Brandwave

How popular isXero Shoes?

In September 2026, people searched for Xero Shoes by name about 390 times in New Zealand, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 14.9% of all New Zealand barefoot and minimalist shoe brand searches, placing Xero Shoes fourth out of five brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about barefoot and minimalist shoe brands, Xero Shoes appeared in all answers and was the second most recommended of the five.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Xero Shoes is the fourth most searched of 5 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. AltraShare of searches 33.7%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  2. VivobarefootShare of searches 26.1%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  3. Vibram FiveFingersShare of searches 22.6%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. Xero ShoesShare of searches 14.9%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  5. Be LenkaShare of searches 2.7%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
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Top barefoot and minimalist shoe brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Xero Shoes appeared in all five answers. Xero Shoes is the second most recommended of the five.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Vivobarefoot1st
  2. Xero Shoes2nd
  3. Be Lenka3rd
  4. Altra4th
  5. Vibram FiveFingers–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Vivobarefoot5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Xero Shoes5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Be Lenka4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Altra2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Vibram FiveFingers1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about barefoot and minimalist shoe brands

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.

Which barefoot and minimalist shoe brands compete with Xero Shoes?

Xero Shoes against barefoot and minimalist shoe brands in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Altra, Vivobarefoot, Vibram FiveFingers, Xero Shoes, Be Lenka. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthAltraVivobarefootVibram FiveFingersXero ShoesBe Lenka
Oct 202531.7%34.8%14.1%17.2%2.2%
Nov 202532.2%34.1%14.3%17.6%1.8%
Dec 202535.9%32.2%13.1%15.9%2.9%
Jan 202634.9%31.3%15.5%15.5%2.8%
Feb 202634.1%36%12.3%15.2%2.4%
Mar 202636.2%31.7%13.2%16%2.9%
Apr 202636.5%32%13.3%16.2%2.1%
May 202635.5%31%15.7%15.7%2%
Jun 202634.2%30%18.7%15.2%1.9%
Jul 202635.5%25.8%23.8%12.9%2%
Aug 202632.8%23.9%26.9%14.6%1.9%
Sep 202633.7%26.1%22.6%14.9%2.7%

  1. 1.Altra

    33.7%

    Held 1st. 880 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.9 points.

  2. 2.Vivobarefoot

    26.1%

    Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 680 estimated branded searches, +6.3% vs prior month. Share +2.2 points.

  3. 3.Vibram FiveFingers

    22.6%

    Moved from 2nd to 3rd. 590 estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -4.3 points.

  4. 4.Xero Shoes

    14.9%

    Held 4th. 390 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  5. 5.Be Lenka

    2.7%

    Held 5th. 70 estimated branded searches, +40% vs prior month. Share +0.8 points.

Compare popularity between Xero Shoes and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Xero Shoes

4 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Xero Shoes changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

4 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Xero Shoes in New Zealand held steady at 390.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xero Shoes’ share of searches among barefoot and minimalist shoe brands in New Zealand decreased from 17.2% to 14.9%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xero Shoes’ share of searches among barefoot and minimalist shoe brands in New Zealand peaked at 17.6% in November 2025 and was lowest at 12.9% in July 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xero Shoes fell from 3rd to 4th among barefoot and minimalist shoe brands in New Zealand.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand barefoot and minimalist shoe brands in September 2026?

4 changes

  1. In September 2026, Vivobarefoot overtook Vibram FiveFingers to rank 2nd among barefoot and minimalist shoe brands in New Zealand, with 26.1% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Altra gained share of searches among barefoot and minimalist shoe brands in New Zealand, from 32.8% to 33.7%.

  3. In September 2026, Be Lenka gained share of searches among barefoot and minimalist shoe brands in New Zealand, from 1.9% to 2.7%.

  4. In September 2026, Vibram FiveFingers lost share of searches among barefoot and minimalist shoe brands in New Zealand, from 26.9% to 22.6%.

How are Xero Shoes’ branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Xero Shoes’ name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • xero shoes

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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