Vivobarefoot in vivo
 |
| Flex, Soul of Africa Kembo and the Primus Trail FG |
I have
taken
advantage of the Vivobarefoot summer sale and so for this review I bring a cross
section of shoes; from the casual wear of the leather Flex (which I like to
wear at the weekend), through to the smarter suede moccasin Soul of Africa
Kembo (which I like to wear to work) and the trail shoe Primus FG (which I
solely use for running).
As you would expect the whole concept of these shoes is
minimalist in form and function, without any supporting structure and with a
thin sole to give that “barefoot” feel to a shoe. Having worn
Vibram FiveFingers and the obscure but rather excellent
Skora Form for the last couple of
years I was intrigued to see how the Vivobarefoots would compare.
Vivobarefoot Flex
Construction
Construction wise this is an unusually
designed shoe. A single piece of leather forms the toe box, which encompasses
the foot, tied with laces, giving the impression of a shoe which is somewhat
prehistoric in nature – the leather
being almost tied to the foot. The leather upper then progresses into a heel
strap in which the two ends are stitched together. Within the leather upper is
a synthetic “sock”. The sole is thin, flat and flexible.
Fit
The fit is comfy with a wide toe box and the leather is
relatively supple without any need to break-in. The thin sole gives a lot of
ground feel and the overall impression is of a comfortable minimalist shoe. However,
it is not exactly a breathable shoe and although it does have some air holes, these
shoes tend to get a little sweaty.
Quality
This is where the shoe is let down. Made in Cambodia,
the weakest link is the stitching on the heel strap. Within a few days of
owning the shoe the stitching split necessitating a glue and stitch operation
and a subsequent reconsolidation a few days later. Putting a join in the one
place that you are likely to hook your finger to pull the shoe onto your foot
seems like a major design error. On closer inspection it would appear that the
leather overlap was not quite enough on my shoes meaning that the leather was
literally clinging on with its finger tips. Not really what you would expect in
a shoe which is relatively pricey. Really, I should have sent these back
however I liked these shoes enough to do my own fix.
Conclusion
Very comfortable although sweaty and are let
down by quality issues. However they are excellent for casual wear and I always
seem to get comments how great they look.
Vivobarefoot Soul of Africa Kembo
Construction
A traditional moccasin design in very supple
suede leather, stitched nicely along the top aspect in the expected manner. The
soles are the colour of amber which I quite like. Overall look – probably
something in the Apache line. Geronimo would have approved.
They are called Soul of Africa because they are made of Ethiopian
Leather in Ethiopia, a country well known for, amongst other things, being home
to a lost tribe of Israel, the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant,
and also, its excellence in leather work.
Fit
The fit is wide flat and comfortable and strikes me as
the epitome of a barefoot shoe. I wear these to work and it feels extremely
relaxing to be able to impart a minimalist ethic to the office! One of the main
reasons for buying these particular shoes was that I had a bad back for a few
months and found traditional shoes such as Loakes with a heel, whilst fantastic
quality just exacerbated my lumber pain. The flatness of the Vivobarefoots and
the way it changes the way you walk, with that added ground feel really has
helped my back. In fact it has changed my whole body posture, moving my spine
into a more vertical alignment, naturally making me pull in my stomach and pull
my shoulders back.
Quality
My favourite shoe so far, moccasin construction,
great leather quality and great production quality. Having said that one of the
stitches has pulled from the side, not compromising the integrity of the shoe
but aesthetically displeasing. This shoe is made in Ethiopia and the overall
quality is of a higher standard to the Flex that is made in Cambodia. Great for
summer wear…not so good for rainy days in the UK...although I am sure some
suede treatment would
make things a
little more water resistant.
Conclusion
Despite the mis-stitch I would buy these shoes
again and they are my firm favourites. I love the suppleness of the suede and I
would even quite like to run in these as they are so comfortable.
Vivobarefoot Primus Trail FG
Construction
Synthetic upper with a tough grippy sole.
These shoes have a large toe box and a thin semi-transparent breathable panel
on the side. These shoes come with quick release laces which I am not overly
keen on, but after some experimentation I achieved the tightness of fit that
that I like, and the “give” in the laces then worked very well. The material on
the upper, over the toe box, is a very soft breathable membrane which I really
like. The soles are thicker than the other shoes and more rigid – giving a more
“clumpy” feel.
Fit
These shoes seem to fit very well and are the correct width and
length for my feet. I did get a blister on one of my toes but I think I just
need to adjust the quick release laces so prevent any foot slippage.
Quality
These shoes are made in China, and as expected are
of a high production quality with all stitching, glueing, and construction
being "grade A" perfect.
Running review
I took these out for a 7 ¼ mile run.
Immediate feel was that the soles were thicker and stiffer than other “barefoot”
shoes, however I found that one naturally falls into the toe-strike running
style. Running through town towards the countryside I could feel that these weren’t
a natural choice for tarmac running. These shoes came into their own once I hit
the rough woody trails of the English countryside, the soles being thick enough
to protect from sharp stones and yet not overly effect ground feel. I would say
that the combination of ground feel to protection is darn near perfect, the
grippy soles allow you to shift a gear and run faster on gravel, rocky, uneven
surfaces and the breathable mesh of the shoes keep things a little cooler.
However, the shoes are not quite wide enough for me, and perhaps that is because I have a big hallux (big toe) the shoes feel a little uncomfortable, or awkward around the big toe. If these were leather shoes the leather would stretch and conform however these are made from synthetic material, and the thicker material which wraps over the top of the big toe doesn't help. Personally, for me this is a poor design choice. But I have wide feet so I am not the average by any means.
Conclusion
A top-quality minimalist trail shoe which is just
almost perfect. I found they gave me an added confidence running over rough and
uneven ground, without fearing a bruised sole or a twisted ankle; generally better than my Vibram Five Fingers but not quite as good as my very excellent and very worn out
Skora Form. The Skora Form still outshine the Primus Trail in terms of fit and comfort and because the Skora are made of leather they are self-conforming to a certain extent, whilst the Primus Trail are made of synthetic material and you can really feel that they are synthetic! That said the soles of the Vivos seem to be more hardwearing or at least more practical than the Skora, but lets see how the Vivos look after 500+ miles...
Overall Thoughts on Vivobarefoot
As a brand one can only applaud Vivobarefoot in their range which
goes from smart wear through to casual and sportswear, allowing customers to
bring “barefoot” minimalist ethic to just about every minute of the waking day.
True, Vibram Five Fingers also do smarter shoes but not quite like the Vivo’s –
for example I can’t imagine wearing a Vibram Five Finger leather shoe or brogue
to work, I would surely be sent home. Indeed, I would go as far to say that
Vivobarefoot as a company has really nailed it.
Vivobarefoot has also changed my whole view on shoes. I have
been minimalist running for over two years yet only rarely used minimalist
shoes for casual wear. Now I can wear the same minimalist soles for work, rest
and running meaning that my body doesn’t have to keep adapting to each shoe
that I put on. I have found that my bad back which has troubled me for months (after
a bad cooling down stretch at the gym) is now getting much better, and really
raises my awareness to a holistic view of the feet being the foundation of the
body. For example, a bad back in traditional terms would generally mean a trip
to a physio or chiropractor and not to a change in one’s shoes. However, a
change in shoes has changed the way I walk and run and how I hold my body
throughout the day. It really is a lifestyle change with very real results.
Needless to say that (aside from some random quality issues in the stitching
department) I am pretty chuffed with my Vivo’s and will be a repeat customer.
Overview of Vivobarefoot Gobi II
A really good fit and just like the Kembo SOA (of which I am
a huge fan) it feels like you are practically barefoot, with very little
sensation of wearing shoes - which of course is the whole point. I have put in
the thermal winter insoles into my Gobi II, to make these shoes warmer in the
autumn and winter months and this has made them more snug, although I am
waiting to see how the insoles fair. For example the cork insoles I put into my
Kembo SOA only lasted a short while as the flexibility of the sole
made the insoles ride up within the
shoe, like a concertina. However the thermal insole appear to be more rigid than the cork insoles so I guess they will last a little longer. They also have little holes showing some shiny metal. Presumably there is some bacofoil in there. The packaging for these states 300 percent more insulation with just 3 mm. Not sure if that can be true otherwise my feet will get roasted but I will see in due course!
