I wanted a pair of casual shoes for work that I could still do workouts in…basically a cross trainer for running, weight training and all around use excluding trail running.
Here is what I was choosing from: http://www.planetshoes.com/storeitems.aspx?gender=men&depart=shoes&cat=minimal&subcat=barefoot
I picked out the black leather version of the Vivobarefoot Aqua shoe based on the looks and Vivo’s reputation. I received a test pair courtesy of Planetshoes.com, shipping was fast… here’s what I received in size 46: http://www.planetshoes.com/item/vivobarefoot-aqua/11267/w01
First impression out of the box was these look better than the pictures, construction quality of the materials and stitching looks very good. Tried them on and right off the bat decided to remove the insoles as they seemed unnecessary, haven’t bothered to put them back in since that first day. The shoestrings were incredibly long dragging around on the ground no matter how I tied them so replaced those asap with a shorter pair…not sure how they could have picked such a long length.
Wore these to work for 2 weeks over the holidays before trying any running and they quickly became my favorite work shoe. The roomy toe space was very noticeable over time and my other work shoes seem smaller now. The only real fault with the fit of these shoes is the thick cuff rubs my skin on the Achilles tendon…no problem with socks but these are out for sockless use…I have the same trouble with several other shoe brands also.
Test ran on pavement during January and February plus a couple treadmill runs…these were mostly shorter 2 – 3 milers with one 10 miler thrown in…total 55 miles. Found no negative issues at all, no blisters, hotspots or rubbing problems…really like the nice loose feel/fit running on the roads. The leather is warm in the winter cold and I run barefoot in warm weather so I wouldn’t be running in these in the summer unless it was on a treadmill indoors. Traction is fine about average for a road shoe…I didn’t try trail running in these but I think they would work as good as most road shoes. Wore these for weight training 1 - 2 times a week…they are stabile with good firmness in the sole.
After 3 months of casual use plus some running these shoes still look new with no signs of wear…. durability seems like it will be very very good. The weight of these is on the high side compared to some of my other winter shoes but I didn’t notice a heavy feeling in general so not a real issue for a casual shoe.
I can recommend these if you like a more neutral looking all around shoe without a lot busy colors or printing…these shoes will not be drawing a lot of attention the way some minimalist shoes do.
I want to thank Planetshoes.com for letting me test these shoes out.
Ground Feel - 4
Flexibility - 4
Toe Box - 5
Weight - 10 oz without insoles
Comfort - 4.5
Fit - 4.5
Traction - 3.5
Durability - 5
Performance - 5
Cross Training - 4.5
Design - 4
Aesthetics - 5
Here is what I was choosing from: http://www.planetshoes.com/storeitems.aspx?gender=men&depart=shoes&cat=minimal&subcat=barefoot
I picked out the black leather version of the Vivobarefoot Aqua shoe based on the looks and Vivo’s reputation. I received a test pair courtesy of Planetshoes.com, shipping was fast… here’s what I received in size 46: http://www.planetshoes.com/item/vivobarefoot-aqua/11267/w01
First impression out of the box was these look better than the pictures, construction quality of the materials and stitching looks very good. Tried them on and right off the bat decided to remove the insoles as they seemed unnecessary, haven’t bothered to put them back in since that first day. The shoestrings were incredibly long dragging around on the ground no matter how I tied them so replaced those asap with a shorter pair…not sure how they could have picked such a long length.
Wore these to work for 2 weeks over the holidays before trying any running and they quickly became my favorite work shoe. The roomy toe space was very noticeable over time and my other work shoes seem smaller now. The only real fault with the fit of these shoes is the thick cuff rubs my skin on the Achilles tendon…no problem with socks but these are out for sockless use…I have the same trouble with several other shoe brands also.
Test ran on pavement during January and February plus a couple treadmill runs…these were mostly shorter 2 – 3 milers with one 10 miler thrown in…total 55 miles. Found no negative issues at all, no blisters, hotspots or rubbing problems…really like the nice loose feel/fit running on the roads. The leather is warm in the winter cold and I run barefoot in warm weather so I wouldn’t be running in these in the summer unless it was on a treadmill indoors. Traction is fine about average for a road shoe…I didn’t try trail running in these but I think they would work as good as most road shoes. Wore these for weight training 1 - 2 times a week…they are stabile with good firmness in the sole.
After 3 months of casual use plus some running these shoes still look new with no signs of wear…. durability seems like it will be very very good. The weight of these is on the high side compared to some of my other winter shoes but I didn’t notice a heavy feeling in general so not a real issue for a casual shoe.
I can recommend these if you like a more neutral looking all around shoe without a lot busy colors or printing…these shoes will not be drawing a lot of attention the way some minimalist shoes do.
I want to thank Planetshoes.com for letting me test these shoes out.
Ground Feel - 4
Flexibility - 4
Toe Box - 5
Weight - 10 oz without insoles
Comfort - 4.5
Fit - 4.5
Traction - 3.5
Durability - 5
Performance - 5
Cross Training - 4.5
Design - 4
Aesthetics - 5
