Family of 7 Hikes the CDT in Xero Shoes

Imagine this: hiking the Continental Divide Trail which is over 3100 miles with FIVE KIDS and a newborn baby! The Netteburg Family is making their way along the CDT, and we are lucky enough to sponsor them in Xero Shoes the entire way.

In 2020, the Netteburg Family trekked the Appalachian Trail and their daughter, trail name “The Beast,” became the youngest person to ever trek the entire trail on her own two legs, at age four. Her older siblings, Lyol (was age 11, “Blaze”), Zane (was age 8-9, “Boomerang”), and Addison (was 6-7, “Angel Wings”) also trekked without difficulty. They spent a total of 177 days on trail.

If they successfully complete the CDT in 2022, “The Beast” will become the youngest to trek the trail at age six, and oh yeah, since the AT they have added another little addition to the family. So now with five kids, they will possibly be the largest family to complete the trail and the first to carry a baby the length of the trail (which has been done many times successfully on AT and PCT.)

It’s been amazing watching their journey unfold through social media, and we got an update from the Netteburg Family at about 600 miles into the CDT:

“Our Xero Shoes are holding up amazingly well, considering they are ultralight minimalist shoes and the abuse we are putting them under. Most trail runner shoes long-distance thru-hikers use end up beat up by 400-500 miles and these are surprisingly resilient. Also, we’re so pleased with how the zero drop and the minimalist design makes us more intentional when walking.”

We weren’t lying when we told you about the 5,000 mile sole warranty. No matter what kind of abuse you are putting Xero Shoes through; they can handle it.

When you’re hiking a long distance such as the CDT it’s not only important to have lightweight shoes on your feet, but also to pack lightweight. The Netteburg Family was smart enough to bring Xero Sandals with them as well. Here is what they had to say about their sandals:

“The sandals are so comfy and handy around camp and around town. Much better than clunky crocs or flip flops. Xero sandals mean we can still wear socks around camp. Feet don’t freeze and feet are protected. The truth, however, is the boots are so comfortable, we hardly ever use our sandals around camp. Really only when we’re in towns.”

Needless to say, Xero Shoes are so comfortable you just may never want to take them off. As we cheer on the Netteburg family throughout their ground-breaking journey, it is humbling to see how our shoes can help this family achieve their goals.

After walking over 1000 miles in the DayLite Hikers, and the kids walking over 700 miles in the Prios it’s clear that our shoes are quality products that truly last. We’ll leave it off with sweet words from the Nettebur Family:

“We love having a company that supports families getting outside and into the wild. From the youngest hiker to the parents, we are all happy with our minimalist shoes. They have held up amazingly well. This is our second long trail, so our family has definitely been through some shoes. Xero Shoes hold up every bit as well as heavier traditional hiking shoes.”