when it was damp. I didn't think much of it at the time.
A few weeks later, I was on my way to work after some rain and walking down some stairs. With about 5 steps to go, I completely fell backward and fell down them all on my back side! To bo honest, I was lucky I didnt injure myself more!
Since, I've had to be extremly carefull and conisous with it at all times. Even on tiles in the dry, I'll felt my legs slip a litle.

I woud even make the claim its, the worst outsole on any shoe I had worn. Ever. I worn office shoes with no tread on the outsole that has had better grip. Like, surely someone at Xero has tested this?!

The tread design looks cut in instead of raised. Look at the picture below. Ulitmately this has been the deal breaker in the shoe for me.

Price & Comparisons: Great Price—If You Don’t Need Grip

At $130 USD, the Glenn (on paper) is actually a very well priced shoe in the barefoot world.

You’re getting:

A wide, barefoot-friendly fit
Clean, office, smart casuall, dressy design
Strong build quality

But this all falls apart with the outsole. Xero have nearly nailed it here but I cannot recommend this shoe wwith the outsole

Other shoes I would consider if you are in the market for a office or smart casual shoe. considered:

Vivobarefoot RA – way more expensive, though maybe better leather (and good Grip!). Check out my review here.
Vivobarefoot Asana - same deal as the RA but a lot more casual looking that the Glenn. Full review available here

Both of these regularly onsale or on Revivo barefoot for a decent price. As of the time or writing , they are on Revivo for about 100 USD.

Final Verdict: So Close, But So Slippery

The Xero Glenn nails a lot of things: shape, sizing, price, build. But it completely fumbles on the outsole.

It’s frustrating because this shoe had real potential. If the outsole was even average, it would a Great shoe. Instead, it’s a no-go unless you’re never stepping outside.

So while I respect the effort—this one’s a pass for me.

Xero Glenn Review: Checks Nearly Every Box—But Slips on the Most Important One