VIVOBAREFOOT Evo Review

Today I'd like to share my review of the VIVOBAREFOOT Evo that is considered one of the top minimalist running shoes on the market.

First Impressions:
As I stated above VIVOBAREFOOT is considered the elite shoe within minimalistic running shoe circles, and the Evo is their Cadillac. When I took the package containing my Evo's from the delivery man I was surprised with how light the package was, did they send me a empty package?

You can see the unboxing video here..

I removed the shoes from the box and they were extremely light (8.2oz), some will complain that they are too heavy for an elite minimalist running shoe but I am happy with them, any shoe around 8oz or less I'm happy with.

Removing the shoes from the package I was impressed with how stylish they looked, I must say they looked even sexier when I put them on.

Evo Design:

Like I mentioned above the Evo has a great look for a minimalist running shoe, it almost looks too good to beat up running miles in it. When buying a shoe in the $150.00 price range you expect it to be well put together and durable, which the Evo is.

The upper is made from TPU Hex Flex cage with the collar and lining made from a breathable thin mesh that I find comfortable on a barefoot.

The insole is 3mm and is machine washable which you'll enjoy if you choose to go barefoot in your Evo's. The Evo's are like traditional shoes and have a tie up lacing system.

The Evo Sole is designed to be used on any terrain and is sturdy under foot. The Sole thickness is 6mm which I wish was just alittle thinner but 6mm's is still great.

As mentioned above the Evo weights 8.2oz's but if your looking to shed alittle more weight you can remove the insoles and it gets you down to 7.7oz.

The tongue on the Evo is well designed, just bulky enough so you don't feel the laces, even when wearing them barefoot.

One thing that I found interesting about the Evo is that it is a 100% vegan shoe, so no leather or other animal products were used in the making of the Evo and the soles are made from recycled rubber and the liner is from a environmentally sustainable Sorona yarn.

Performance:
I have worn the Evo in every situation and environment possible to get the true feel of how the Evo performs.

I mentioned earlier that I love the look of the Evo with a pair of jeans, and as a casual shoe I give the Evo top marks. But just wearing the Evo as a casual shoe is like buying a corvette and only driving it in a parking lot, you have to open it up.

The Evo is a great minimalist running shoe, the Evo has a large toe box so when you're running and your foot makes contact with the ground it gives you ample room for your foot to expand naturally. The shoe is light and flexible so it flexes well during running. The Vivobarefoot Evo provides great great ground feedback, maybe not as much as some of its competitors but it's enough to stimulate your foot.

I've tested the Evo on many different surfaces, details below:

When running on loose gravel I find that you don't need to be as mindful of what your landing on, as the sole is a little thicker in the Evo, a minimalist running shoe earns its keep on gravel because of the sharp rocks and the Evo scores high.

When I ran on pavement I found the Evo to perform great, the shoe offers enough protection from the hot pavement and some feedback, the Evo also did not slip on wet pavement.

I find the best place to run barefoot or in minimalist running shoes is on trails or any natural surface, that's truly where we were born to run. When running on trails the surface is constantly changing and different levels of traction are needed. When you look at "normal" trail shoes they always have a ton of grip on them. The Evo provides great grip for the minimal amount of sole to work with. I found the Evo offers better grip on trails then my Vibram Five Fingers Bikilas.

I found the the Evo alittle lacking when it came to cross training or crossfit type of activities. I just didn't have a lot of confidence in the Evo when going side to side.

I ran on wet grass and I was pleasantly surprised that I had no issues, I found the shoe did not slip out from underneath of me and I was able to keep my normal pace.

I did find that the Evo was alittle slippery on wet tiles or hard wet surfaces.

Overall I found that the Evo performed well on all surfaces tested.

I would like to conclude in saying that I greatly enjoyed the Vivobarefoot Evo and I will continue to wear it. The Evo lived up to its hype as one of the top Minimalist running shoes. The Evo is on the higher end of cost coming in around $150.00, this price will scare some people away. For those of you not willing to pay $150.00 for the Evo, look for the Evo to go on sale it's well worth adding to your collection.

If there was anything I could change about the Evo it would be to add from reflective material to the shoes, reduce the price alittle and make the sole alittle thinner.

Hope you get to try one out, and whatever you do, keep it minimal.

Kennyo