The first thing to notice is the thin sole. Immediately, you feel close to the ground. The barefoot feeling can never be fully replicated in a shoe but if you need protection from the weather or the terrain, this is the alternative. The removable insole also allows you to choose just how barefoot you want it to feel.

The 4mm sole achieves a nice balance of allowing you to feel the ground whilst at the same time protecting you from stones and thorns with its puncture resistant sole. The lack of heel to toe height difference will take some getting used to for those unaccustomed to it and some runners may feel like they are slapping the ground as they run. However, with a sensible ‘breaking in’ [learn more about transitiong properly to barefoot] period the muscles of the feet and lower leg will relax and adapt to the new sensations allowing the foot to land in a more relaxed fashion. This is when you can begin to enjoy the feeling of running closer to how nature intended and start to use your VIVOBAREFOOT shoes as a training shoe.

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Saaj from SB-Fitness recently completed a 1-day Instructor course workshop with the VIVOBAREFOOT Training Clinic.

I hope the title caught your attention. Fact is I had the most amazing experience learning proper barefoot running technique from the coaching team of VIVOBAREFOOT. I literally felt liberated and born again, no exaggeration.

Of course, it’s not as simple as just taking your shoes off and running. Luckily I had the priviledge of learning from the students of Lee Saxby, the authority on barefoot running. A lot has been made of this book called Born to Run, Chris McDougall. The book that allegedly sparked a revolution. Well, Lee Saxby was McDougall’s coach. Also present (as a learner) was a London Marathon expert and advisor to over 50 charities on long distance running, Greame Hilditch. His book on running marathons has even helped BBC presenter Sophie Raworth to complete her marathon, a year after collapsing in one. It was thus an honour to be in such esteemed company, training in a centre just down the road from me at Premier Global, North London.

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A friend introduced me to barefoot Parkour a few years ago. It’s quite difficult. In high-impact discipline practised on concrete, railings and walls, taking off your shoes seems like the last thing you’d want to do. The question of what was better for Parkour – thin, light martial arts shoes or heavily padded running shoes – was still very much open back then. But the benefits were clear immediately.

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Glasgow Parkour Coaching have been try out some barefoot movement in recent months and have seen a number of benefits that supplement our regular Parkour training. Using Vivos on light training days, and practicing small movements with maximum proprioception definitely improves co-ordination, balance and precision which are absolutely essential for parkour. Any training that we can do that strengthens the ankles, allows them to move around their full range of motion, and promotes a natural foot movement will support our jump and landing strength that we need to practice safely. Read more…

In just over 2 weeks I fly out to Serbia to walk from the north to the south of the country; a journey of about 500 miles. The task is simple. But I don’t think it will be easy.

So why Serbia? Since i cycled through the country in a couple of years back i fell in love with the country. The people took good care of me, I made friends for life and I learned a lot about a country that i knew very little about before i crossed the border. But i didn’t learn enough. I wanted to learn more. Read more…

My business card says: ‘Assistant Innovation Designer’. I come up with conceptual designs and ideas here at VIVOBAREFOOT. I’m free to be as creative as I like, come up with blue sky ideas. I’m curious and passionate about footwear design and exploring ideas. Read more…

With The Otter, one of the world’s most extreme trail races, coming up we caught up with VIVOBAREFOOT’s premier trail runner Greg Goodall and asked him a few questions.

VB: Joining VIVOBAREFOOT at the start of the winter – how have you settled in with the VIVOBAREFOOT Team?

Joining the team has been a pleasure. Trail running is largely an individual sport so having the support and back up of the team has been awesome. It’s a great bunch of people with lots of energy, enthusiasm and passion for the brand. Read more…