Once you fully transition to barefoot shoes, there's no return back. I can't wear normal shoes anymore. I feel exhausted after walking in them. No more back pain, no more pains of any sort to be fair. Love it love it love it!

I used to wear heavy combat boots with thick socks 24/7. Since fully transitioning to barefoot shoes over a year ago, and only wearing thin merino wool blend liner socks, ive found that my feet have been way warmer and drier in the winter. And way cooler and drier in the summer. Likely to do with unrestricted circulation, breathability and the fact your feet are more active. Full barefoot shoe convert. I have these boots, theyre great, my favourite day to day shoes are the magna fg though i wish they had stitched soles like the tracker forest esc

Strikes me that barefoot shoes are better if you fully transition, so rather than switching back and for for specific activities - but you have to take time over it.

I was walking in zero drop shoes for about a year before I went on a backpacking trip with them. Such an amazing feeling hiking in barefoot shoes.

Out of all th reviews. I'm from Mississippi, US. You had the exact details that I was looking for. Thank you.

I love these boots. I bought them after having a spinal fusion and needing to walk alot during recovery. I decided to get these because it was winter and I needed extra gripping during my walks in snow and ice. I love that I am so connected to the ground and it really has prevented a lot of falls. Even on the rare occasion I am walking on a sheet of ice and they slip I can recover and not fall very easily. I wore these all through last winter and walked every day. Now that it is summer, and im more recovered, I have taken them on day hikes up the cascades (here in washington state) and absolutely love them for hiking. I hiked up Mt. Mansfield (vermont) in five fingers when i was younger and hated the experience SO much. My toes constantly got stubbed by rocks that by the end of the hike I swore off barefoot shoes. I went immediately to buy traditional hiking boots to finish my vacation. Im so glad that vivobarefoot made these boots because unlike those five fingers my toes are protected in this boot and in general, my foot stays super comfy all through my walking and hiking. There is something very special about feeling the terrain below your feet and being able to wrap your toes around the edges of rocks and stuff, its just a very tactile experience and the grip on the boot gives me loads more confidence when on the trail. Oh, and walking out here in Washingtons rainy weather hasnt been a problem, I recommend regularly cleaning and treating the leather to make them more weather proof. Also, the leather does need maintenance becauae they scuff pretty easily, probably due to how soft and light the leather is. Glad to see your review is positive! I was curious if other people loved these boots as much as I do. 😁

Ive done 12 month in these now and around 400 kilometers over all terrains and even a full day trek of 47km with soaking wet feet through a Qld rainforest and never once have i had a blister rubbing,sore feet or any other ailments. My feet always feel planted to the point i dont even think you could role your ankle in these boots. The grip is next level on all terrains and never do i second guess my placing of my feet because i know they will perform. The pain ive read in alot of the reviews for these boots regarding the pain in the inner ankle from rubbing pressure is easily fixed with spring loaded lace lockers and not tying them,this way you can dial them in to perfection. Will i buy another pair,most definitley. Best boots i have put on my feet. And no i dont have any affiliation with vivobarefoot but they deserve my raving review 😁👍

This looks so professional, you presented this so professionally and nicely!

Great review Stephen. I love my Vivo shoes and boots and they are the only hiking footwear I purchase now. I have supination on my right foot and it's caused me all sorts of issues with traditional boots. But with these it's almost eliminated the problem, because the boot is letting my foot step more naturally. The Forest ESC is probably my favourite in the Vivo range. Keep up the great videos mate. 👍

Always useful to find a review from someone who’s worn barefooted for a decent amount of time! I had the same issue with the pressure on my heels, still a bit of an issue up slopes even though I’ve been wearing them for over 6 months but I would still far prefer them over my normal boots in 9/10 walks. Interestingly I have very cold feet also but they have rarely got cold even spending hours in -5 last winter. I think as long as I stayed moving my feet stayed warm and think this is due to using my feet moving actively rather than having them strapped still in big boots. It often takes me over an hour of walking in the winter before my feet have warmed up enough to feel properly 😅

I only ever wear barefoot shoes. They have really helped with my balance and blister problems. For activity stuff I like Altras, for mooching around, Lems and Vivos. Lems Boulder boots in canvas and Lems Primals are my favourite mooching about shoes.

Barefoot shoes transformed my life! My posture got better. Neuropathy became manageable. My mood improved! High arches blocked blood flow in my feet, causing numbness. Barefoot shoes returned full sensation to my feet, which really helped my state of mind. I can’t explain it but it was very noticeable. All that said, my feet do get tired faster and I do walk more slowly because I’m paying attention to how I walk, rather than plodding along in big heavy boots or even more cushioned zero drop shoes. Luckily I’m not planning to do long distance backpacking, just day hikes. I did meet someone who did the Muir trail in Vivobarefoot trackers and he LOVED them.

Your point about not rolling your ankle in barefoot shoes is spot on. I used to roll my left ankle all the time and it's always when wearing "standard" shoes. I only wear barefoot shoes now and I haven't rolled my ankle once. I think those squishy soles make rolling easier. With barefoot shoes, you feel more of a connection to the ground and I think it absolutely makes a difference. There's definitely a learning curve to going barefoot. It takes time for your feet to adjust and learn how to walk differently, not heel pound but land in the middle of your foot.

Vivos are my fav shoes! I wear them for walking/running and hiking! ❤

I'm in the East Antrim Harriers and I ran the Mourne Way Half marathon in a pair of Vibram Fivefingers. Loved it. Of course I had a few years practice and a couple of Causeway coast runs beforehand. I could hike anywhere in the Fivefingers as long as it's warm enough, though the toes tend to pick up weeds when you run trail and cross country 😂 For that, I've switched to a pair of zero drop inov8

Fantastic video! I’m gonna order a pair. Thanks for the info and a few good laughs!

Amazing boots! I do land surveying. On my feet most of the day. Hiking in rough terrain and often in brush and briars. These boots have held up! One of the lace hooks broke from the black rubber pretty early on and I made the same repair with super glue twice. Not ideal, but this very low skill fix did the trick. I do have tired feet sometimes, especially the first 6 months, but my pair are two years old and only thing I notice now is my heel hurts when I am on pavement for much of the day. But that could very well be because they are pretty much worn out after two years, can’t complain about that longevity. There was an adjustment period for sure with what feet muscles were used and balance changed and I fell down a couple times fining stability in them. It has proven to be very much worth that effort and transition time. I will be buying another pair soon. Highly recommend. They are relatively pricy but mine have been productive and comfortable for two years, much longer than the average for my use.

Am a Xero shoe and boot wearer. It just happened that I started with them and haven’t tried other brands. I hike on rough ground but only a few miles at a time. I love barefoot shoes and boots! Been wearing them for years now. The only time I wear my Keen hiking boots is in the winter when the Xero boots aren’t keep me warm and dry, but they are not near as comfortable, and are actually hurting my feet after a couple times wearing them in a row.

I found I was rolling my ankles all the time in modern performance running shoes and hiking boots (nice brands too). Switched to Vivo and immediately got ALL my stability back. Haven't had a rolling issue since! Should also barefoot if you can for grounding benefits. All good stuff :D

I had the same issue with the heel bite from the leather. Was much better after breaking them in though like you also mentioned. good review thanks stephen

I used them for work. I love them.

Really interesting points and thoughts on the Vivo Trackers. I have the standard Trackers, slightly less aggressive lugs on the soles, and I don’t wear them much because I find them a pain the get laced up and then getting them in and off isn’t fun either. Once on they are fine, and my wife wears her pretty much everyday in the winter. Maybe like you say I need to wear them more to brake them in and make them easier to get in and out of. Great review thanks for putting it out here 😁👍

Can highly recommend the magna esc. Switched to "auto lacing". Best shoes Ive had. Thx for sharing!

In general agree with your points. I typically only buy Vivo’s with a stitched outsole like these ones. You can somewhat improve the cold resistance by replacing the stock insoles with Vivo thermal insoles. I really like my Tracker II boots, but the outsoles are not stitched. The TF ESC have a noticeably thicker outer sole, with better grip on most surfaces as compared to the T2. The T2 have more ground feel and flexibility. Just depends on what you prefer. Only my opinion anyway.

This is a great video & so beautifully presented! Thanks so much for covering all the information I was looking for. I’ve been wearing LEMS boots the last few years & recently discovered they’re not true barefoot. Just for kicks I placed my bare foot on the provided sole & my narrow sized foot actually splayed out further than the sole! I’m a bit bummed but I’ve also been having an increasing number of ingrown toenails & foot pain. I think it’s time to make the switch!

I've been wearing Vivobarefoot trail running shoes and more recently the Magna Forest Esc with the same sole as your Trackers. The transition to barefoot-style or minimalist shoes can be a challenge and this is often where people experience issues. I would never go back to "normal" shoes. There are winter thermal insoles you can buy which are warmer so worth investing in a pair of these for the colder months.

Hi, great review, I'm going to give them a try; I too have a foot injury and minimalist shoes have changed my life; my favorite dry weather hikers are Vivos so I will try these .. thank you and best wishes

I started my barefoot-shoe experience a few months ago with Feelgrounds sneakers. Next step I will take are barefoot hiking boots. Thank you for this review. I think I will try Vivobarefoot boots. Just have to decide whether I take the Tracker Forest or Tracker Decon...

Great video. Thank you. Kinda feel exactly like you , had some trackers- loved for 4-5 miles - but more meant traditional boots required

Love these boots. Bought them immediately when they were announced in spring '21 and was honestly kinda skeptical even though I'd other Vivos and barefoot shoes. Was proven very wrong. They're just fantastic and every bit as durable as any leather hiker I've had over the past 3 decades, moreso than some.

Had been looking forward to this! Nice review. Most of the cons you mentioned will mostly disappear over time. I’ve been wearing nothing but Vivos (aside from hardcore winter mountaineering boots and cycling shoes) for 13 years now and don’t give any of that a second thought. I did the Caledonian Challenge back in 2013 (3 years into wearing them) which was 54 miles and my feet were fine. Yours will be too! I reckon yours are sore because the muscles and tendons haven’t fully strengthened and developed yet. Super interesting point you raised about the waterproofing. I do regularly clean and proof mine with a mix of Liquiproof spray (so it gets into every area) and Renapur and haven’t had any sign of water ingress - even in a heavy Lake District downpour that lasted for 3h or so. I did have waterproof trousers covering the top of the boot though. So pleased they’re working for you! Next pair should be a trail shoe, to use when the weather is guaranteed to be good. Love them during the summer months. The ESC sole hasn’t made its way to anything other than the Hydra ESC yet, but I do believe it’s the best sole Vivo have. The FG sole is great when it’s dry but only adequate if it’s damp - I thought it was amazing until I got my hands on the ESC sole. Regarding the ankle sprains - I knackered mine way back when I was at school. I did it 3-4 times in fairly quick succession and the right is now definitely weaker. As you mentioned, you are much less likely to roll an ankle in barefoot shoes because there’s no platform to roll off. If you keep wearing them, your ankles will become even stronger. Hope you’re doing well otherwise. Keep up the cracking content! Ste.

Fun little tip. On easy / moderate trails with less rocky surfaces, use them naturally. When you know you'll be doing rough terrain on hard trails put in a " superfeet hiking insole," this will help during the transition phase.

Just ordered the TRACKER DECON FG2 JJF, but I am thinking of breaking them in with some Enertor D3O insoles, because I have great experience with those. Fixed my lower back pain immediately. Plus it gives great protection from kinetic shocks.

I used those mainly as winter boots. I have different thicknesses of wool socks for differences in temperatures. I double knot my laces and never untie them. I just unhook them when I take them off then rehook when I put them on.

I've worn vivobarefoot for maybe 10 years or so. These forest esc are the best of them that I've bought - they were literally like putting on a nice soft leather glove that needed no brake in for me - I don't use them in the summer as it's too hot but I miss how comfortable they are. I used them for winter boots here in Norway but you need a thermal insole and thick woolen socks. Also never had water ingress but I keep them well conditioned with leather cream.

It is not about the "support" but because of lack of padding. BTW: Topo has traditional shoes with a space for all fingers. I recommend having a look. I own two pairs.

I’ve been wearing vivos all day everyday for about 2-3 years now without any issues 🤷🏻‍♂️ I’ve yet to wear them hiking/hillwaking though. That brings me to this video. I do passively strengthen my feet at home using wee exercises I’ve learned so I’m hopeful there shouldn’t be any issues. I’m bringing a spare pair of socks though. Scotland is known for its wet weather

Excellent balanced review, without the fanaticism you get in a lot of barefoot boot reviews!

That connection to the ground you talk about, it’s a real thing. It’s because these shoes have soul 😉

Thanks for this! I’ve never been here but I’m current going down the rabbit hole, researching these types of shoes. I’ve always preferred to go bearfoot since childhood, where possible. Then we moved south (USA) and I’ve kind of grown tired of getting stung by ants. But I HATE wearing shoes! When I heard of these I thought maybe they’d provide a happy compromise. I feel disconnected with normal shoes on…kind of like I did when I first started driving an automatic car after learning on a manual. I guess I like being able to “feel” the ground beneath me, even when driving.😂 But anywho… thanks again! Btw… the rest of the content here looks great too! I just subscribed 👍🏼

I've been wearing the Primus Lite III shoes for around a year now. I would get sore feet after an hour or so at first, but now they feel fine. I'm on my feet all day for work and they do get a little tired, but I'm soon going on a 5 day jungle trek in Indonesia, and considering buying these. I do own some traditional hiking boots, but they will take up so much storage and I also want to keep using a wide toe box and use them for future hikes too. Does anyone think it's a bad idea?

You could also go the cheap route to get accustomed like I did. That is, walk barefoot the majority of time until your calf, feet, and leg muscles start getting much stronger. This took me from march of this year until about July - August of walking barefoot nearly every day. In cases where I did not have that option, I would walk with inexpensive whitn trail shoes from Amazon. I walked on grass, rock, and street. I live in a mountainous region.

I also have vivos and I have sore feet after hours but my feet feel way better the next day! My feet heal way quicker. I’m 56 it takes a bit and damp feet problems were handled with wool socks….I HATE wet feet but happens without a doubt hiking but totally tolerable with my darn tough wool socks!

6:18 I came here to hear exactly this. I had such a painful hike, I had to come down from the mountain BAREfoot. That was painful also due to the rocks, but was still better than the previous cutting with the shoes. I am considering selling them, but I want to give them a chance, make them somehow more comfortable, because otherwise they've got a big potential.

Weirdly I've taken no time to adjust, I got some cheap barefoot shoes on Amazon for £40 and wore them a bit here and there when I could (I'm a motorcyclist so most of the time I'm in horrible thick stiff boots). Against all warning I did Glastonbury festival as a steward wearing those cheap Hobibear shoes and - I never once got knee pain, no blisters, and just had some sore calves and by the end my feet were pretty tired, but overall I felt amazing. I did four waterfalls walk in those same very not waterproof not grippy shoes and felt so stable in them. So I'm just completely converted. I need these!

I got my first pair of zero drop trail running shoes a couple of days ago. But one day I want to go full barefoot shoes. It’s natural and therefore should help me avoid old person running injuries in 30-40 years.

I had these boots but returned them due to the Achilles rub issue, unfortunately they didn’t break in for me. I’ve the Magna Forest ESC which have the same Michelin sole as the Tracker Forest, just a tad shorter in height, and I love them. Totally get your description of that ground feel and connectivity. I wore my Magnas in snowy Finland in -17C with a wool insole inside and my feet were toasty. Synthetic ‘thermal’ insoles do not warm my feet at all in the winter, so it might be worth you trying pure sheep wool ones. As for foot discomfort over long hikes, it’s probably a conditioning issue. I also wear Vivobarefoot Tracker boots and Primus trail shoes and have done 12 mile walks no problem. That said I do regular foot strengthening drills which helps I think.

3:49 Just came back from a round trip through sweden and norway for 2 weeks, camping with a group of people traveling by car and then hiking to the nice routes and stuf and the first 2 days i did the effort to relace my laces everytime i gotta get out of the tent and i got tired of it and then i just tucked the laces into the boots and walked around camp much faster and easier lol 9:13 I use Vivobarefoot Thermal insole for in the colder months and it works great (with thicker socks ofcourse) 10:05 in Norway it rained in the mountains for hours and I used this boot as well, the water got through but i didnt really notice it because i was wearing waterproof socks from Sealskin plus liner socks and it worked really good! (feet didnt get wet or cold, just a bit sweaty that's all) and the hike i did through the mountain range was like 12km long I did however use the included insoles as i knew the rocks were gonna be jagged and pointy so i get ever so slighty more padding against it

I love mine. I have bunyans. Tradboots are very painful and almost impossible to walk in. Vivobarefoots have transformed myoutdoor life. You need to work upto wearing over distances for sure but once you get there it's hard to back. Perservere

Slowly transitioning to barefoot shoes corrected every foot issue I had including really bad plantar fasciitis. Jumping right in and doing everything in them will lead to trouble because your feet have been braced inside shoes that don’t allow them to function correctly. They need to slowly build muscles that are weak from little use. Putting on non-barefoot shoes is a horrible experience now. I would never go back. I run in them, walk in them, hike and backpack for miles in them. Every person I personally know that has gone back to supported shoes didn’t take time to properly adjust to barefoot shoes.

Nice review. Have been looking longingly at these but can't quite decide if they're worth the risk. I have quite wide feet, and I haven't gone the barefoot route properly yet, with the combo of quite a high instep, so finding decent shoes to try on here in Ireland is challenging to say the least. How did you find these in terms of width fitting, and volume? I'd prefer to get the lower cut ankle shape of the Magna Forest ESC but I don't think my foot would even fit past the sewn fabric collar :)

This is a really good review, open & forthright with all points. Thank you for doing it! Re: feet getting sore/painful with longer hikes, something I've heard is that stronger, better-developed muscles are less tender to pressures, and this applies to the muscles of the feet. Which insert did you get with yours? There are a couple different types that Vivobarefoot does. Mine came with some thin, perforated ones. There's also a cork type and a thermal one. I'm not sure what the specs are, but might be worth a look :~) -- My experience: About 18 mos ago I bought the same boots after a few months of looking, learning, and consideration. I'd been using my Altra Lone Peak trail runners for about 4 yrs and wanted a natural-function-friendly boot for more mountainy, mud-snowy hiking and property chores. I've had the chance now to use them in every circumstance I wanted them for, and appreciate them more every time I use them :~) I treated mine with Sno-Seal (an old favorite natural beeswax waterproofing product) before winter and they have continued to perform essentially waterproof for me.

The saying 1 kilo on your feet takes same energy to transport as 5 kilos on your back. My experience of these is that my long multi day hikes are far more enjoyable. When I've infrequently use my "heavy" boots in winter on the mountains they do feel like swinging lead pendulums thus support that first statement and can't wait to get back to the Vivo's... Barefoot stuff has given my legs a new lease of life, knee injuries etc are now a thing of the past, I can now run again, for me I wish I'd known about this 30 years back. I'm three years in to this and took my time transitioning, 18 months it took and won't be returning to the casts. You must take your time. As for the pain in feet... it's a bit like the matrix... A lot of your muscles in your feet (100+) most have never been developed.. You've had them in casts for years. They've been supported and thus weak. It's like wearing an arm cast when your arm gets broken... does you arm come out of this support cast stronger! Most have been wearing that cast for 30 years on their feet so what do you expect... no pain when using the foot with support for the first time. You will build them up over time, your feet muscles will strengthen, be far stronger, and more importantly on those long hikes, takes it's fair share of the work and reduce wear and fatigue elsewhere, knees , hips. Sharp objects, stones, terrain over time again become a distant memory, again this is down to weak feet. As your feet become stronger this also becomes a non problem, you enjoy the sensation of different textures... and the way you feet will allow more contact around rocks thus giving you more traction and grip. Look forward to your follow up review in a years time!

That’s it, I’m buying these. I’ve been exclusively wearing barefoot shoes for over a year and I need a pair of hiking boots. I bought the tracker 2’s and while they feel great they’re a bit stiff and they’re a bit slippery. My feet also get super hot and sweaty in them and I think it’s because they have an insulated sole and a waterproof membrane. Just the fact that these don’t have that waterproof membrane nor an insulated sole just makes me want them more, not less😅

I tried these for a few months. Thought the bottom of my feet would get used to the pain, they did but not completely. After about 150km over that time still i find them painful after a big day like you. And I want to be as comfortable as possible on a hike so gave up. I changed to Altra Lone peak all wthr mids after these. Zero drop, big toe box foot shaped but with cushion for me these are the best. Not the most durable but also not so expensive so not a big deal to get a new pair each year. Honestly mate your experience sounds like mine, get the altras its like these but zero pain!

i have these boots too. i put felt insoles in them, that works really well against the cold

My foot collapsed 40 years ago and I was brainwashed into orthotics which due to their supportive nature eventually did help. The cost was the strength and functionality of my foot. -All to be pain free. I have been wearing barefoot type shoes for the past few months and there is a noticeable increase in muscle mass in my feet. I am still getting pain in my foot at times and on longer walks will bring a pair of orthotics if the foot starts to get sore again, No point in walking through pain if the goal is to functionally pain free. Hopefully in the next year or so the foot strength will improve.

Great review. The big question I have is the down hill part without a heel. Where I hike you are going up or straight down. I was wondering if you find them slippery with out the heel to catch the ground. It would be hard to land toe 1st on such down hill hikes. Thanks

I did the Cape Wrath trail wearing these in May. I loved them but they aren't perfect. First off I found there was weird pressure point from where the last lace eyelet is, maybe its the black plastic or maybe it's the eyelet itself but someone I spoke to on trail said they had to return them for that reason, I just wore thick socks which removed this problem. The other issue I had was they were too warm on hot days and my feet were damp from sweating (maybe it was the thick socks). And also on man made forest tracks or roads my feet would start to hurt but I did like 20 miles some days, I think its something I might get used to the more I walk in barefoot shoes though. Overall I liked these but will probably go for trail runners next time because these take a while to dry out once wet and I just want to try trail runners.

9:06 Regarding your feet getting cold in cold weather while wearing these boots, are there insoles that thermally insulate your feet that you could place in the boots alongside wearing thick socks?

Been running and walking in sandals and barefoot shoes for a while now and it’s hard to go back to normal running shoes. I found it forces me to run better and as a result of that my knee pain disappeared. RIP my calf muscles though :)

Would these survive I Patagonia shoulder season? More worried about warmth than comfort, been on the barefoot train for 5 years.

Last week I hiked 8 hours through the Tatra Mountains in my Vivo boots from which I even removed the insole. Not this version but an older vegan version.

Great! Always looking for better shoes, this is interesting.

My favorite barefoot boots are the Be Lenka Ranger

I'm curious to know whether you use these on steep descents. I have a pair of Tracker FGs that I bought in 2017 and haven't worn very much for a couple of reasons. First, the leather and padding of the uppers, while being comfortable, means that they are best suited for colder days rather than hot summer days. Second, all this leather and padding means that I found it very difficult to achieve the (for me) necessary locking of the foot to the back of the shoe. Let me explain. When I wear barefoot trail shoes, mostly Merrels, for sports where I frequently need to stop abruptly or where I'm running down hill then I lace them up in such a way that my foot is secured to the heel of the shoe and also held over the top of the foot. That leaves my toes free to move but prevents my foot sliding forward into the toebox to crush my toes. When I tried the Tracker FGs on a reasonable hike I had exactly this problem, an inability to secure my feet inside the boots. My feet kept sliding forward into the toebox and it was very unpleasant. I swapped them with a pair of barefoot trail shoes I'd brought just in case, and the day was saved. So the Tracker FGs are now used when it's cold and wet, otherwise not much and certainly not for the thing I bought them for - hiking. In fact now I just hike in barefoot trail shoes, and like many people I love being able to feel the ground and feel far more secure than in clumpy hiking boots. So there's the question. Are the Tracker Forest ESC's better in this way to allow you to walk down steep inclines too?

I had the same issue where it hurt the back of my ankle. It really hurt. I gave up on them because of this reason. After this video I think I am going to give it another chance.

You are very blessed to live in a place where snakes don’t exist. Here in Florida, the go to boot are “snake boots”. Semi-water proof (they lose their protection as time goes on) but makes trouncing about in thickets etc a breeze as well as prevents an otherwise pleasant outdoor hike from a defensive snake that you didn’t see.

Nice review dude, you'll have to get yourself a pair of Vivo Manga Forest Esc next 😉. I can also concour that these are amazing boots

I must try this brand of footwear sooner or later 😊

Can you use a sole pad in the winter?

Just got a pair of these along with another pair of minimalist-style shoes for everyday use, hoping to help address some persistent lower back pain. I was a bit skeptical, but they're super comfortable so far. I've got to do a bit of adjustment before taking them out into the mountains, but I'm curious how my feet will hold up after a longer-distance hike. Do you feel like you're able to comfortably go beyond 6 miles after continuing to acclimate to the boots?

I’m on about my 3rd week of transitioning to barefoot shoes, I hike so that’s what my main intention is with wearing them. Using Vibram Five Fingers and I love them. I have metatarsalgia in my right foot and it definitely isn’t bothering me as much as it used to already after a few weeks. I’m doing workouts and stretches to strengthen my ligaments and tendons in the ball of my feet as well. Has anyone else on here transitioned to barefoot with metatarsalgia? Does the injury go away completely at some point or do you always have that little “ligament pop” type sensation?

I have the primus lite knit for my first barefoot shoes. I love them, BUT when walking on gravel it is painful as I feel every rock really push into the bottom of my foot. Are the hiking boots a bit more protective? Or do you have to get used to feeling every single rock under your foot?

The only thing that stands between footrot, or frostbite, is a dry pair of Sox, it’s good to have at least two pairs of Sox, when climbing or hiking in survival situation, a pair of gum boots in the pack is good also , sweat can happen , does happen, no matter how good the boot.

Im looking at these to try hunting in NZ, I might through them in as well as my regular boots.

You shuold add an additional thermal sole for cold weather. I've used mine in winter and in snow and didn't have cold feet. But your feet get colder if you only stand around. You need to move more because your feet will get the warmth from the fact that you use your foot muscles more. Therefore, I wouldn't wear them if I know that I'm standing around a lot.

I have been walking with barefoot shoes (not hiking) through all of winter and I recommend just getting the thermal inlay. It‘s a very thin IR-reflective sheet, that really makes a difference. Interestingly enough, my feet are always warmer in barefoot shoes than in normal ones (without any addons) and mind you I have very cold feet usually. I’d attribute that to the increased activation of foot muscles, but anyways, get the thermal inlays, it‘s like 5 euros!

Anyone know if the these or the same shorter version (magna forest sg) have much difference in support, barefoot feel and presumably the bigger boot runs a bit warmer? I have been waiting for the magna to come back in Bracken

A "small group of people" having issues with injuries from barefoot/minimalist running is a massive improvement over the majority of people (80% over the course of a year) having injuries from contemporary running shoes. Not sure how many decades it needs to be around before it stops being a "craze", particularly since is a return to our natural movement that worked for hundreds of eons. Maybe your injury was a result of running improperly, as opposed to running barefoot/minimalist. Maybe you would have had other injuries running with the experimental and heavily padded footwear on offer now. A tip on breaking in hot spots on leather footwear is to wet it with alcohol where it's tight and it will conform to the movements of your foot almost immediately. Leather workers who wet form things like leather sheaths and holsters do this. It's how they get a piece of leather to mold to whatever it's protecting, and it works great. Much faster than water, dries faster than water, and I've never seen it effect the leather negatively.

I use mink oil on my trackers, kept the water out and the leather nice.

hi, how does this sole hold up when the stone gets wet? Can you trust her when walking down wet rocks? Is it slippery on wet stone?

Mine were fine on the West Highland Way. Good boots 😊

My youngest son insisted on doing a hike in the Smoky Mountains (east Tennessee, USA where we live) using toe shoes when he was 15. He is very stubborn (gets it from his mother and even she admits it). So we hike 5 miles in to a campsite where we plan to have lunch. When we are finished eating and planning to hike out he complains that his feet hurt. I had tried to get him to carry a pair of tennis shoes (trainers I believe you call them). He refused. Basically I told him there was only one way out: he walked in he had to walk out. He gave up on the toe shoes after that. I have very tender feet. I think the increased flexibility would certainly help with traction but I think I will have to stick to my super heavy Asolo backpacking boots. To each his own.

My favourite thing about barefoot shoes is the grip, the flexibility of the show allowed you to dig your toes into something.

I've not tried those barefoot boots but do have some altra lone peak 6 the problem I had with them was the feeling of all the stones under my foot especially with my camping pack on.the wide toe box is great tho so now I only use them for day hikes without any weight

Thanks for the vid. Very curious how these would affect someone with high arches

just got these and they're so nice and ligth in cmoparison wiht my normal hiking boots!...but yeah they bit *so* hard on the back of my leg, probably cause it sits right above the ankle, and it's driving me nuts and i was thinking of returning them just for that just like you said adsfsdfs. I'll try them for longer and see if it gets better!

As with the bare foot running craze that swept through the running fraternity a while back, walking folk need to give time for thier physiology to alter, especially calves.

Hykes Trailblazers are my favorite.

I have fully transitioned to barefoot shoes for my every day walking and normally go barefoot completely when actually hiking. how ever i need something during winter, i got these boots and had the same problem as you with the digging in my ankle i tried wearing them for a long time and they never broke in unfortunately

Have you try these boots walking on slippery ground? I mean like river rocks that's covered in algae, or muddy tracks. Because if these boots are intended for forest then it should be able to handle slippery surfaces, as in rainforest the surfaces often very slippery because of algae or mud.

I found that at the front of the ankle there were hot spots. But the rivets in the plastic bits ripped off. Now I wrap the lace around the ankle and I have no issues

I tired these and just couldn't get in with them. Maybe I am far too used to wearing a sturdy leather boot? But one thing I did learn wearing these was that I bought a wider forefoot - the Hanwag Tetra II Wide

Do you use insoles with them to help with the longer hiking days

I have altra lone peak trail runners and now im sold on wide toe box.

The Magna Forest ESCs are even better! Same sole and leather, but the ankle part is wool so they''re far less restricting and are basically the best of both worlds between a boot and a shoe. They've become my snow and mud boots. The Trackers were too tall and restrictive for my liking.

One hint, if someone didn't already write it here - you can by a pair of Vivobarefoot thermal insoles and you're all good for the winter in these boots as well.

Is there less path erosion with these type of boots? Might seem like a small point, but we have major issues with erosion in the UK and footwear that decreases it would be a selling point to those who care. Also, with traditional hiking boots you end up with half the trail stuck to the bottom, which you then have to spend half an hour removing with a stick or toothbrush. Chris Brasher’s company used to produce incredible boots that felt like a slipper to wear, didn’t cause the usual foot problems and had a special sole pattern that didn’t pick up mud and stones. They were kind of a half-way point between a barefoot shoe and a traditional boot, but sadly got bought up by Berghaus and outsourced to China. Are there any similar ‘transitional’ style boots on the market today?

Would you recommend these if you have planters fasciitis