Customer Reviews Vivobarefoot Ra II

This is my second pair of Vivobarefoot shoes. The first pair, my first foray into minimalist shoes, became too small after wearing them a few months; my foot expanded after having been liberated from regular shoes. The thing about minimalist footwear is: you can't go back once you get used to them. I tried on numerous occasions because I prefer the aesthetics of regular shoes. I like shoes, in general, and I have found them hard to give up. It's the pain that brought me back to Vivobarefoot. I am not into the scene which often accompanies the barefoot lifestyle; I am not paleo or a crossfitter or any of that nonsense. But I think there's really something to minimalist footwear. My life-long back pain diminished (actually disappeared); my legs feel stronger, and my foot pain has mostly gone away. To me, this is a revelation, and makes the expense of these shoes, which I think is ridiculous, more palatable. Alas, there are many companies now that make minimalist shoes, but in my humble opinion these are by far the best. They look ALMOST like normal shoes, but that's only an added benefit; they actually fit and function better than the others I have tried on, too. The engineering and thought that went into Vivobarefoot is unrivaled. I purchased the canvas Ra 2, and I unequivocally love it. It's extremely comfortable, and the navy canvas is attractive. The shoe goes with about any kind of casual outfit, making it an ideal every day shoe which is also perfect for the office (if the office is not suit and tie). I walk a few miles a day in my Vivo's too, and I find them to be extremely comfortable (and I don't own any of the athletic varieties because I think they're ugly). The Ra is truly a great all-purpose shoe. If you have back and/or foot pain, I especially recommend trying these shoes.

I have found my new shoe of choice!! I started on the "barefoot" adventure with Vibram Five Fingers, but even the more "conservative" models still look weird for daily use, especially in a "work casual" ensemble. I've tried the Merrell Trail Gloves as well, and while I like them, they are slippery in the wet and, like the VFFs...stink like crazy, despite the AF treatment. These, on the other hand, are amazingly non-smelly, even when worn without socks! Not sure if it's the specific model or the canvas, but I love these things all around! Definitely going to be trying other models in the Vivobarefoot lineup!

This is my first purchase of a Vivobarefoot shoe. I was looking for something that was as much like not wearing a shoe that I could wear that the office. The leather is nice and does look better than the help based shoe I was wearing previously. The soles are thin, with a thin insert you can remove. I've been trying it with the insert for now. You do get a lot of feedback, which I like. Others have indicated no arch support, but this style of shoe is supposed to be like being barefoot, and you only need arch support if other shoes have damaged your feet or a medical reason (which this would be a bad choice for). My only complaint is the shoelaces included with the product are a type that do not like to stay tied. I keep the shoes very loose so they're easy to kick off and my feet stay cool, but these laces loosen under that condition (will have to replace them). I won't know how they hold up over time, so I can't say if the cost was worth it. It was a barrier to entry for a while, but so far I am pleased. I've had them about one month. I'd rather be barefoot, but when I need shoes, these are nice and comfortable compromise for me.

Seems a bit more snug than the original "Ra" - but still a truly great shoe. I have a chronic condition predisposing me to all manner of inflammation - but especially in my lower back/ Over the years, I have tried so many different types of shoes and soles and insoles, etc., but never has any shoe been as helpful as my Vivobarefoots. I now have 4 different pairs, and while I still have plenty of back pain, I can say that at the very least, these shoes do not exacerbate the problem - and at best, they help relieve it. Highly recommended, but be careful of the Euro sizing. These are on the smallish side.

Super comfortable but go down a size - they stretch out to become like slippers complete with floppy heel. Perfect, but I wouldn't run in them unless it was for the bus or train. Great color. Not as 'hot' as other minimals. As usual Zappos delivered them before the bank finalized the transaction.

These are the most comfortable pair of ugly shoes your feet will adore. I don’t want to take them off. Amazing.

Size was good, width was awesome! These are my first "barefoot" shoes and it's taking me time to adjust to them. I overdid it walking the dog wearing these in the first week and ended up with sore Achilles tendons but they're fine now. I'm finding myself trying to avoid heel striking when wearing my other "normal" shoes now - I sometimes think I must look like a ballerina (not a good look for a late 50's guy!). I like the look of the shoes although I think I would probably go for boots rather than shoes next time.

Bought this shoe three or so years ago from the manufacturer since Z did not have my size, every thing seemed perfect until the left lace started to shred and broke. The eyelet was not completely set and rough. Vibro would not accept a return or exchange or provide or show where I could get matching laces (they are not standard but look right). I used a punch to better set the eyelet, had a hard time finding laces that round, 90% the diameter, and braided rather than appearing flat black. The lesson, buy from Z, and return for a full year with the right laces if your eyelet is off. Perhaps Z has enough weight to get laces.

This is my first pair of Vivobarefoot shoes and I am pretty happy with them. They are a perfect fit (I have fairly wide and flat feet, though other Vivobarefoots haven't fit as well), and I really notice how little material there is between my feet and the ground it's more painful to heel strike even just walking on concrete so I'm hoping it will help me adjust my gait and step. My only issue so far is that for being canvas top, they do not seem to breathe too well. I imagine this is one of the trade-offs for keeping in warmth with so little material, so I will just have to see how they are once summer rolls around. Ultimately though, having a reminder to take my shoes off when I don't need them on is good anyway!

I purchased these for my son who is into the minimal sole thickness type shoes and these meet that, but also are good looking enough to pass for dress shoes with a suit. Some minimalist shoes look like moccasins and are not that good looking.

I've had these shoes for a little over a month. I wear them 2-4 days a week. I'm a teacher. The first day I wore them my toes felt a bit squished by the end of the day but I think it was my socks, it's cold and the socks were a bit thicker than what I would normally wear to work. Now I feel like I'm wearing leather socks. In regular shoes I can barely stand for 2 hours before my feet start to hurt. With these I almost feel bad about taking them off when I get home. I would prefer a little more width in the toe box but I have wide feet so I think for most people the width is fine.

These shoes follow the Vivobarefoot tradition of minimalist, lightweight, super-flexible shoes, but add waterproofing and a bit of insulation. That's something I've been longing for for a long time in Vivos. I now have a pair I can wear in rain and thin snow. The shoes are very comfortable (if you are used to and like minimalist shoes) and the waxed blue canvas looks great. My only complaint is with the laces--they frayed to the point of being unusable after about a week. (The issue is really with the metal aglets rather than the laces.) I replaced them with elastic laces (as I do on most of my shoes) and hopefully they'll last a bit longer. In any case I'm disappointed that Vivo hasn't tested this aglet-lace combination better.

I've been wearing New Balance Minimus shoes for several months now and love them. So when I saw the Vivobarefoot Ra II, I bought a black pair and a brown pair. They are so much more comfortable than traditional dress shoes and they're fine with jeans or khakis in a casual environment but I wouldn't wear them with a suit or slacks. Also, after only a few weeks, the laces on the black pair have shredded and I need to replace them already. But overall the shoe is great if you're looking for a minimal/barefoot experience.

Flat shoes (zero drop) with no cushion to walk on grass or dirt is fine because the earth gives natural cushion. But for work and the concrete and asphalt jungle, it kills your heel instantly. I always get a size a tad bigger so that I can get inserts into the shoe. Good thing I did, I need way more cushion in these. It's three weeks on and I still can feel the heel shock every time I walk on concrete/asphalt. It's slowly healing so I'd say I'll be okay in about two weeks... So with these (or any other no cushion shoes), get nice thick flat liners immediately! (My opinion, of course...).

It's a very good feeling being able to feel the ground beneath you. This shoe works as described, has plenty of space, and looks quite presentable. Issue is that it does fall apart rather quickly: color detailing started rubbing off day 2, and some of the threads are coming undone. I'm disappointed, considering the price point, that it can't be better constructed.

They are not the most stylish shoes, but they are comfortable. I didn't want to wear them during the wedding ceremony where I was a groomsmen, but I switched to them for the reception, which saved my life.

I am totally disappointed with the quality of this shoe. I have only had them about a month and wear them every day to a desk job which requires little to no stressful activities that would cause damage to any shoe. Nevertheless, I have to continually trim the stitches connecting the sole to the upper. I have had other brands of barefoot shoes and will return to them rather than deal with the disappointing experience of this shoe.

Not my first pair of Vivo Barefoot shoes. Fit nicely, but after three months, the glue holding the sole together fell apart. (Large enough gap to insert a finger.) Product returned.

I wanted a dress version of my Altra Instinct Everyday so I gave this a try. I tried them on and sent them right back. First, for the price I would have expected more in the shoe. I understand it's a minimalist shoe, but the leather was so flimsy it started to visibly crease just walking across the room once. It also was very tight above my arches (and I have flat feet); re-lacing them didn't help. The reason I sent them back, though, was that they just were not a good looking shoe. They look more like a slipper than a dress shoe, making them ill suited for dress.

Great design, great fit but after a year and two months one of the shoes started to come apart at the seam running vertical down the side of the shoes. I called customer service and they said to send them back to who I purchased them from, which if it was vivobarefoot and within 6 months time they would replace them. I only wear the shoes in the office so the wear and tear is minimum. If this were Patagonia or even REI I imagine they would have received them as it appears like a defect rather than normal wear and tear. Not purchasing another pair of shoes from this company.

I wore them two-days a week as a bartender. Not very hard wear. These lasted about three weeks before the toe box started splitting apart on the right shoe. That's money in the trash.