Stomp Lox has released its intriguing new Trail Worm shoes – barefoot shoes sporting interchangeable insoles, with one for cycling and the other for running or hiking.
Crafted from premium leather and made in Japan, Stomp Lox says the Trail Worm is “a shoe that moves with your foot”, with the wide toebox and zero heel-drop design enabling your toes to spread naturally while keeping your heel level with the ground.
Unlike traditional shoes, barefoot shoes feature a thin, highly flexible sole (to the point where you can bend them with your hand).
Stomp Lox says the Trail Worm enables “your feet to regain the functions in your joints and primal muscles that can weaken from wearing cushioned, high-tech footwear over time”.
The Trail Worm shoes retail for £265 / $260 and come in a single ‘Brown’ colourway.
I’ve been testing these shoes over the last three weeks – read on for my initial impressions.
Method to the madness
The Trail Worm shoes may be perplexing at first glance, but there’s some method to the madness.
They aren’t the only distinctive lace-up kicks in the Japanese brand’s catalogue – I reviewed Stomp Lox’s Slack shoes in 2023, which are also quite unlike any other cycling shoes on the market with their bowling-shoe like appearance and uncommonly wide toebox.
The Trail Worms combine 'durable nubuck leather uppers' with smooth leather heels. The tongue is fully perforated to release heat – natural leather can be notorious for running sweaty. A mesh interior on the heel cup is also claimed to keep air flowing through the shoe.
There’s a fun ‘Bolty’ character worm graphic on the top of tongue, a design by acclaimed French artist Denis Carrier of L’ermitage.
The boot-style lace hardware is identical to that found on the Slack shoes, which Stomp Lox says is “to ensure strength and reliability”.
Stomp Lox offers the Trail Worms in eight sizes, from 24 to 31 (US 6 to 13), accommodating a variety of foot shapes. The brand says the toe box is crafted using moulds “adjusted to the millimetre”.
A grippy and repairable sole
Stomp Lox says the Vibram-like sole is inspired by Ronnie of Ron’s Bikes and Patrick from Ultradynamico, with the design featuring their signature triangular pattern.
Being a barefoot shoe, the sole is very flexible and this triangular pattern is claimed to really bite into the terrain for that all-important grip. This design is also said to shed mud easily.
Since barefoot shoe soles are very thin and can wear out quickly, Stomp Lox tells us it is introducing a paid-for sole replacement service. The brand says you can send your shoes back and it will replace the sole and resew the sides to ensure they’re as good as new.
The exact pricing is currently under review.
The shoes come with two insoles – a cork option for running and hiking, and a reinforced plastic insole for cycling. You then change the insole to suit.
Stomp Lox Trail Worm shoes first impressions
I’ve been testing the Trail Worm shoes over the past three weeks for both hiking and cycling. I thought I’d first use them on short walks, or on soft surfaces to break them in before subjecting them to bike rides.
Unlike the Slacks, the Trail Worm shoes took a long time to break in – and I’m not sure they fully have yet.
I’ve ultimately found I need to wear them with thin running or cycling socks because the high heel on the back of the left shoe rubs on my ankle.
They’ve also certainly altered the way I walk with their barefoot design, which is something I’m still getting used to.
I’m lucky enough to live right next to some woodland and, using the cork insole, the outsole is tenaciously grippy on soft dirt and roots.
They’re not overly comfortable on harder tarmac surfaces, though – the soles of my feet started to complain after walking 10km around Bristol’s city centre one recent evening. I think these shoes may prove to be dandy, though, if you’re primarily walking or running off-road.
On the bike, I’m pretty mixed, but it’s important to note I am a staunch advocate of clipless pedals and switching to a set of flat-pedal shoes has felt very alien.
I tested the Trail Worm shoes on a set of Crankbrothers Stamp 0 pedals on a couple of shorter gravel rides, as well as some work commutes.
The Stamp 0 is a new pedal from the brand, launching last month (July 2025), retailing for £39.99 / $49.99 / €44.99 / AU$74.95.
Although they have 12 moulded pins on either side, I haven’t found them particularly grippy and I’ve had to really concentrate with these shoes on the rocky, technical climbs local to where I live, where I can usually winch my way up and over roots or river crossings when clipped in.
I will look to test these shoes on a more premium set of pedals to assess the sole’s grip when riding, and I think they might perform better when mountain biking rather than gravel riding.
Given I regularly ride long distances on and off-road, I don’t see myself switching to the Trail Worms for any of these rides, where you really reap the benefits of clipless.
But I fully appreciate there are those who prefer to ride with flat shoes and pedals – BikeRadar’s very own Alex Evans is one such person – and as such, the Trail Worm could be right up your alley.
Still, I’m looking forward to seeing how these shoes perform as they continue to wear in.
