Vivobarefoot Men's Synth Hiker Hiking Boot

**My review for these Hiking boots will actually be about them as work boots instead**I was in the market for a new pair or office/auto shop work boots. Previously, I used a pair of black leather Sketcher shoes that accordingly to my chiropractor, were the cause for my knee pain that I was experiencing due to the lack of foot support. So, I went online in search of a pair of barefoot shoes.What I wanted were a pair of barefoot shoes that didn't look like the goofy toe shoes, but more of a black professional footwear option. I got by just fine using shoes when I had the Sketchers, but I perfer something with more ankle support, without having to go full boot. And then I found the Vivobareboot Synth Hiker!I loved black color, height, traditional looking style and decided to check out some of the review, which were all positive. So, I bite the bullet and bought the $120 pair, which were considerably more expensive than my $50 Sketchers had been, but if it solves my knee problems, they will more than pay for themselves!To cut to the chase, the shoes arrive and I try them on. I notice how incredibly lightweight (hugely important) and comfortable they are to wear. I am excited to try them out on a work day.After the first full day of work (10 hours), I notice that my socks are completely soaked with sweat, which is unusual because my feet never sweat in shoes. Feet were a bit sore at the end of the day, but that is probably just going to take some getting used to.Pros+Barefoot+Very, very lightweight!+Traditional style+Color options (all black)+Ankle Support+Comes with extra insoles for colder monthsCons-Feet sweat like crazy!Additional+/- Feet get sore in these but it's only been a few days, so we will see how it goes later.OverallI am really glad that I purchased these and would highly recommend them to others. My only gripe is the soaking wet socks after a few hours of use. This review was written after 3 days of work and home use, so roughly 40 hours of use.

Fit was good and very comfortable. One warning however, this is a barefoot style shoe. If you are on your feet a lot you will get muscle soreness for a while if you are not used to a barefoot experience. The pain is outweighed by the benefits to your posture and foot health. Just realize you may have issues until your feet return to what they are supposed to be. These shoes are a very good fit and are designed to be warn without socks. In cold weather I found that insulated boot socks made them too tight. This was corrected by removing the foot pad in the bottom. This made plenty of room. The only real problem I have experienced is the material the soles are made of becomes very slick when they are wet and you walk on glazed tile surfaces. A little more severe than my 511's but not unmanageable.

I've been wearing these shoes for about a year, and while the are quite comfortable for me, they have many flaws. I'm an avid hiker and these shoes have seen many mountains. To start off they are simply falling apart. The seams started ripping and the bottom has worn down quick. I'm not one to spend so much money on shoes so I super glued them so they could continue the battle. For how long? Who knows. They are NOT waterproof at all. They are simply water resistant. If I walk in snow, or on ice the water simply seeps into the bottom of the shoe leaving my feet uncomfortable and cold. I'd give these shoes 4 stars if they had a more reasonable price tag. $135 is simply ridiculous for a pair of cheaply made shoes from China. If you are an avid outdoorsman, i'd stay away from these.

The size 43/10 is what I ordered for my 9.5 D or E foot. It's tight, but maybe right for a "barefoot" deal. I wasn't aware it was meant to be worn with no socks, and don't really like the idea, so will wear thin ones.There is virtually no stiffness or resistance in the sole, so I wouldn't want to be walking on trails with them; however, they are perfect for urban walking--very light, comfortable, metro-sexual styling, etc. I haven't had a chance to get them wet and see how they perform. In sum, I wouldn't have bought them--could have found good "walkers" for less, and can't see any advantage to no wearing socks. It's like not having a sheet on your mattress!If you have money to spend, they're an interesting addition to the shoe pile, though. Watch the sizing unless you want a very snug fit.

This is a really great shoe, especially if you want that feel of being close to the terrain. I use this shoe for Golf and it works great. Golf comapnies are just now coming around to the 'closer to the ground the better' idea but still do not make a proper shoe for bag carrying golfers. All golf shoes are for riders and pushers and none of them last very long for true carryers. This shoe is totally waterproof! I am sure if you can carry fifty pounds of clubs, this shoe would be fine for hiking. The traction is unbeatable with forward tread similar to a dirt bike tire

I took ½ size bigger but that was not enough. Because of the crampons, the outside sole is more rigide that what i've expect... Vivo recommend to remove the inside sole for a more barefoot experience, and when i tryed them with and without that sole, you realy want without because with, it's "almost" like a normal rigide boot. But, there is a 2mm (1/16@1/8") seam line from back to front in the middle!! So you need the sole... Aside from that the boots look well done and they are pretty. :/

I'm relatively new to the barefoot/minimalist shoe experience but holy hell is this the most comfortable pair of hiking boots ever. First of all, being able to feel the ground under me gives me a connection to nature like none other. Seriously...short of going barefoot, it doesn't get much better than this. It's really really comfortable and I was able to do a rock scramble without much even breaking in of the boots. I used to always get blisters and stuff with my old hiking boots but these, oh my god these are wonderful.

I really like these boots, Alot comfier than your average hiking boots and worth the money. I have other vivo barefoot shoes such as the gobi for work, the Freud for whenever and these for the woods and when the weathers crap (all the time) My other shoes/trainers were an 8, so I got these in an 8, but theu were too small amd squashed my toes, so swapped for a 9, which took like 2 days which is amazing ha. They are not as barefoot as I expected, but they are really comfortable and waterproof and warm, they look cool aswel, sort of special forces type looking ha. So if you want some hiking boots, but dont wana look like ray mears, and want them to feel sturdy, but be as agile as a pair of lightweight trainers then buy these boots :) I doubt youll be Dissapointed.

... kann ich anders nicht sagen. obwohl man nach einer gewissen zeit leicht feuchte zehen bekommt und man die kälte bei minusgraden schon merkt (habe bisher allerdings auch nur etwas dickere 'normale' socken angehabt).aber das laufgefühl mit der sohle ist wirklich ein erlebnis. ich möchte keine andere sohle mehr unter meinen füssen spüren (höchstens eine vergleichbare). ist wirklich wie barfuss laufen, nur angenehmer. habe die schuhe jetzt schon an zwei tagen je für ca 10-15 stunden am stück getragen und hab sie nur ausgezogen, weil es bettzeit war.verarbeitung wirkt recht solide, auch wenn einem scheint, dass der linke schuh ein wenig anders zusammengenäht ist als der andere (wirkt ein bisschen verdreht - ist aber minimal). und hinten drauf ist so ein kleiner viereckiger aufnäher (mit dem aufgenähten kreuz - sieht man auch auf den bildern von hinten), der scheint sehr lieblos angenäht worden zu sein. hatten die chinesischen arbeiter wohl keinen bock mehr... (leider kommt auch dieser schuh aus china, wie wohl mittlerweile um die 90% aller schuhe).fazit: das ist mir alles egal (ausser das mit china, lässt sich heute aber schwer vermeiden), denn der schuh läuft sich erste sahne und gibt einen ganz anderen bezug zum terrain auf dem man gerade unterwegs ist!

I bought these because the rear of the boot is cut quite low. I have tendonitis in my left achilles tendon and I'm finding these boots comfortable whilst walking my dog for up to one hour at a time. I'd call them water resistant rather than waterproof. I've ended up with damp socks after walking through wet, ankle length grass for half an hour or so.

Der Schuh sitzt, passt und scheint auch solide. Zwar lösen sich die Noppen an der Sohle an neuralgischen Stellen relativ schnell etwas, aber das ist eher ein kosmetisches Problem. Wanderungen empfehlen sich damit nur für geübte Barfußschuhwanderer, sonst kommen die Schmerzen dann, wenn man gerade die Stütze anderer Schuhe braucht, nach 10, 15 km. Und das ist dann sehr unangenehm. Hauptproblem ist aber die fehlende Atmungsaktivität durch das vegane Material. Ich bekomme Schweißfüße und in der Folge Blasen. Daher nutze ich die Schuhe nun für fieses Winterwetter und im Schnee und ziehe für Wanderungen wieder die Fußkrücken an. Im Schnee ist der Schuh super.

If you look at the picture of the top surface of the boot, there is a join where the rubber toe cap meets the material (approx 1" from the front). You can feel this join on the inside of the boot and its position means that in my case the front edge of my big toe nail occasionally caught on this joint.(Quite a few of vivo styles have this problem for me but it may not affect you)The rubber edging along the boot is also problematical as it feels restrictive with no 'give' in it. I returned the product.