VivoBarefoot April Fools

Did you have a April fools prank played on you today?

Well I did, I opened my email today not remembering that it was April 1st and opened a always welcome email from VivoBarefoot. What I saw next shocked me, words came to my head like "sellout" "disappointed" and just not understanding what I was seeing.

Not till I started to read the description did I realize that that VivoBarefoot was poking fun at all the other mainstream shoes.

Very cleaver VivoBarefoot, very cleaver.

To read there info about barefoot facts go here.

VIVOBAREFOOT Performance Sole Constructions

Here are the new soles to look forward to from Vivobarefoot this year.

On Road: The 3mm TPU sole is the thinnest and flattest of the VIVOBAREFOOT performance outsoles, offering the most proprioception and abrasion resistance with protection; designed for hard flat surfaces.



Multi-Terrain: A 5mm sole made of soft, high abrasion rubber and designed with hex-flex directional grip control provides maximum proprioception with traction suitable for cross terrain activities.





Off Road: This 2.5mm rubber outsole has 4.5mm multi-directional lugs to maximize surface contact for increased grip and superior barefoot traction on the most challenging of terrains.




Amphibious: Designed to perform on land or in water, our amphibious products have unique outsoles allowing the possiblities to be endless

VIVOBAREFOOT Running Coach App

VIVOBAREFOOT is the company that many consider to one of the top barefoot shoe producers has released a Running Coach App that is aimed to help you run injury free. Merrell released a Barefoot app a while back that was well designed and it looks like VIVOBAREFOOT figured it would be a good marketing tool as well.

VIVOBAREFOOT Press states: To combat the spreading of this injury epidemic, VIVOBAREFOOT is proud to announce the Barefoot Running Coach app has finally hit the market. With this app, you can clearly see what injury-free barefoot running looks like – and with clever video synch technology gives you the chance to record and compare yourself against it. All you need is an iPhone or an iPad and a place to run, ideally on a treadmill.

Vivobarefoot Evo 2

The Vivobarefoot Evo II

This is a Guest Post from Banypaul, Would you like to Guest Post aswell? Click here

For some of us, barefoot running is something we can dive right in to.  For others, we may need a bit of a transition period between regular running shoes and running shoes that divide up the toe fraternity.  This transition period should consist of wearing a minimalist shoe that is super light and gets you close to the ground while not altogether abandoning the concept of shoes as we have come to know them.  Think of it as putting your feet in the water for a bit to get a feel for the temperature before diving in.  With this same logic, try a minimalist shoe that will ease you in to barefoot running. 

A shoe like the Vivobarefoot Evo II is great for getting you introduced to the world of barefoot running.  It is a lightweight, minimalist shoe with a foam footbed and microfiber lining for absorbing sweat and other moistures.  So, if you lace these bad boys up, they will be different than what you are used to but you will certainly be ready for a long run through any kind of terrain.  The sole may wear away a bit quick, but that is what you get in exchange for an awesome workout in a shoe that puts your feet literally on the ground.    

The experts at Vivobarefoot have worked for nearly a decade to make shoes that works incognito with natural human movement and they believe they have done just that with the Vivobarefoot Evo II – and I believe them.  While the VIVOBAREFOOT Evo II will not give you quite the natural walking experience that a shoe from Vibram Five Fingers  will, it is an amazing minimalist shoe that will bring a brand new, liberated feeling to someone who has never ventured into this arena of modern athletics. 

VivoBarefoot Ultra Shoe Review

I recently reviewed the VivoBarefoot Evo's and greatly enjoyed them. I came across a review recently of the VivoBarefoot Ultra, the VivoBarefoot Ultra is the Minimalist running shoe that I'd like to review next.

The review is from Wired.com and is a great review, check it out here...

The Vivo Barefoot Ultras are true minimalist running shoes. They aim to give you an experience that’s as close as possible to running in bare feet. There are other shoes feeding this craze, like Vibram’s famous FiveFingers toe-shoes and Merrell’s Barefoot runners. As any fan of barefoot running knows, some of the design choices made by these shoe manufacturers are dubious, as they apply radical technologies and materials in their attempt to lighten the load or arrive at their minimalist goals.

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

Vivobarefoot Evo Unboxing

Check out the Unboxing of these great minimalist running shoes. Today I will unbox the Vivobarefoot Evo's.

VIVOBAREFOOT SHOES

In 2004, Terra Plana became pioneers of the barefoot movement by launching VIVOBAREFOOT, the first minimalist shoe with a patented, ultra thin puncture resistant sole that offers maximum sensory feedback and maximum protection. 70% of your brain’s information for movement comes from the nerves on the soles of your feet. The more you can feel the ground, the greater your body’s understanding of its surroundings and natural movement.

In 2010, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Harvard University, both released studies to support that barefoot reduces injuries, reserves energy, and improves technique.

As scientific support for barefoot health grows, so does demand for VIVOBAREFOOT and the collection features the most comprehensive line of minimalist shoes on the market. The VIVOBAREFOOT difference is in the sole. We make a series of constructions specifically designed for varying elements, terrains, and activities. From high performance off-road and trail running shoes, to work and kids shoes, VIVOBAREFOOT offers a total lifestyle solution for the whole family and options for transitioning from walking to sports.

As with all Terra Plana products, VIVOBAREFOOT footwear is produced sustainably using recycled, locally sourced materials, with efficient and eco-friendly production techniques, in independently monitored ethical factories.