Vivobearfoot trainers?

I tried them. Built up very gradually, and felt fine walking long distances (eventually). Then introduced them to my running. Again, very, very gradually. Got plantar fasciitis that took over a year to get rid of - was gutted. So now I have multiple pairs of barefoot shoes that I'm too afraid to wear. 🙁

Vivibarefoot offer a 100 day trial on all their shoes so you can see if you like them.

They are not remotely barefooted?!
Look like an actual 👟 shoe!

Nuts name

What is “ Wild” leather?

I too assumed they were printed with a bear paw 🐾 on the sole? ( Didn’t open link )

Bear 🐻 and bare have completely different meanings .

Bare feet are bare!
No footwear can really mimic the grip of bare feet.

This.

No I saw the post had been held, maybe if you posted a link they thought it was advertising or something I don't know.

If you want you can message them through the site stuff section

@OneTC Thanks for the reply. I tried to reply upthread but Mumsnet seem to have taken it down to look at it. They've now been looking at it since 6.30 this evening with no signs of it reappearing. I've no idea why or what is wrong. I don't know how to ask either. There was nothing weird in my post. I've no idea what the problem is. I just wanted to reply here so you know I wasn't ignoring your post. THanks.

I started wearing them in 2020 for walks first and have since ran a marathon and 2000+ miles in them. They're the only footwear I wear now for long walks and running. All the niggles and injuries I used to have are gone. You have to build up very gradually to allow the muscles and bones in your feet and lower legs to strengthen and recover their natural function and gait. I find any other shoes too restrictive now so wear them lots outside of sports too. They're expensive but because they have no padded soles to wear out they last ages (I still have the same 2 pairs I purchased in 2020 and have worn them almost daily and still very good).

I've had a few pairs of their boots and shoes in the past and I found them very hardwearing - they lasted for ages. I find most of them too narrow now so wear other barefoot brands.

I have a pair of cheap barefoot shoes from Amazon. Well I've had a few and replaced them as they've worn out. They last forever and yes my feet have spread. My children say they're clown shoes 😢

Anyway I don't run in them. Tried and failed but do long long walks in them. For running I wear Altras. I can't wear normal shoes now. Oh and I have Xeros for every day trainers.

Getting the best fit depends on the width, shape and volume of your feet. If you search on Anya's Reviews site she explains how to measure and get a good fit (she has a fit finder too). She also has lots of reviews. Now is a good time to try as it's (sort of/almost!) sandal weather. Happy Little Soles is a good UK online shop with lots of brands. My favourite brand is probably Wildlings but they are super minimalist and quite unique.

I wore some Merrels barefoot shoes for a long time and loved them in most respects, especially the extra width and toe space. But they aggravated my Achilles tendon quite a bit. Probably I had some pre-existing injury that caused that to happen. I think I would have been ok if I had built up the use of them more gradually.

@DrSpartacular which barefoot shoes would you recommend if you already have wider feet?

I have some.

They were recommended to me by a physio as I have ankle injuries and he said they would help build up muscles in the ankle.

I wore them for very short periods of time to start with,

I don't wear them generally out and about because my feet/ankles aren't strong enough.

Tried vivobarefoot. I know they take time to get used to but my feet still hurt. I went abroad and on hot days when the pavement heated up from the sun you could feel the heat coming in from the soles. Must have been wearing them for nearly a year and I gave up.

They were big in my running group for a while. The suited some people, not others. Some people got a lot more injuries with them.

I have Vivo Primis Lite Knit shoes for the gym. They are the only thing I’ll wear for deadlifts and squats (the gym doesn’t like you to take your shoes off and won’t allow barefoot). I don’t as yet have a pair for every day use as they are expensive, but I hope to invest in some soon.

I've got Vivobarefoot trainers which I use for running. I previously kept injuring my ankles and knees. Have not had a single problem with this since I started using Vivobarefoots. Could not possibly recommend more highly.

This is what I don't use them for.

What do wear for the fell shoes?

I'd love to know more about barefoot shoes. I like fell shoes but they seem to have changed design a lot recently. I tried some barefoots but have found the soles not good enough for really steep downhills for grip. Can people advise if the mountain boots and shoes on that site are good enough for this. They look the same as all the other barefoot soles and I've struggled to find anything with a rugged enough grip for real proper walking up mountains etc.

Oh dear, I was going to say are they hairy. Can we not have a bit of a joke anymore.

Vivos were my gateway to barefoot shoes! They are one of the narrower BF brands but a good starting place, you might find your feet widen as they get used to having more space, so be prepared for that. There's a good market in second hand BF shoes too.

Anya's reviews is a good website on all things barefoot.

I'm evangelical about Vivo's. They've strengthened my feet so much (feet no longer get sore on long hikes). Worth every penny.

What's the point of this? It just makes you look like a dick.