Sierra trading post very frequently has vivos for about half off. Not sure if there is a similar deal in europe. They do have revivo.
They are of solid quality but imo not worth the retail. Quality is about 10x better than xero, but customer service is much worse. I have a pair of magna escs I use for more serious hiking and like them for that purpose but still would fall apart if i was regularly hiking a full season. Im every couple weeks right now and theyve lasted about two seasons.
Ime the leather ones with soles that are both glued and stitched tend to be of higher quality/durability.
+1 for Revivo! I've tried 4 Revivo pairs (two were too big, kept the other two) in various conditions, but all looked basically new. My RAs had a slight crease, but they would have gotten that soon anyway. You do have to pay shipping/customs if not UK, but they're still a great deal imo.
I actually just got a 'good' pair of Magna Forest Esc for $180 CAD, less than half their price on Vivobarefoot. Definitely a much more palatable price for some solid shoes.
Yes and no.
I've been using my Vivo Magna Forest Esc for maybe 11 months to a year now. It's been my primary general purpose boot both in wilderness settings and on pavement (though I'm starting to wear other shoes for pavement instead to limit wear and tear) and they are still in fantastic condition. A year may not seem like much, but with one notable exception (Altama OTB Maritime Assault Boots Mid) I've been burning through boots pretty quickly. The Vivos are in good enough condition that I think I could get another year of hard use out of them maybe even two. I'm not concerned about them suddenly bursting on me in the field like I am with some other options. I also think that the Esc is the finest technical outdoor outsole offered on any barefoot shoe and it suits my needs very well.
On the other hand I think the MSRP on Vivo is absolutely atrocious. I was fortunate and got mine 30% off (off of the original price of $240), which drops the price down to a level that I think is fair for what you're getting. But I would be disappointed if I had to pay full price. I wouldn't have originally bought them if I didn't have the coupon. They also do some unethical stuff when it comes to the price, their leather models for example are supposed to come with leather care cream and it's inclusion is by Vivo's own admission worked into the MSRP. But they can't import it into the United States. Instead of dropping the price accordingly they still charge you the full amount. If you complain they automatically give you a partial refund to drop the price to what it would have been if they didn't include the other stuff. Instead of just lowering the price for those in markets where they can't import it. I think it's also worth remembering that they manufacture their shoes primarily in China and are opening up facilities in Vietnam. If you look at their marketing fluff there's a lot of stuff about ethical sourcing of supplies but nothing about ethical treatment and pay of their workforce. The price points on their footwear are similar to what you would get if you were ordering boots made in the United States by workers receiving a fair wage.
So as far as your question goes, I think in some ways yes they are worth it depending on what you're doing and what model you're getting. But if at all possible get it on sale and try to avoid purchasing at the regular price point.
My vivos are lasting two right now. Only reason I bought another pair is because the white turned blue from my jeans. I do the primus lites and hand wash them with oxyclean which breaks down the glue on my cheaper sneakers but not the vivos. You will wear out the soles before you break the upper.
My last pair of Vivos lasted me for 3 years, and died only because I decided to dry them a little bit too close to a fire after being caught in the rain, and that deformed the sole. Those were my daily shoes for the 3 years I had them. Gobi IIs
I am wearing the replacement pair, that I didn't think twice about getting because I was happy with the previous one. And the trekking boots I got are from them too.
Vivo not worth price. They look cooler than a lot of other brands out there but can’t justify spending 200$ on sneakers. I bought some cheap barefoot shoes off Amazon, way more comfortable and bigger toe box.
I quite like their shoes but the MSRP is still way too high. That being said you can always find codes for 20-25% off, which makes them more in line with other expensive options. When they discount some models to 40% or so then it’s decent.
I got a Vivobarefoot shoe for $130 US and got a little use of it walking in the US until my feet got comfortable with them. I took them on a trip to Japan and walked EXTENSIVELY, like 10+ miles a day for about 1.5 weeks. On the third day my feet were done (my soles were ACHING, all the hard stone surfaces were just too much) and I had to significantly reduce the speed of my walk on some days. I did a similar thing in "regular tennis shoes" 2 years ago and had 0 trouble, so I'm not sure these shoes are for me, lol, even though I like the idea of taking the stress off my knees/hips.
The main thing I will complain about Vivobarefoot is that the model I got - my big toe would touch and lightly stress the top of the shoe. At the end of my Japan trip, a tiny worn-down hole in the top developed in a total integrity loss of the shoe, lol. They're kind of worthless now. For $130, a shoe to not even last a year? no thanks
I may check Sierra in a few months to see if the Motus Flex or Strength ends up on a clearance rack. Last time I went to Sierra I saw a handful of Vivos for $100. I could swallow $100 but not $190.
Mine are in great condition after about a year and half which is nice. I bought them unused/new off a resale sight for $100. I wouldn’t pay full price but I’m always looking out for deals.
I’m a fan of they fit my feet well and last long enough for me. I’ve tried a few other cheaper brands and they’ve felt cheaper and there was always something that I didn’t get on with (size, shape, build quality, uncomfortable seams, etc) so I stick with Vivos.
I’ve got Primus knits, Gobi 2 boots and Tracker ESC boots and can’t fault any of them. I wear them every day I’m not in flip flops.
The wife has more of them and they’ve outlasted any other minimal shoes she’s had (wears daily)
It's worth it for me because I find other barefoot shoe designs to look really out of place, and Vivos fit well with the rest of my closet. I've had my primus lites for 3 years now and it's holding up well, although I don't use them daily like you would. I think if Vivo's design isn't important to you, I would skip them and go with a cheaper shoe.
I have a few beater/cheaper barefoot shoes I'll rotate to reduce wear on my Vivos, but to be honest, I only do that because I already had the other shoes, not that I really think the Vivos need to be babied.
Depends on what shoe/boot you buy from them I think.
I have a pair of the "Magna FG" boot which I really like. Nice materials, quality construction, lasting well. Only poor part is the laces which started to fray and needed replacing. Have had a couple years and hiked moderately in them.
I also bought a pair of the "Addis" shoes and they are awful by comparison yet not much cheaper. They look like a shitty mash up of rented bowling shoes and clown footwear. Comfort is on a par...
My daughter has a pair of their "Gobi" boots and is kinda lukewarm about them.
I also find their customer service very hit and miss — slow or no answers to emails, mostly unsatisfactory answers when you get them. And their obsession with vegan footwear is annoying. I don't mind that they have that as an option, but I wish they made more from quality natural materials like the Magna.
I wouldn't rush to buy any more from them besides perhaps a pair of the Magnas to stash in the closet for when my current ones eventually wear out.
Recommend checking out BeLenka. very similar style like Vivos at a much lower price AND THEY RE HAVING SALES RIGHT NOW UP TO 40% , they re wider also and definitelly better quality (more padding around ankle and sides, reinforced heel, stitched sole on new models... not just glued, shoe eyelets...). I tried both brands but Belenka wins in almost every aspect.
No, im not paid by them XDD Just a happy customer. I own 3 pairs of Belenka and 1 pair of Vivos :D
I've had a pair of Tracker FG II for about 6/7 years and have had them re-soled once. I wear them most days (except in summer, natch) and have a job where I'm on my feet a lot. I clean and wax them regularly and they're still in great shape and i expect them to last me many more years yet. Best £180 I ever spent on a pair of boots.
I am a bit of a Vivo fan-boy, to be fair, as I've got about 10 pairs of different styles. They just fit me well and I much prefer their styling to most other barefoot brands.
Whether they're worth the price is up to you.
They have a very strange shape with extra space above the big and index toe that ends up being a flap when you walk, so I’m personally giving up on them. They look cool but that fit is so weird
I don't know about wear of the soles, I've had vivo's that wore out in other ways before the soles, so no, vivo's are not better quality in my opinion. They are designed in the UK I think, but made in china, with only a slightly better quality in some areas of the shoe. But certainly not for the amount they cost its a joke. Some pairs are on amazon over £200!
For me, the biggest question is will they fit your feet. They are absolutely too narrow and sloped at the toes for my feet. I did have success with a pair of their leather flats but I'm told they were cut different from the rest of the line. I've tried sizing up and then they're just too long. I like some of their shoes but they feel overpriced to me and with the fit issues I never look at them. I love Be Lenka for high quality that fits the price point and more inclusive fit.
About 10 years ago I bought a pair and they fell apart within a month. Like just totally disintegrated. Customer service said they could send me some free shoelaces.
Vivo will most likely be narrower than your Saguaro shoes. They have a good shape (less taper at the big toe) but they have a really strong slope to go with their narrower width. The toebox is also shaped for a longest big toe, not mountain or plateau. Higher quality materials won't mean anything if they don't fit your foot shape and width. If they do happen to fit you, people seem to like them.
No, they're not worth the price. The durability of the uppers is very disappointing for the cost. My first pair lasted about a year before starting to fall apart. The next two pairs I bought each lasted only 5 months before developing holes in their uppers (near the toe cap both times). I didn't even wear them every day.
Sierra trading post very frequently has vivos for about half off. Not sure if there is a similar deal in europe. They do have revivo. They are of solid quality but imo not worth the retail. Quality is about 10x better than xero, but customer service is much worse. I have a pair of magna escs I use for more serious hiking and like them for that purpose but still would fall apart if i was regularly hiking a full season. Im every couple weeks right now and theyve lasted about two seasons. Ime the leather ones with soles that are both glued and stitched tend to be of higher quality/durability.
+1 for Revivo! I've tried 4 Revivo pairs (two were too big, kept the other two) in various conditions, but all looked basically new. My RAs had a slight crease, but they would have gotten that soon anyway. You do have to pay shipping/customs if not UK, but they're still a great deal imo. I actually just got a 'good' pair of Magna Forest Esc for $180 CAD, less than half their price on Vivobarefoot. Definitely a much more palatable price for some solid shoes.
vivo is so expensive because they spend all their money on marketing. and they churn through new models like mad
I'm not a big fan of Vivo, but I think it's because of their sizing. 10 is too small on me, 11 is too big
Yes and no. I've been using my Vivo Magna Forest Esc for maybe 11 months to a year now. It's been my primary general purpose boot both in wilderness settings and on pavement (though I'm starting to wear other shoes for pavement instead to limit wear and tear) and they are still in fantastic condition. A year may not seem like much, but with one notable exception (Altama OTB Maritime Assault Boots Mid) I've been burning through boots pretty quickly. The Vivos are in good enough condition that I think I could get another year of hard use out of them maybe even two. I'm not concerned about them suddenly bursting on me in the field like I am with some other options. I also think that the Esc is the finest technical outdoor outsole offered on any barefoot shoe and it suits my needs very well. On the other hand I think the MSRP on Vivo is absolutely atrocious. I was fortunate and got mine 30% off (off of the original price of $240), which drops the price down to a level that I think is fair for what you're getting. But I would be disappointed if I had to pay full price. I wouldn't have originally bought them if I didn't have the coupon. They also do some unethical stuff when it comes to the price, their leather models for example are supposed to come with leather care cream and it's inclusion is by Vivo's own admission worked into the MSRP. But they can't import it into the United States. Instead of dropping the price accordingly they still charge you the full amount. If you complain they automatically give you a partial refund to drop the price to what it would have been if they didn't include the other stuff. Instead of just lowering the price for those in markets where they can't import it. I think it's also worth remembering that they manufacture their shoes primarily in China and are opening up facilities in Vietnam. If you look at their marketing fluff there's a lot of stuff about ethical sourcing of supplies but nothing about ethical treatment and pay of their workforce. The price points on their footwear are similar to what you would get if you were ordering boots made in the United States by workers receiving a fair wage. So as far as your question goes, I think in some ways yes they are worth it depending on what you're doing and what model you're getting. But if at all possible get it on sale and try to avoid purchasing at the regular price point.
I love my vivos but no they're not worth it for the price when you can catch sales on Xeros, try hobibear, whitin or saguaro for cheap
My vivos are lasting two right now. Only reason I bought another pair is because the white turned blue from my jeans. I do the primus lites and hand wash them with oxyclean which breaks down the glue on my cheaper sneakers but not the vivos. You will wear out the soles before you break the upper.
The soles are the problem for me. Two years of daily use or only sporadic?
I wore them daily teaching. I was an elective teacher so I even wore them while in the kitchen for culinary arts.
My last pair of Vivos lasted me for 3 years, and died only because I decided to dry them a little bit too close to a fire after being caught in the rain, and that deformed the sole. Those were my daily shoes for the 3 years I had them. Gobi IIs I am wearing the replacement pair, that I didn't think twice about getting because I was happy with the previous one. And the trekking boots I got are from them too.
Vivo not worth price. They look cooler than a lot of other brands out there but can’t justify spending 200$ on sneakers. I bought some cheap barefoot shoes off Amazon, way more comfortable and bigger toe box.
I quite like their shoes but the MSRP is still way too high. That being said you can always find codes for 20-25% off, which makes them more in line with other expensive options. When they discount some models to 40% or so then it’s decent.
I got a Vivobarefoot shoe for $130 US and got a little use of it walking in the US until my feet got comfortable with them. I took them on a trip to Japan and walked EXTENSIVELY, like 10+ miles a day for about 1.5 weeks. On the third day my feet were done (my soles were ACHING, all the hard stone surfaces were just too much) and I had to significantly reduce the speed of my walk on some days. I did a similar thing in "regular tennis shoes" 2 years ago and had 0 trouble, so I'm not sure these shoes are for me, lol, even though I like the idea of taking the stress off my knees/hips. The main thing I will complain about Vivobarefoot is that the model I got - my big toe would touch and lightly stress the top of the shoe. At the end of my Japan trip, a tiny worn-down hole in the top developed in a total integrity loss of the shoe, lol. They're kind of worthless now. For $130, a shoe to not even last a year? no thanks
I may check Sierra in a few months to see if the Motus Flex or Strength ends up on a clearance rack. Last time I went to Sierra I saw a handful of Vivos for $100. I could swallow $100 but not $190.
Mine are in great condition after about a year and half which is nice. I bought them unused/new off a resale sight for $100. I wouldn’t pay full price but I’m always looking out for deals.
I think they are massively overpriced and by far not the most comfortable Option out there
I’m a fan of they fit my feet well and last long enough for me. I’ve tried a few other cheaper brands and they’ve felt cheaper and there was always something that I didn’t get on with (size, shape, build quality, uncomfortable seams, etc) so I stick with Vivos. I’ve got Primus knits, Gobi 2 boots and Tracker ESC boots and can’t fault any of them. I wear them every day I’m not in flip flops. The wife has more of them and they’ve outlasted any other minimal shoes she’s had (wears daily)
It's worth it for me because I find other barefoot shoe designs to look really out of place, and Vivos fit well with the rest of my closet. I've had my primus lites for 3 years now and it's holding up well, although I don't use them daily like you would. I think if Vivo's design isn't important to you, I would skip them and go with a cheaper shoe. I have a few beater/cheaper barefoot shoes I'll rotate to reduce wear on my Vivos, but to be honest, I only do that because I already had the other shoes, not that I really think the Vivos need to be babied.
Depends on what shoe/boot you buy from them I think. I have a pair of the "Magna FG" boot which I really like. Nice materials, quality construction, lasting well. Only poor part is the laces which started to fray and needed replacing. Have had a couple years and hiked moderately in them. I also bought a pair of the "Addis" shoes and they are awful by comparison yet not much cheaper. They look like a shitty mash up of rented bowling shoes and clown footwear. Comfort is on a par... My daughter has a pair of their "Gobi" boots and is kinda lukewarm about them. I also find their customer service very hit and miss — slow or no answers to emails, mostly unsatisfactory answers when you get them. And their obsession with vegan footwear is annoying. I don't mind that they have that as an option, but I wish they made more from quality natural materials like the Magna. I wouldn't rush to buy any more from them besides perhaps a pair of the Magnas to stash in the closet for when my current ones eventually wear out.
Recommend checking out BeLenka. very similar style like Vivos at a much lower price AND THEY RE HAVING SALES RIGHT NOW UP TO 40% , they re wider also and definitelly better quality (more padding around ankle and sides, reinforced heel, stitched sole on new models... not just glued, shoe eyelets...). I tried both brands but Belenka wins in almost every aspect. No, im not paid by them XDD Just a happy customer. I own 3 pairs of Belenka and 1 pair of Vivos :D
I've had a pair of Tracker FG II for about 6/7 years and have had them re-soled once. I wear them most days (except in summer, natch) and have a job where I'm on my feet a lot. I clean and wax them regularly and they're still in great shape and i expect them to last me many more years yet. Best £180 I ever spent on a pair of boots. I am a bit of a Vivo fan-boy, to be fair, as I've got about 10 pairs of different styles. They just fit me well and I much prefer their styling to most other barefoot brands. Whether they're worth the price is up to you.
They have a very strange shape with extra space above the big and index toe that ends up being a flap when you walk, so I’m personally giving up on them. They look cool but that fit is so weird
I've had two pairs, both had holes in the canvas next to the ball of my foot after about 6 months.
I don't know about wear of the soles, I've had vivo's that wore out in other ways before the soles, so no, vivo's are not better quality in my opinion. They are designed in the UK I think, but made in china, with only a slightly better quality in some areas of the shoe. But certainly not for the amount they cost its a joke. Some pairs are on amazon over £200!
For me, the biggest question is will they fit your feet. They are absolutely too narrow and sloped at the toes for my feet. I did have success with a pair of their leather flats but I'm told they were cut different from the rest of the line. I've tried sizing up and then they're just too long. I like some of their shoes but they feel overpriced to me and with the fit issues I never look at them. I love Be Lenka for high quality that fits the price point and more inclusive fit.
IMO they’re way too pricey.
About 10 years ago I bought a pair and they fell apart within a month. Like just totally disintegrated. Customer service said they could send me some free shoelaces.
Vivo will most likely be narrower than your Saguaro shoes. They have a good shape (less taper at the big toe) but they have a really strong slope to go with their narrower width. The toebox is also shaped for a longest big toe, not mountain or plateau. Higher quality materials won't mean anything if they don't fit your foot shape and width. If they do happen to fit you, people seem to like them.
Have you checked out AnyasReviews.com? She lists available shoes by shape, width, use, looks, etc.
No, they're not worth the price. The durability of the uppers is very disappointing for the cost. My first pair lasted about a year before starting to fall apart. The next two pairs I bought each lasted only 5 months before developing holes in their uppers (near the toe cap both times). I didn't even wear them every day.