Vivobarefoot Men's Freud II Winter Shoe

Vivobarefoot. A new experience in shoe ware. It is truly like going bare footed. Quite comfortable in a robust way. Not a sport shoe, as such. I use mine for Qigong/TaiChi workout - perfect. A bit cold for winter wear, but wear them consistently in warmer weather. More arch support would ruin the Fengshui of this beautiful shoe.

After I built my standing desk at work I decided to get these to help strengthen my feet... after about 4-6 weeks things are great... no sore feet from standing, no back problems, etc... I will say that these shoes are rather expensive and came apart at the seams on the "weatherproofing" part up front after 2-3 weeks.

This is my second pair of Vivo's and the second that has fell short on quality. First the good: this Freud model shoe is outstanding in aesthetic and ergonomics, fits like a glove. I really wish Vivobarefoot would stick with this classic design and keep it around for the long term. The problem with these Freuds, like my last pair of Vivo's (the Aqua II), is the quality of the craftsmanship. This shoes sole is white which looks great in the product photos. However, after only a few days of use, the white rubs off to expose a creme color sole—which is the true color of the sole. I purchased these because of the black and white color scheme. Vivo painted the white onto the sole that immediately rubs off with normal wear. A cheap trick on the customer: a painted-on sole. How about some integrity Vivobarefoot?

I am a fan of barefoot shoes. I don't particularly have a large arch, and when I wear shoes with large arch support, my feet cramp the whole day. When I wear shoes like these or like the Chinese Feiyue brand, I find it much more comfortable, and can walk around all day without problems. I've worn barefoot shoes (although not this brand) all day in NYC before, walking around the park and the museums without any discomfort.That being said, I find this brand of shoe to be very similar to my other barefoot brands. It is, however, EXCELLENT for walking in rain and snow because of the treated canvas and the thermal insole. I am a Tai Chi teacher, and I find that my balance suffers in shoes with too much cushion, which puts too much wobble in my foot. I wore this shoe in the cold in the park over the winter while I taught, and it was wonderful compared to my other barefoot shoes. Great shoe.

The eyelets run too far down the shoe. And the toe-box is too shallow.The end result is that the eyelet is pressed into the ball-joint behind your big toe painfully. I couldn't even walk 5 steps.Also the color of the rubber on the grey model is nearly purple, and not blue like the picture.

This would be a five star rating if the shoes were not starting to come apart after just few weeks of wear. Given how Vivobarefoot are unusually expensive, I would thing they would have better quality products.

The whole point of the minimalist shoe is to allow one's feet to"go raw". That means no arch support. Any muscle that is "supported" atrophies. Just put your arm / leg in a cast for 6 weeks, and take the results. This is the whole point and rational for enjoying a "bare foot" / minimalist shoe experience.My feet are super wide; started wide, and got "super" wide from not wearing shoes for many, many summers. I marked that these shoes have an "expected" width. I have 4 / 5 other pair of Vivobarefoot shoes. I "expected" my super wides to flow in there naturally [w/ a shoe horn , of course {;-))]. My foot is US size 8 EEEE. The Vivobarefoot size 41 gives me a bit of extra length. Again, I "expected" this. So it fit is "as expected".There is enough lace space so the one can cinch the shoe down to a narrower fit. If one has a narrow foot, and still wishes the "barefoot experience" their women's lasts are a bit narrower. No one will know, promise!

I really like these barefoot shoes and I may never wear a padded sole shoe again. I have to say that they are not waterproof. After walking through wet grass for a while, socks are wet at the toes. A bit disappointed.