6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
21st-century moccasins, July 21, 2009
This review is from: Terra Plana Men's Lesotho Lace-Up Shoe (Apparel)
Vivo Barefoot makes great shoes, designed to be as close to walking in bare feet as possible while still protecting yourself from rocks, thorns, summer asphalt, etc. The trick is a tough, but thin and extremely flexible sole; a roomy toe box and a light and flexy upper; and minimal padding. (So, no stiff-legged, cowboy stride and heel-first landing--or not for long before you learn to walk on the meaty part of your foot and to use your knees and hips to cushion your step.) And no support under the arch. (After all, how do you destabilize an arch? By pushing up on it from below.)
The theory is that the farther highly padded, over-engineered shoes take us from our natural (barefoot) walk, the likelier we are to develop lousy posture, form, and muscle tone. Next stop: a cycle of injury, medical care, orthotics, and more bad habits. For a truly fun book on the subject, see Christopher McDougall's
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. (Think Jon Krakauer on antidepressants: McDougall hangs out with *nice* insane adventure athletes and everything ends in something other than disaster.)
Rocker-soled shoes like MBTs and Earth Shoes take a different approach to promoting a natural stride. Vivos have the advantage of training you to use your balance and anatomy to walk properly, rather than the external mechanism of a convex (and not at all flexible) platform.
I own Vivo Barefoot Aquas in black and white, and they often get remarked upon, but the Lesothos actually get compliments.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great shoes, April 16, 2009
This review is from: Terra Plana Men's Lesotho Lace-Up Shoe (Apparel)
I've bought several pairs of Vivo Barefoot/Terra Plana shoes, and they're the most comfortable I own. You can feel your individual toes when you walk. This model has a more substantial outsersole than earlier models like the Aqua, and is the sharpest looking, I think.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
fantastic, March 4, 2010
super comfortable. I have worn them almost every day for a close to a year, they still look good, soles and all. I can feel muscles in my feel that I have not used since I was a kid and spent all my time barefoot on the beach. these things are just like super light weight moccasins, but with waterproof kevlar soles. buy them, and you will never go back to stiff soles!
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