Customer Reviews

Terra Plana Men's Aqua Sneaker,Black,45 EU (11 M US)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've owned a pair of Aqua's now for about 3 weeks and I have to say they are fantastically comfortable. It feels like I'm wearing a moccasin -- only with a little bit of style. I should add however that I am used to walking around in a bit less of a shoe than most. I run and lift in Vibram's FiveFingers and try to wear as minimal of a shoe as I can get away with. So for those who aren't used to "feeling the ground" when you walk they might be a bit of a shock to your system.

On the design side, the picture is a little deceiving. The toe box is really wide, which is great for comfort but gives them an unconventional look (I'll leave it to the individual whether that is a good thing or not but it does not look like a typical sneaker/shoe). Also, there is padding around the heel. You can see it in the picture if you look, which makes them look fat at the heel. Lastly, they squeak when I walk across a hardwood floor.

However, given the odd look and squeaking they appear very well built and are far-and-away the most comfortable shoe I've ever owned. An additional plus, if you believe in the benefits of having strong feet, they are good for you. I'm of the mind that strong feet lead to better health all the way up the kinetic chain -- strong feet = healthy ankles, healthy ankles = healthy knees, healthy knees = health back, etc.

Bottom line: worth the price especially since there are almost no alternatives out there.

After reading a lot of literature on barefoot walking, I decided to get myself a pair of shoes from Terra Plana's Vivo Barefoot line.. I hesitated on buying a pair, but after finding out from the salesperson at their flagship store about Terra Plana's "pop up store" (on thompson btwn spring and prince NYC) I wore a pair straight out of the store. The prices at the pop up store are 50% off so I got mine for relatively cheap, hurry!

About the shoes... It took only a night of walking to get the hang of walking in these shoes. At first you'll walk as usual... either from heel to toe or heel and toe at the same time. After a bit of time you will start landing with the ball of your foot first and then the heel second (it helps if you actually walk barefoot for some time to understand the mechanics). It does not feel awkward, it feels much more stable. At the end of the night, your toes and the arch of your foot will -ache- not hurt from using muscles that haven't been used for such a long time.

The fit is suppose to be snug around the middle of your foot with room in the toe box, and about a thumbs width from your toe to the end of the shoe. Terra Plana recommends buying one shoe size larger than your normal pair and I can confirm that it was the right thing to do in my case (I'm normally a 7(40) and I got an 8(41). I tried a 9(42) and they were too big).

I wear loose fitting jeans and the "clown" look that you might hear/read from other reviewers is not noticeable at all with a loose fitting pair of pants. Buy a pair of these shoes!

I bought the blue and yellow colored aqua shoes. Go to the terra plana site to get help on which size to buy because they are sized too short. The feel is strange at first because the toe box is quite wide, which contributes to them looking a little like clown shoes, especially in the colors I purchased. Once you get used to the lack of any type of arch support or heel padding, they feel incredibly comfortable. I can feel cracks in the sidewalk and even differentiate the texture of the asphalt from the painted lines on the street! You need to change the way you walk or run, however, because of the lack of padding. My stride lands on my forefoot instead of my heel, so take it slow if you're running in them, or you will injure yourself. Once you get used to them and your muscles in your calves and feet have built up, there is no going back to regular shoes.

They are comfortable, but they aren't like other sneakers. Minimal padding means heavy guys like me can't run on asphalt landing on our heal every step.(Afterall, they are designed to correct your stride - this means you must change.). Shorter strides landing on the whole foot works best (i.e. the stride we all use naturally running uphill). Running on earth is super comfortable no matter what stride you use.

My only complaint is the white sneaker is very white and reminds me of olde nurse's shoes. My next pair will be gray & black.

I've had my pair since Nov 2008 and love them - I probably wear them literally >85% of my shoe wearing days - yes they took sometime to get used to (like a week), but now my feet feel crushed in anything else. Most importantly we're now at month 15 and they barely show any wear, there is the tiniest separation starting round the toe area, and the bend crease at the ball of the foot, but not even as far down as the red stitching. Any other tennis shoes/trainers would be showing a lot more wear by now. Also due to their soft flexible nature the back has always had a horizontal crease in it, as if they have been downtrodden.
personally I have never untied the laces - which are predominately cosmetic as there is far more elastic in it then the pictures portray. However at 15 months this elastic is still going strong and not showing any signs of fatigue or stretching.
I like them so much I'm considering something more formal to complement them (oaks are about my only choice right now)

I have had these shoes for six months, they look cool, but the soles are really bad. Don't wear them in a restaurant or in rain b/c the soles become very slippery and you may hurt yourself. Overpriced and over-hyped, I feel like I was taken buying these shoes.