I think regular readers of this blog will know just how important I put foot health on my list of priorities. I know from experience just how important wearing a good shoe be, and even more so for children. So when I was asked if I wanted to review a pair of shoes for Miss A from VIVOBAREFOOT, I was so intrigued by the website, that I wanted to see the shoes for myself to judge.
“Your foot has all the technology you need. Our shoes let your feet do their thing.”
We went for the winter Becks boots, as pictured above – £60. The leather was very soft, and the sole extremely flexible.
The flexible 3.5mm multi-terrain sole combined with the leather upper lets your feet do their thing and importantly allows the Great Toe to engage rapidly with the ground with the ground. Additionally you’ll enable independent rear and fore-foot movement and be able to provide natural motion control, which is crucial in healthy locomotion.
There are three main ideas behind the VIVOBAREFOOT Shoe :
WIDE TOE-BOX
The shoes are zero-drop with anatomic width to allow your arch and toes to load, splay and recoil.
ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY
VIVOBAREFOOT shoes have total flexibility to allow the great toe to engage rapidly for independent rear and fore-foot movement.
ULTRA-THIN SOLE
Vivoshoes have a patented ultra-thin, puncture resistant sole for maximum proprioception.
Here is a fun video from VIVOBAREFOOT the words by the UK’s leading foot surgeon Ioan Jones and illustrated Sophie Stephens
So what did Miss A think?
At first when she put them on she thought they were strange, and announced they didn’t feel like her other shoes and boots. So I explained to her that they weren’t like other shoes, and went into a little of what VIVOBAREFOOT was about. It when then that she declared…’ohhh thats why they feel like slippers. Can I wear them all the time, they are sooo comfy?’ I think we can safely say thats a winning result!
She has been wearing them for a few days now, firstly around the house to get used to them, then we put them to the test over the weekend outside. I am really impressed. I was unsure what size to go for, as I wondered if they would fit bigger than a normal shoe. We went for the same size as she would go for (a 13) and they fit perfectly, and don’t move about on her heel as she walks. A great bonus is that the boots can just be pulled on, no zips or need to ‘step into’ the boot, which as Miss A has a high instep is always a bit of a nightmare. This boot she easily steps into with no help needed from me at all. They kept her feet warm and cosy, even though the weather was very cold, wet and rainy. You can’t tell they’ve been worn, which I wondered about as the leather felt so soft so no water marks or scuffs. So all in all a great shoe, and one we would definitely recommend.
Vi says
These sound great! Love the way you have styled them too!