Not adding to the list, but I see Vivo have updated the dreadful Ra III to the IV. Seems to be less clown shoe now. Maybe worth looking again for office wear now?
Great picks and I was VERY close to choosing the Magna Forest ESC as the weekender but opted for the Magna Lite for the added breathability. Hard choice to make!
Hmmm. Jim Green is a challenging look. I'm pure Vivo, as I lack imagination and the motivation to find an alternative. Mine are: Office - Primus Lite All Weather Urban - Primus Trail FG II Everything else - Primus Lite Knit or Trail FG II depending on what I'm doing.
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject I did pick up some of the Tracker Forest (or an earlier similar iteration) in the sale last year, but only worn them twice because they're too warm. I'm also impervious to cold weather and will happily kick about in Lite Knits in snow
After 5 yrs trying various brands i have accumulated more vivo primus lites and vibrams than anyother. They all last so the money is worth it. Primus lites for casual and formal stuff, vibram kso evo for informal run about stuff and vibram v runs for running. The sole has to be removed from the vivos imo. Xeros also good but just arent wide enough anymore. My favourites are the vibrams, running in vibrams is spiritual. Kissing the pavement like a ninja sneaking up on cats and dogs is primal hunter gatherer type stuff. Special mention to eathrunner sandals for summer. Love the content mate ive subscribed 👍
Got motus strength as my first pair of barefoot shoes mainly for the gym. I'm hoping if i like them they'll be good as a transition shoe for barefoot shoes. Cheers for the content mate keep it up 💪💪
i got myself a pair of vivobarefoot scott IVs last november and now they're falling apart after less than a year. i used them every day in all sorts of conditions which i understand is harsh on a shoe but i expected more from them considering the 180 bucks or so they cost me. ive had 40 dollar nike sneakers last me longer.
and especially for vivobarefoot. Which of the vivobarefoot shoes are good for cross training (like any sports/versatile workout and lateral mouvement) and any environment (like winter in the snow and for road, trail)
I'm a BIG fan of the merrel vapor glove and almost picked the Nebula as the lifestyle shoe but the LONO flow pipped it on price ($50 cheaper for the same quality/style)
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject I started wearing barefoot schoes back in the day with leguano and I wasnt happy with their quality and also not the biggest fan of the design of their shoes and they are very pricy. Switched then to Wildling which is by now my go to brand. the Vapor Glove is just looking so sleak in the full black colorway and blends in perfectly as a normal running type sneaker. But I have to say, that nothing goes over running in the Vibram Five Fingers VRun even though they are still weird as hell after having them for over a year now 😂
Great selection Clem! Think I’ll be looking closely at the Gobi for sure. Any advice on getting rid of the smell vivo’s emit would be appreciated as mine are beginning o honk 🥴 No amount of washing seems to help.
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject I wear socks all the time but unfortunately, for now, I’ve only one pair of Barefoots so pretty much wearing them all the time from last summer but to be fair they’ve only started to smell, like cats wee, over the last few weeks. I’ll give Amazon a search. Many thanks! 👍
Depends on your style preference, the Scott is a great option, I'm also a big fan of the Tracker Forest ESC which is a more rugged boot, but very capable.
Do you think the Primus Trail Knits would be good for gym use as well as some road running? Was also considering the Primus Lites or the Motus Strentghs for a do-it-all shoe to pair with some Shammas. Thanks in advance bro, your content has been crazy helpful so far in the early stages of my journey to going barefoot 🤘🏽
Absolutely! I use them in the gym all the time but if you’re after a do it all I’d pitch it between the trails or the lites with the deciding factor being how much ‘cushioning’ you want on the runs. (Trails will offer a little more). Hope that helps ✌🏽
I like xero and they are def the best budget option. My only gripe with them is the cementing goes way too quick. Like my prios started to seperate on the left foot after 2 years of only the gym and an occasional short jog. I’ve put 100s of miles of hiking into the xcursion fusion boots and it took that to start separating the sole from the upper. There’s not issues where the shoes are stitched, and like they guarantee the tread is golden and looks not on the prio and just barely worn on the xcursion, but their cementing lacks a little. I think the excursion would be a much better competition with vivos like the ESC range if xero added stitching to them.
@@Walkerxy lol Vivos delaminate real fast unless you get lucky. All my pairs had sole separation within the first 2 walks. Xeros are indestrctible in comparison.
@@CptAngelKGaming I’d say I’ve had the opposite experience. That being said for hiking I tend to stick with vivos that have stitched soles like the ESC line boots. My Primus trails are holding up better then the xcursion as far as sole attachment goes. I know I’ve seen stuff online of people having issue with vivo sole detachment, I just haven’t experienced it yet but have with xero which is why I wish they had stitched sole options as well.
I typically wear Xero’s, I have an incredibly narrow foot and I have had trouble with the Vivo’s. I am curious if you wear your barefoot shoes to run in, if so what distances do you run?
You should check out the new biome project they're running - 3d printed to your feet. Pretty cool! I've done a lot of trail and road in them. Distance wise my training runs tend to be around 8-15km but the longest I've done was about 35km on trail and (separately) a half marathon on concrete. I definitely find trail nicer on the feet 🙌🏼
I find they get pretty clammy over 28 degrees c or so which is why I opted for the textile. But if you were fixed on a leather magna, I'd recommend getting the Magna Forest ESC, the grip runs laps around the FG
Do you find the magna’s that water resistant? I have all weather primus shoes and was really disappointed in them. Love my leather gobis for a rainy day
How long did it take you to break in the trail knits? I just bought them and they kinda give me blisters on the back of my heel and on the upper of my toes...
"I absolutely love my Vivo Primus shoes, especially in black and white. They are super versatile and great for running around in. I simply wipe them with a mop as soon as I come home through the door, and they're good to go afterwards."
I was surprised and interested at your including the Jim Green BFs, as they're not foot-shaped. Their toe box tapers at the big toe. To me, they can't rightly be called 'barefoot'. With how wide, rounded, and roomy they are, there's plenty of splay space in kind of 'straight ahead' activities. But anything active that presses the foot against that taper, will push the toe at that angle. edit to add: do you own a pair that you're testing? I'd be so interested to hear your take on this :~)
You're very right but I think when it comes to office attire there's always going to be a bit of a compromise. My logic is there's not many people that would be using their office shoes for non-straight ahead activities where you might need more splay than these would afford but at the same time, these do offer significantly more splay than 99% of options out there - what do you think? And yes, I got a pair recently but did not bring them to Indo 🫠. MAY shoot some stuff with them when I'm back in Canada later this year.
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject Oh yes, as roomy as they are, they do look like they'd be better than anything mainstream. They came so close! It's that lack of straight space along the big toe that puts me off them. Actually, there is one other thing. The way they created the last was to take the AR one, flatten it to be zero drop, and make it wider along its whole length. That means for female me that the fit would be 'sloppy' in the midfoot & heel. I'll be keeping my eye out for future updates/redesigns!
I like Lems for casual and city use but can’t beat vivobarefoot for hiking etc. I'm a fan of their esc sole as it seems to offer excellent grip and more durability than the SG versions. I just wish they did a Magna Lite version
Yep, the ones I'm holding and talking with in the video are mine that I've owned for donkies, the ones in the b-roll are from another awesome creator called Andrew Folts, if you go back to that section you'll see it stamped in the bottom left of the video. Good spot!
Wearing barefoot rangers while watching this video. :P (PS: I've never seen a true business casual, at least in an older sense, barefoot shoe even those marketed as "dress shoes".)
They're definitely a hard niche to fill! I had another commenter ( @childcrone ) asking about the toe splay on the barefoot rangers, as they're currently on your foot - how do you find them?
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject It is hard to say. They have more of a rounded shape than an anatomical one. They are on par with Lem's, for me. Maybe a little more space in the big toe and a little less in the pinky toe. But that may be due to them being a 3E last, so they have a wider toe box naturally because they have a wider midfoot. Space isn't an issue; shape may be for some people.
I don't mind them but they get so many weird looks/comments compared to Vivos which tend to fly a bit better under the radar. Personal preference I think!
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject in my 15ish years of wearing fivefingers 90% of the time, I've never had a real negative in-person experience from others. Mostly it's little kids pointing in amazement and going "mummy look at that man's shoes" and really old people saying "ooo they look comfy". I've had a lot of nice interactions with strangers tbb
Depends on the brand, VivoBarefoot you can get away with it (as they are mostly machine washable) but most brands you want to wear thin socks. I did a video testing the best socks for barefoot shoes here: ua-cam.com/video/jkIi6ih4-gs/v-deo.html
Have you seen their new 'Biome' product (they scan your foot then custom print shoes to your exact measurements), could be a gamechanger for v.wide feet!
What would you add to this list?? 👇👇
I have the xero born to run mesa trail 2 and the zolon road shoes and I absolutely love them both for walking and running
@@michaelalbrecht3395 I will admit the Mesa's are a great shout. Haven't tried the zelens yet but will track a pair down 🙌🏼
Lems Primal Zen is a great all round shoe as well.
Not adding to the list, but I see Vivo have updated the dreadful Ra III to the IV. Seems to be less clown shoe now. Maybe worth looking again for office wear now?
Female and kids shoes
The Tracker ESC or Magna ESC are the ones for me when it comes to hiking. Absolutely love them, best boot ever
Great picks and I was VERY close to choosing the Magna Forest ESC as the weekender but opted for the Magna Lite for the added breathability. Hard choice to make!
I bought the Hykes Pinnacle and wow what a difference. Never going back to normal shoes.
Thanks for the video! I really really appreciate the reference at the begging of the video. I think I’m going to opt for one vivo
No worries dude, I appreciate you asking the question! Hope you like the Vivos 🙌🏼
Great video mate! I find the Lono’s so much more comfortable than the primus lite knit fg. Just more room for my foot to breathe.
Thank you and I'm definitely enjoying mine 🙌🏼
Hmmm. Jim Green is a challenging look.
I'm pure Vivo, as I lack imagination and the motivation to find an alternative. Mine are:
Office - Primus Lite All Weather
Urban - Primus Trail FG II
Everything else - Primus Lite Knit or Trail FG II depending on what I'm doing.
We're cut from the same cloth then 😆. All low cuts - never tried any of the boot style fits?
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject I did pick up some of the Tracker Forest (or an earlier similar iteration) in the sale last year, but only worn them twice because they're too warm. I'm also impervious to cold weather and will happily kick about in Lite Knits in snow
After 5 yrs trying various brands i have accumulated more vivo primus lites and vibrams than anyother. They all last so the money is worth it. Primus lites for casual and formal stuff, vibram kso evo for informal run about stuff and vibram v runs for running. The sole has to be removed from the vivos imo. Xeros also good but just arent wide enough anymore. My favourites are the vibrams, running in vibrams is spiritual. Kissing the pavement like a ninja sneaking up on cats and dogs is primal hunter gatherer type stuff. Special mention to eathrunner sandals for summer. Love the content mate ive subscribed 👍
Thank you 🙌🏼. Appreciate the insight and keep ninja'ing up on those cats and dogs 😉
Got motus strength as my first pair of barefoot shoes mainly for the gym. I'm hoping if i like them they'll be good as a transition shoe for barefoot shoes. Cheers for the content mate keep it up 💪💪
Good choice - I'm a big fan of the Motus! Hope you enjoy them and apprecaite the support 🙌🏼
Hey, any update? How was the transition.
How do the Vivo primus trail ii fg compare to the knit version?
I personally am a sucker for the knit, the non-knit is stiffer and in my opinion, clammier.
i got myself a pair of vivobarefoot scott IVs last november and now they're falling apart after less than a year. i used them every day in all sorts of conditions which i understand is harsh on a shoe but i expected more from them considering the 180 bucks or so they cost me. ive had 40 dollar nike sneakers last me longer.
and especially for vivobarefoot. Which of the vivobarefoot shoes are good for cross training (like any sports/versatile workout and lateral mouvement) and any environment (like winter in the snow and for road, trail)
I really much enjoy the Wildling Nebula in the summer and the Merrel Vapor Glove. My go to shoes for the summer
I'm a BIG fan of the merrel vapor glove and almost picked the Nebula as the lifestyle shoe but the LONO flow pipped it on price ($50 cheaper for the same quality/style)
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject I started wearing barefoot schoes back in the day with leguano and I wasnt happy with their quality and also not the biggest fan of the design of their shoes and they are very pricy. Switched then to Wildling which is by now my go to brand. the Vapor Glove is just looking so sleak in the full black colorway and blends in perfectly as a normal running type sneaker. But I have to say, that nothing goes over running in the Vibram Five Fingers VRun even though they are still weird as hell after having them for over a year now 😂
Great selection Clem! Think I’ll be looking closely at the Gobi for sure. Any advice on getting rid of the smell vivo’s emit would be appreciated as mine are beginning o honk 🥴 No amount of washing seems to help.
Are you wearing without socks? If so (or even if not) a pair of boot bananas off amazon will be a gamechanger 🙌🏼
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject I wear socks all the time but unfortunately, for now, I’ve only one pair of Barefoots so pretty much wearing them all the time from last summer but to be fair they’ve only started to smell, like cats wee, over the last few weeks. I’ll give Amazon a search. Many thanks! 👍
What barefoot shoes do you wear casual in winter? I'm currently thinking about the vivobarefoot scott IV, but not quiet sure.
Depends on your style preference, the Scott is a great option, I'm also a big fan of the Tracker Forest ESC which is a more rugged boot, but very capable.
What shoe would you recommend for travelling overseas holiday category? I guess a casual shoe suited for lots of walking?
Primus Trail Knit FG would be my go to. Really versatile, very breathable, super light-weight and machine washable.
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject Cool. Thank you
Do you think the Primus Trail Knits would be good for gym use as well as some road running? Was also considering the Primus Lites or the Motus Strentghs for a do-it-all shoe to pair with some Shammas. Thanks in advance bro, your content has been crazy helpful so far in the early stages of my journey to going barefoot 🤘🏽
Absolutely! I use them in the gym all the time but if you’re after a do it all I’d pitch it between the trails or the lites with the deciding factor being how much ‘cushioning’ you want on the runs. (Trails will offer a little more). Hope that helps ✌🏽
For me xero shoes are the way to go
I'm definitely a fan of the Prio - any favourites?
I like xero and they are def the best budget option.
My only gripe with them is the cementing goes way too quick. Like my prios started to seperate on the left foot after 2 years of only the gym and an occasional short jog.
I’ve put 100s of miles of hiking into the xcursion fusion boots and it took that to start separating the sole from the upper.
There’s not issues where the shoes are stitched, and like they guarantee the tread is golden and looks not on the prio and just barely worn on the xcursion, but their cementing lacks a little. I think the excursion would be a much better competition with vivos like the ESC range if xero added stitching to them.
My fav xero shoes are the HFS.
@@Walkerxy lol Vivos delaminate real fast unless you get lucky. All my pairs had sole separation within the first 2 walks. Xeros are indestrctible in comparison.
@@CptAngelKGaming I’d say I’ve had the opposite experience. That being said for hiking I tend to stick with vivos that have stitched soles like the ESC line boots.
My Primus trails are holding up better then the xcursion as far as sole attachment goes.
I know I’ve seen stuff online of people having issue with vivo sole detachment, I just haven’t experienced it yet but have with xero which is why I wish they had stitched sole options as well.
Origo all white leather shoes for men go crazy, they are still white today, crease well, and everywhere i go ppl love em
Google'd and valid 🙌🏼
I typically wear Xero’s, I have an incredibly narrow foot and I have had trouble with the Vivo’s. I am curious if you wear your barefoot shoes to run in, if so what distances do you run?
You should check out the new biome project they're running - 3d printed to your feet. Pretty cool!
I've done a lot of trail and road in them.
Distance wise my training runs tend to be around 8-15km but the longest I've done was about 35km on trail and (separately) a half marathon on concrete. I definitely find trail nicer on the feet 🙌🏼
I’d get the Jim Greens but I don’t think they are available in the uk?
You can get them shipped over from their german site (jimgreenfootwear.de/)
Lono's cap out at 28inches length; approx US size 12.5 - they are a Japanese company that don't cater to western big feet > going back to Vivo/Lems
I need to get the government to pay the rangers a living wage
Something from Softstar would have also been nice to see on this list!
I've not heard of softstar before - which model would you recommend checking out?
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject Check out the Primal Sawyer and Dash. The primal runners are also something very unique.
What do you think about the magna leathet FG if you are in a dry weather country?
I find they get pretty clammy over 28 degrees c or so which is why I opted for the textile. But if you were fixed on a leather magna, I'd recommend getting the Magna Forest ESC, the grip runs laps around the FG
O thought they were better because they are FG instead of SG. It would be great to have magna light FG.
Do you find the magna’s that water resistant? I have all weather primus shoes and was really disappointed in them. Love my leather gobis for a rainy day
Definitely better than the all weather primus! The leather gobis are a timeless option, do you treat them?
How long did it take you to break in the trail knits? I just bought them and they kinda give me blisters on the back of my heel and on the upper of my toes...
But when is the gobi sneaker ever available?
Yeah that is a significant downside...
I still wear my five fingers lol but I really love my socks that are perfect in them too. The comments I get when wearing them are the best😂
"I absolutely love my Vivo Primus shoes, especially in black and white. They are super versatile and great for running around in. I simply wipe them with a mop as soon as I come home through the door, and they're good to go afterwards."
I was surprised and interested at your including the Jim Green BFs, as they're not foot-shaped. Their toe box tapers at the big toe. To me, they can't rightly be called 'barefoot'. With how wide, rounded, and roomy they are, there's plenty of splay space in kind of 'straight ahead' activities. But anything active that presses the foot against that taper, will push the toe at that angle.
edit to add: do you own a pair that you're testing? I'd be so interested to hear your take on this :~)
You're very right but I think when it comes to office attire there's always going to be a bit of a compromise. My logic is there's not many people that would be using their office shoes for non-straight ahead activities where you might need more splay than these would afford but at the same time, these do offer significantly more splay than 99% of options out there - what do you think?
And yes, I got a pair recently but did not bring them to Indo 🫠. MAY shoot some stuff with them when I'm back in Canada later this year.
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject Oh yes, as roomy as they are, they do look like they'd be better than anything mainstream. They came so close! It's that lack of straight space along the big toe that puts me off them.
Actually, there is one other thing. The way they created the last was to take the AR one, flatten it to be zero drop, and make it wider along its whole length. That means for female me that the fit would be 'sloppy' in the midfoot & heel.
I'll be keeping my eye out for future updates/redesigns!
I like Lems for casual and city use but can’t beat vivobarefoot for hiking etc. I'm a fan of their esc sole as it seems to offer excellent grip and more durability than the SG versions. I just wish they did a Magna Lite version
That would be nice but sadly it doesn't look like that's on their radar!
I love the Gobi sneakers but they need to make a all black version🔥
New to your channel…do you rate women’s barefoot shoes as well?
the primus knits in your hand arent the same ones your walking in. the sole is different colors. i thought you said you only owned 1 pair for 3 years?
Yep, the ones I'm holding and talking with in the video are mine that I've owned for donkies, the ones in the b-roll are from another awesome creator called Andrew Folts, if you go back to that section you'll see it stamped in the bottom left of the video. Good spot!
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject thanks for replying! I love your videos 😍 your the reason my feet are so strong 💪🦶
Wearing barefoot rangers while watching this video. :P (PS: I've never seen a true business casual, at least in an older sense, barefoot shoe even those marketed as "dress shoes".)
They're definitely a hard niche to fill! I had another commenter ( @childcrone ) asking about the toe splay on the barefoot rangers, as they're currently on your foot - how do you find them?
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject It is hard to say. They have more of a rounded shape than an anatomical one. They are on par with Lem's, for me. Maybe a little more space in the big toe and a little less in the pinky toe. But that may be due to them being a 3E last, so they have a wider toe box naturally because they have a wider midfoot. Space isn't an issue; shape may be for some people.
@@kitcraft9516 Thanks for this. You sum it up perfectly in that last line.
Continuing to just keep buying fivefingers, am I tbf only one that likes how they look? Less clown shoe-y than vivos IMO
I don't mind them but they get so many weird looks/comments compared to Vivos which tend to fly a bit better under the radar. Personal preference I think!
@@TheBarefootStrengthProject in my 15ish years of wearing fivefingers 90% of the time, I've never had a real negative in-person experience from others. Mostly it's little kids pointing in amazement and going "mummy look at that man's shoes" and really old people saying "ooo they look comfy". I've had a lot of nice interactions with strangers tbb
Socks or no socks for barefoot shoes? Thanks
Depends on the brand, VivoBarefoot you can get away with it (as they are mostly machine washable) but most brands you want to wear thin socks. I did a video testing the best socks for barefoot shoes here: ua-cam.com/video/jkIi6ih4-gs/v-deo.html
Did Vivo Barefoot just drastically raise prices? The video says $175 for the Primus Trail, but they all seem to be $240-330
Ha! For some reason my computer was showing Canadian prices!
You just picked vivobarefoot basically?
They make a lot of the best shoes, so I didn't really have much choice 😂
Merrell
Why would you wear massive boots in the office. Wtf..
vivobarefoot are too narrow
Have you seen their new 'Biome' product (they scan your foot then custom print shoes to your exact measurements), could be a gamechanger for v.wide feet!