Vivo shoes?

[Pastychomper]

Has anyone any experience with Vivo "barefoot" shoes?

They've been advertising heavily on Facebook lately, which I usually take as a bad sign since it seems to be the preferred platform for Floggit & Leggit Ltd. Besides, "barefoot shoes" sound like something that should be paid for in £0 notes.

On the plus side, their trail shoes are available in my size and look like a better shape than most. I get that they're thin but that needn't be a bad thing. Any idea if the shoes, or the company itself, are any good?


Thanks

[jacob]

I can't help you from experience, but I saw this review. Hope it helps a sllight bit.

https://outdoorsmagic.com/article/vivo-barefoot-tracker-fg-boots-review/

[SMRussell]

I have a lot of barefoot trail and pavement running shoes, including a pair of Vivos.

The Vivos are the Primus Swimrun Boot SG. - excellent for wet/muddy/boggy trail and hill running (though I've not done long days in these). The lugs are great for grip and they drain really quickly. But they are very expensive and not as comfortable as other brands.

I have a couple of pairs of Merrell Vapour Gloves - you really need to take your time adjusting to these as they are very minimal. Not for the hills as there is zero grip and no rock protection. Can be pretty cheap (£39) if you shop around.

Two pairs of Merrell Trail Glove 4s which I really like. I ran the St Cuthbert's Way Ultra Marathon in these in June last year - though I'd spent months adjusting to barefoot running shoes before hand. I like these for trail running and they're great in the hills if you can guarantee the route will be mostly dry. I only got away with these on St Cuthbert's as it had been so dry. They're useless on steep wet grass - I wore them coming down the grassy north side of Red Screes last year and spent more time on arse than upright. They also offer some rock protection but you'll still feel quite a lot if it if the ground is particularly rocky. You can get these for around the £50-60 mark if you shop around.

I've recently bought a pair of Merrell Move Gloves. They're in between the Vapour Gloves and Trail Gloves. I've not done much running in these, aside from short bursts while walking our Border Terrier puppy, Goose in the park and local trails. But so far I really like them for comfort and barefoot feel. Much like the Trail Glove, I'd not use these if I anticipated a lot of mud or bog. I got this pair for £50.

If you're thinking about trying barefoot I'd suggest getting a pair of Merrells from their barefoot range first because its far cheaper and they're comfortable. I have to size up for Merrerlls and, oddly, size down for Vivos.

Good luck.

[SMRussell]

I should have added that I initially bought a women's size 5 in the Vivo Swimruns and found that they were too big. I sent them back and ordered both a size 4 and a size 3.5, ultimately sending back the former. Sending the shoes back was very straightforward and, IIRC, I was refunded for the shoes I returned within a week. As a company I'd rate them as good.

Also, if it is shoe shape you're interested in, as opposed to barefoot per se, you might want to explore Altra's range of shoes (https://www.altrarunning.eu/uk/).Similar to barefoot shoes they are zero drop with a wide toebox, yet, unlike barefoot trail shoes they have cushioning. I have a pair of Altra Superior 4s and have been really impressed with them thus far (https://www.altrarunning.eu/uk/superior-4-1480.html).

[Pastychomper]

Thanks both for the replies, and apologies for the delay in coming back.

I've had a few Merrells over the years because they do my size and fit fairly well, I find their trail shoes are pretty good but the toe box is a bit small. I'm more interested in the shape than the thinness, although I like the idea of keeping my feet more mobile when on a walk. I can wear them into w*rk so adjusting shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Maybe I should have mentioned I'm size 14, which limits my choice a bit. Ever since I was 13 I've considered it good policy to check out any shoes that might fit, just in case. Altra look like they have some nice soles but don't seem to do anything above US13/UK12.

I'll have a look at both Merrell and Vivo, it looks like they both have outlets in Glasgow so maybe I'll try some on when they reopen.

[Veryhappybunny]

Vivo are sponsors of Dr Rangan Chatterjee's 'Feel Better, Live More' podcasts and he quotes a code in his podcasts that gives you a discount, but I can't remember how much it is.

[matt_outandabout]

They've been advertising heavily on Facebook lately,

The adverts on Facebook are all contextual. You look once, or look up a YouTube video, search for Vivo barefoot and that's it, Facebook adverts for them for a month.

[Pastychomper]

Amazon had a pair of Vivo Primus Trail FG Runners for £60, so I quickly ummed and ahhed until they put the price up a bit , then took a punt. They arrived last week, so far I'd give them 11/10 for the shape and maybe 7 for the sizing (they do fit but only without the insole). Running in them feels better than I thought, so if they hold together I'll call it a win. I have some misgivings about one of the materials they used in the upper, but time and miles will tell.

The adverts on Facebook are all contextual. You look once, or look up a YouTube video, search for Vivo barefoot and that's it, Facebook adverts for them for a month.

I'd never heard of the company before I saw it on FB, but yes I'd probably been spotted searching for shoes elsewhere. I did click on the first ad, maybe that marked me as a fan.