its not 20%, just 15...

Yes I've aiready ordered it it should be perfect for them! Edit: Didn't work. Still got wet feet.

Good to know. Is the size you are using with this boot your standard shoe size, i.e. 9 is a 9?

I work out in the Scottish mountains and these are just one of the boots I use regularly, I wax them and although they are not 100% waterproof Iam happy to put up with that as they tick other boxes for my feet. Not to be overlooked.

​@@CptAngelADVlogs I want waterproof and breathable five toed socks

@@CptAngelADVlogs Try using a wax/oil like leader gris by Alt-berg. Its designed exactly for this kind of boot.

Thanks! Unfortunately I had to return them because they kept giving me wet and frozen feet even after wax treatment (Sno Seal).

Yeah it's a shame but some SNO-SEAL or other premium wax should make them completely waterproof (will test soon). Edit: Didn't work. Still got wet feet.

Yes I do suspect snow will be fine but just continuous regular rain got my feet wet after a few hours. I will be using Sno Seal soon when it arrives and this might fix it! Btw why are you wearing this massive boot in the summer? Just wear trail shoes with running gaiters. So much discomfort and damaging an expensive boot for no reason.

I use Meindl without goretex and they are perfectly fine in heavy rain. Why this ones would be worse?

@@CptAngelADVlogs How you gonna use trail runners in summer if you do hikes outside trails in rugged terrain

​@@floras7826 many people use (bit more stiff) trail runners or approach shoes for even climbing situations and difficult off-grid mountains. I usually used barefoot shoes, but tried stiff boots once or twice in summer for harder tours. It really makes no sense I think.

Good to know. Is the size you are using with this boot your standard shoe size, i.e. 9 is a 9?

Wow , how did you manage to walk that much without pain. I walked only 10k steps one day and felt a lot of leg soreness and foot sole pain.

​@@User-Tal1951 your muscles adapt over time, they need to get used to such long distances. You can get there if you want!

@@elmafudd9703yes and there would still be some room for you to wear thicker socks though it may slightly restrain your feet

Yes the new version looks cool but they're not waterproof at all from what I've seen which defeats the purpose of a boot in my opinion.

No like I mentioned they don't get thermal insoles. Tracker 2 FGs do. Maybe with some thick insulated wool socks you'll be fine!

@@CptAngelADVlogs you can easily buy the thermal insoles from vivo yourself

i am a US 10.5 as well, i got a 43 and a 44. the 44 was way too big and the 43 is just a bit small going downhill, but i kept them. glad the 44 worked for you. I purchased from a 3rd party and so i cant return them. they def need half sizes.

@@DrMax-qj4tw I tried these on today and I am also between a 43 and a 44. The 43 also fit me better tho snug than the 44 which felt to big! The leather is so soft that i would hope it would loosen up making the 44 even bigger long term. I think I’m gonna go back and grab the 43 like you and pray it opens up a bit! The tracker 2 fc (non leather) was tighter in a 43 than the leather 43 for reference. Please help lol

They can handle a bit of static water but if you stay in it for long they might leak. Also they're very breathable so you might get cold. It's better to get an actual waterproof shoe like belenka or groundies.

Yeah those are not waterproof no matter how much you treat them. It's random some times they will be fine and others even a bit of rain will give you wet feet. Those don't dry fast at all. The leather gets soaked and will remain wet for at least a full day. For a universal do everything boot maybe a leather boot with no membrane is best, but I was looking for something that's watertight to use in cold wet weather.

@@CptAngelADVlogs what do you think of the Vivobarefoot Tracker II FG, it says its waterproof. I'm looking at both of these....I just really like the tread on the ESC

@@praiseYAHalways It's too stiff for my liking. It's waterproof but the sole isn't good for loose ground. They have a new Magna WR and a Tracker SG which are waterproof with proper offroad soles.

I do wanna try different waxes. An hour is not that long I'm pretty sure they can take that right out of the box. Problem is when you're outside in the snow/mud/slush hiking or doing activities for multiple hours. On the 2-3 hour mark they'll start letting humidity in and that might become a problem when you're in the cold.

​@@CptAngelADVlogs Would be a cool thing to test once they're waxed up. For sure, wet feet in wintery conditions can be trouble. They're also not insulated. Definitely not intended for extremes of cold or hot conditions. I'll be interested to see what you have to share after some more use :~)

@@childcrone Yep that's my issue with them. I only use boots when it's cold + rain or snow, I find no point in them otherwise. Extra discomfort for unnecessary protection. They look cool but I prefer function over Indiana Jones roleplaying. I don't need insulation (in fact I find it annoying), just a waterproof membrane to keep things normal. Wool socks and movement take care of the rest. Instead they decided to put a perforated ultra breathable membrane in there as if we're gonna use them to walk on volcanoes or something. Yes stay tuned! Winter is still not here but when the first snow comes I will be doing all kinds of testing.

There is plenty of cushion for rocks. Almost too much if you like a minimalist feel. However, I'd say get the Firm Grounds version for rocks. The ESC has huge lugs and feel weird on rocky ground.

Just this with a waterproof membrane and a higher volume toebox with a toecap for protection.

No they run big. I'm a 44.5-45 in Xero and regular shoes and 44 in Vivo. DO NOT use their automatic sizing thing it's garbage. Measure your foot and then go to their size guide and pick a size according to your longest foot length.

They are similar in size (maybe Magna is a bit longer). The sock fit of the Magna is indeed a bit loose and you need to tighten the laces. The Tracker is a bit more stable.

I don't think they'll make a waterproof version any time soon if I'm honest.

It's 3 times as thick..

@@CptAngelADVlogs thanks!!

It's good to have options. I just received my Sno SEAL and will be trying that on soon. It should be good enough since everybody loves it. Edit: Didn't work. Still got wet feet.

Slightly more resistant but definitely not waterproof.

Can't be good they're a thick leather boot.

I'm waiting for some rain to test them asap. I will be getting the white version and demonstrating them too. Stay tuned! Both Tracker and Magna are waterproof when dipped into a sink for a few minutes. It's after a few hours in the wet that the Trackers let in a bit of water.

I had the magna ESC and used them on a 33 mile hike in November. Day 1 was dry and they were fantastic. Day 2 had a light start rain for 2-3 hours and after 7 miles, my feet were water logged. The water came in through the wool center. I had to return and get these and do far no water issues with the Tracker ESC. I put on a wax waterproof like Vivo recommended on both boots. Magna just didn't keep my feet dry

Depends what you consider true to size. I wear a 45 in Nike and a 44 in Vivo, FeelGrounds, Groundies and Belenka. For barefoot sizing you could say they're true to size, but I get a whole size down from regular shoes.

so if I measure my barefoot get one size down? [ordering today]@@CptAngelADVlogs

No I was looking for a deep lugged sole.

Yeah that's the barefoot scene in a nutshell. They still haven't figured things out.

Don’t swim in them then.

I have waxed them with Sno Seal and they still leaked the same..

Ok, I’m not familiar with sno seal, I use moose talon. I get my boots tomorrow.

I'd like to think they're working on it. It would be too perfect to not make. Buying is no problem you can use them for 100 days and return for full refund (free shipping).

@@CptAngelADVlogs returning might be a problem, I live in Ukraine. Even delivering something here might be a pain in the ass now, takes almost a month most of the time

@@dmytrogarastovych7684 Damn I see. Hang in there brother. Fuck politics.

I need to treat the leather on my first time using them?.. Also another review mentioned them leaking right after being treated. Leather will get saturated after being wet for a while and start leaking that's why waterproof membranes exist. Only exception I've seen is Timberland nubuck.

They leak after a while in the rain even with wax.

@@CptAngelADVlogs yes it's the nature of leather, it is essentially a big sponge. But with good boot care you can keep out all but the worst of the worst of wet conditions. Any kind of membrane your feet get wet from sweat anyway and take even longer to dry out. The idea of having no membrane is that they dry quicker when they do finally get wet and breathe better.

@@feldgraufox4927 I disagree with membranes giving sweaty feet. It's never happened to me even after hours of hiking. Most people that get that problem either wear double socks because their boots are too big, or use waterproof boots in warm conditions. Neither make any sense. The Trackers froze my feet in multiple occasions that I had to stay for hours in the rain so they're not worth it for me I'd be better off wearing sneakers than carrying all this weight around and still have wet and frozen feet. So I replaced them with Freet Tundras that have a membrane.

That's strange. They're generally really tough. Maybe you got a faulty pair.

Vivo will actually resole those for you though.

Softstar switchback Boot are welted

Those are not waterproof or warm even with Sno-Seal or the wax Vivo suggests. Some rain on a cold day and you'll get cold feet even with thick wool socks on (why I returned them).

@@CptAngelADVlogs you're right, that's bad and strange, too. Maybe, because the leather is thin to be flexible? But so, they make no sense.

Tried SNO Seal, still got wet feet, sent them back.

A bit until they break in

Might as well strap bricks to your feet.

Different beasts. They definitely look a heap better with the full rand. And then there's it's bigger brother, the Tibet GTX. I can't quite get over the strange look of these Vivos and there's no way they'd put up with the abuse that you could put a pair of Rangers of Tibet boots through.

Depends on the shape of your foot, activities, and preferences. This is why there is no "best." If you've worn regular narrow-last shoes your whole life, then the Lowa are definitely top tier boots, but at the very least, the best boot for an individual should start with a shape that, you know, actually fits their foot. I've worn barefoot style shoes for about a decade, and my foot has changed shape, and actually continues to change shape: the forefoot is becoming wider and wider, with toes splaying apart naturally. A regular shoe just doesn't fit comfortably anymore, nevermind the functional loss in a normal shoe. On the other end of the argument is activities and preferences. If I want to climb Mt. Everest, for example, then I'm going to wear actual, purpose-built, plastic boots like every one else, and hope that with the right manufacturer and size, it will be comfortable enough. Can you side-hill edge effectively in barefoot shoes? No. Can you kickstep in deep snow well with barefoot shoes? No. There is and will continue to be a need for hard, non-flexible shoes for specific activities. The important reality is, however, that these shoes do not have to be made with such unanatomical narrow lasts/shapes, heel rise, and giant stack heights. Lowa boots are the perfect example of this. Take everything about them that they do right, and make them proper shape, zero heel rise, and practical stack height. The materials, stiffness, waterproof tech, and everything else is already great. We need more manufacturers to recognize the gap in the market, and capitalize on it. And I think manufacturers like Vivo are starting to get it - making more and more specialized shoes. I am hopeful that with the success of the ESC shoes, they will take the concept further, and make an ESC boot for other activities. Think alpine boot - insulated, goretex membrane, proper mid-calf height, thicker sole, stiffer, designed for snow/ice accessory use (crampons, snowshoes). The barefoot market is growing. Every day there are new entrants. And anyone doing this for more than a few years has already permanently changed their feet for the better, and for better or worse, can't go backwards easily. I see big money potential in premium, specific-sport shoes and boots using high-end tech.

@@resistemptation4 Yes, agreed. I wish Scarpa would get their act together, I literally lost a toenail hiking in a pair of their GTX hiking shoes.

@@resistemptation4Yes. I can do a lot with this boot, but can’t climb hard snow with crampons of steep ice either. I have to then use my conventional hard soled boots, but they are getting too narrow for my feet!!