Customer Reviews Vivobarefoot Gobi II M Leather

I am reviewing these as I purchased both the men's Gobi 2 for my husband, and a pair of women's Gobi 1s, but the Gobi 1s are no longer on Zappos to review. I bought these because the barefoot shoes that I previously purchased, Merrell Power Play Glove, are no longer available. My previous shoes have lasted about three years now, the soles have worn out, and one buckle broke, so time to move on. I have been looking for replacements for half a year.A few months ago when I was looking all I could find that I liked were Minnetonka ankle boots. But those are suede. I would rather get leather. I needed something with a high top because anything around my ankle makes it hurt. I wanted leather, because it will last near forever, soles wear out before the leather. Plus leather can be polished. I was disappointed that these do not come in a size 8. So I opted for a 7½, which seemed to be ok, my toes have a good inch or more. However, the left shoe does not seem to be cut the exact same, and it has been hurting my foot right where the tongue is sewn to the rest of the upper shoe. I am hoping that the problem will resolve after a few weeks, as the leather softens up with wear. I have not taken these shoes out in the water yet, to see if they are waterproof. The last pair of shoes that I had were quite water-tight. The leather just needs a good wax polish to be waterproof. I am happy to see the tongue on these Gobi shoes are fully gusseted. I do not particularly like the brushed leather look. First of all, this is not top or full grain leather, which the description fails to mention exactly which grade of leather this is. Presumably it is a split leather, or possibly a corrected-grain (doubtful for this price). Disclosure would be helpful. Second, that makes the shoes appear cheaply made. This much for a pair of shoes is not cheap to me. There is also glue visible around the shoes where the soles are attached. More cheapness. If I could find a pair of barefoot, high-top leather shoes from Merrell, or any other reputable company, I would have gotten them instead. I am not happy with these, I feel like they are seriously overpriced ripoff cheaply made shoes. I will be surprised if they last a year. Zappos might be getting them back before then, but at least I am willing to give them a try to see if they will stop hurting after a little wearing, and if they keep my feet warm and dry during the approaching winter. Hey Merrel, bring back the Power Play Glove. They were awesome. Shoe that lasted almost three years for a great price, I loved them. Hey Vivobarefoot, you are disappointing me.

Finally! These shoes are perfect for anyone who loves the style of chukka boots like Clark Desert Trek or similar. However, shoes like that are surprisingly uncomfortable, and have an odd break in period. Those shoes also tend to cut circulation off on the top of the foot where laces hit. These shoes have the exact look, without being heavy or uncomfortable. The barefoot style may not be everyone's cup of tea, but as someone who does not care for the barefoot look, I really love these shoes so much that I do not care. They just look exactly how I want the chukka style to look. My search for the right shoe has finally ended, after trying Clarks, Vans, Cole Haan, etc. I will buy a few more pairs for the future!

This was my first pair of Vivobarefoot shoes. I purchased these a little more than two months ago and have worn them primarily as office work shoes. The transition to minimalist shoes took some time to get used to, but I have grown to appreciate them and the positive impact they have had on the health of my foot. If you do not like feeling the ground below your feet or prefer cusshioned shoes, then these are not shoes for you. My only concern right now is regarding their durability, as I have noticed the stitching that binds the sole and Lear start to come loose.

I was extremely disappointed with this shoe. Contrary to other reviewers, I didn't find the construction quality to be cheap, but they did ship cork insoles of the wrong size. I think they just assume you’re gonna cut them yourselves. The truly disappointing aspect of this shoe is that it just looks incredibly goofy, and ugly from almost any angle. If, like me, you need a shoe with a super-flat sole, this may be one of the few options available. I know I'll be looking elsewhere. This shoe is neither dressy nor casual. It just looks like the type of footwear a village idiot in medieval times might have worn.

These Gobi ii boots are excellent. The wild hyde leather is of excellent quality and soft and supple. It will age well. Size wise I am a 9.5 in Nike and a 42 in almost all eu sized shoes and the 42 size 9 fit perfect for me.

I bought these after my original Gobi 1's finally failed after 6 years. I ordered 3 sizes and ended up going from a 45 up to a 46. Not sure why the newer ones fit tighter, but they do. They also narrowed the footbed slightly on these but they are still extremely comfortable. Brown leather is super dark but looks nice with the lighter tan sole. The leather is really soft and flexible unlike the black leather ones I have tried before. Great shoes!

One comment and one only. Why did it take me 55 years to find this?

Just got these shoes today and I am in love. Bummed I can't wear them outside yet but its salty snow slush season and I want to keep them lovely so I'll be patient. They are so pretty & classy looking. The toe box is a little flat but I'm hoping it stretches out over time as they break in Taking the insole out allows a bit more space and I'm sure I will wear them without the insoles for extra roomy comfort but they (size 6.5 / 37) do fit my normally size 7 foot just fine with the insoles in as well. My feet are wide from barefooting in the warm season and these shoes are just wide enough for my feet. Any wider and I would be requiring certified clown shoes.

These shoes are exactly what I've been looking for. Incredibly lightweight and comfortable and good thin soles with zero drop. Dressy enough to wear with khakis or some casual slacks and perfect with jeans. I finally have shoes I can wear to the office that are comfortable. Also great for travel. I've had them a few weeks now, they broke in after about a week and they are now perfect. They are true to size in my opinion. I hope they last. Construction seems good so far.

I love these shoes -- extremely comfortable (if you like a barefoot-esque experience) and attractive. I strongly recommend using a protective spray to protect the suede.

Seems like I got a defective pair of shoes. I really like the size, toe box width and weight of these shoes, I just want to exchange for a symmetrical pair. The soles are higher and curved on the left shoe. Not sure if this was intentional.

I’m in between sizes, usually a ten, sometimes a ten and a half. Need to size up to an 11(44 euro) for this one. Love the shoe, just wrong size.

These shoes are true to size. I ordered the size I wear in birks and they were perfect. I have narrow feet and the width was not a problem.

I love these shoes. After two years of near-daily use, the soles are finally showing wear, but they have been my favorite pair of shoes of all time. I plan to buy more

This is my second pair of Vivobarefoot shoes and I have no complaints and I love the shoes. The shoes are well made with quality material and barefoot feel is great.

What a great pair of shoes! They take a moment to get used to, because it almost feels as if you’re barefoot... Hence the name of the company. Super comfortable, great toe box, excellent all around feeling while walking.

These are a fashionable set of minimalist chukka boots. I've had a set of Vivobarefoot Ra's that have held up well, and these appear to be built similarly. They are a little stiff right out of the box, but I'm sure they'll break after I wear them awhile. They fit spot on and the soles are nice, thin, and flexible. I'll definitely be buying another pair of Vivobarefoots.

Fine shoes for the duck-footed man. Fits my wedge shaped feet very well. I suspect they will deteriorate over 3 years or so as my previous pair did, but this seems fair for a pair of light, almost respectable-looking shoes I wear to work 3 days in 5.

Dress shoes for the minimalist. Got these and danced the night away the first time I wore them. Sore feet? Nope. I had so many foot aches and pains prior to going for a barefoot style. Over time my feet have gotten stronger and better. I cannot recommend the Gobi II enough. It is good looking, well made and comfortably flexible. Zero Drop and a good ground feel. Think of high tech stylish moccasins.

These fit perfectly. Order up a little bit. Most comfortable shoes I have ever put on my feet. Look a little goofy at first because of the zero-drop look, but get over it. Your feet will thank you.

Nice looking shoes although a bit too round at the front. Comfortable to wear but walking long distances gives some foot discomfort - better wear running shoes for that. The leather seems durable too.

These shoes are great! I thought I was going to feel weird in them but I love being barefoot outdoors and since it's summer and everything is hot, these are perfect. They look great with khakis and are easily worked into a business casual attire. Couldn't recommend them enough.

The most comfortable shoes I've ever had! I added a pair of thin padded insoles to make them even more comfortable. The leather is just right in softness, They're stylish. The fit is perfect. I recommend these shoes!

Very nice minimalist shoe. The leather is stiff and definitely needs breaking in to be comfortable, but once it's broken in, the Gobi feel great. One problem is with the lace holes being too tight which caused my laces to start to loose their shape at the ends when I tried to change how they are tied up. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this as a stylish minimalist shoe.

This was the third pair of Vivobarefoot shoes I bought, and the second I decided to keep. At first, the right shoe seemed too narrow across the metatarsals, and I got some redness at the outside of my little toe. I thought this would be a deal breaker, but they have stretched enough to fit just fine, and I find that wearing these no rise, heel-less shoes improves my posture and makes my feet happy. These are great shoes. I also have the Ra IIs in green, which were a great fit right out of the box. I get compliments every time I wear those. After that I tried the Portos, but they felt flappy and loose on my feet. That was a bummer because I liked the way they looked, but I wound up returning them and getting these, the Gobis, which seem to get better every time I wear them.