Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very comfortable, not too sure about quality, May 23, 2009
These are really comfortable. I honestly haven't worn another pair of shoes since I bought these. They're as close to barefoot as possible with shoes that be worn to work (I can't wear Vibram FiveFingers to work). My ONLY complaint is the quality. I purchased these on sale, and never would have paid full price. The stitching around the sole on the right shoe looks like it was done by someone who failed connect-the-dots 101. I really hope these hold up (I've only had them a month).
*Update*- The quality is terrible. I've had to re-glue the soles in 5 different places since purchasing the shoes. I've used them for walking only, and can't believe how poorly they're constructed. Also, the red stitching around the sole has pulled out in several places. That said, they're still very comfortable, but Terra Plana should be selling these for about $30.*
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome shoe, looks & feels great, super healthy to wear., December 18, 2009
Firstly, I think any negative reviews here are talking about an older, long-since discontinued version of this shoe which had weaker fabric in it's upper. That said, these shoes rock. I took out the insoles that come with them, since I feel it's counter productive to have a foam insert in a barefoot alternative shoe. (Duh!) I bought these shoes at the Terra Plana outlet store in Manhattan's SoHo district. I got a great deal on them, and bought three pairs of the Vivo Barefoot shoes. I got these in brown and black veg-tanned leather, as well as the Vivo Barefoot "Root" shoe.
On a side note, these shoes really are fundamentally different from other shoes. This whole 'barefoot' thing really is real. It's no gimmick. These shoes will make your feet work, and so you should be careful about going out and walking around Manhattan all day in them on the first day. You will feel the concrete (one of the hardest substances you ever walk on, but not noticed in conventional foot coffins). In my experience, water and snow are not issues. Your feet will probably hurt a bit after wearing them at first. This is not a bad thing. Your feet have been in what are essentially foot casts for years. The muscles in your feet are just aching from being used to actually walk naturally for a change. They'll get stronger quickly, and your foot muscles will soon start to feel almost 'toned' or 'buff', an interesting and cool sensation. You will notice pretty quickly that you can't go waltzing around with your unnatural heel striking gait that comes from wearing conventional shoes all your life. You'll need to walk evenly on the foot, or with a ball-of-foot strike. Also, when standing still, you'll notice that you're used to leaning on your heels, which is not comfortable in these. This will make you stand more naturally, balanced on your feet instead of leaning back on your heels. Obviously, this will improve your posture, foot strength, and joint health, all good things.
Be sure to order 1-2 sizes bigger than you normally wear. I wear 44 or 45 normally, in these I wear a 46. They run short and wide, which will give your toes some room to breathe.
All of the Vivo Barefoot shoes feel great on your feet. I tried on the Dharma shoes, and some of the other Terra Plana models. The only 'complaint' (sort of) that I could find regarding these shoes is that the soles are 4.5mm thick, as opposed to the thinner 3mm soles used in the Root and Dharma models. You really want the thinnest soles possible if you're going for an alternative to barefoot. This isn't really a complaint though, because it adds durability to the shoes by making the soles last longer. Besides that, the additional thickness is really just the tread pattern anyway, which the Dharmas and Roots don't have. I can transition freely between the Root (which is a sneaker-type shoe) and these without any significant change in feel or comfort. That's awesome. I no longer have to think of dress shoes as uncomfortable, and sneakers as comfortable. With Vivos, they are all equally great to the feet. Highly recommended.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
"Barefoot" experience from dressy(ish) shoes, March 7, 2010
I've had a pair of Vibram FiveFingers for a while and love them. Unfortunately, there are plenty of situations in which they aren't considered appropriate--work, going places with my wife :), etc. Enter Terra Plana's VivoBarefoot Oak...
Comfort/feel: These are light and very comfortable. They don't give quite the barefoot feel that Vibrams do, but they do much better than any other shoes I've used. The soles are really thin--4 mm apparently. While that may not seem to provide much padding, that's the point.
Appearance: They look good overall (I went with the dark browns). I like them a lot, but of course it's a matter of taste. Classic enough but a bit different. Note the elastic-type fabric up around the ankles and the orange tag on the back. The leather may vary pair to pair, but these don't look like they would polish too well. At the same time, they look nice enough for most occasions and definitely good enough for daily wear (and work, in my case).
Durability: I can't comment on the durability because I've only had them for a few weeks, but they seem to be constructed reasonably well. In spite of the thin soles, the material seems sturdy enough--only time will tell.
Logistics: I bought them from Endless who does business through amazon as well (online store--no affiliation--I'm a student). The advantage of going with them is they give free two-day shipping and free returns if the shoes don't fit or you don't like them.
Sizing: Folks who have said to buy up a size are right--For these (Oak's) size 45 fits me well, but I wear size 43 Vibrams. Most of my other shoes are size 11 or 11.5 (sorry to switch sizing scales there).
Overall: Great, comfortable, good-looking shoes that give a barefoot feel while maintaining a normal shoe appearance. A bit pricey (for me). Eco-friendly (see the Terra Plana website for more details).
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