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.
Our VIVOBAREFOOT Adventure series starts here (if you’ve been on a VIVOBAREFOOT Adventure recently, tell us about it in the comments box below)
We start in Cornwall, UK with our innovative multi-terrain barefoot shoe: the Neo. We’ve teamed up with mountain biker (and barefoot enthusiast) Ben Clarke to film a short, day in the life, video.
“It is a different kind of running shoe that is more sneaker like, trendy, retro, but still has the same technology as the Evo and Evo II but fits wider (I love it!) due to the air mesh and microfiber upper.”
The Minimalist Runner, one of the best minimalist running blogs out there, wrote a long, detailed review of the VIVOBAREFOOT Neo. There’s lots of comparisons between the Neo and the Evo so if you’ve got an Evo or Evo II and are thinking of expanding your minimalist shoe collection it’s a great read.
You can view the original article at MSN.com. Here’s what they said about us:
Running barefoot through virgin forests or along deserted beaches is the stuff of dreams for even the most reluctant runner – but try going shoeless along an urban street or in a gym and you’ll find that the fantasy vanishes pretty quickly.
Vivobarefoot could well be the next best thing. Developed in conjunction with barefoot running coach Lee Saxby, the Neo is a high performance trainer which is light and comfortable and includes a colourful funky design so it also works well as a fashion shoe. From about £82.
Just before the New Year the folks at Running and Rambling wrote an in-depth review of one of VIVOBAREFOOT’s upcoming releases. If you interested in the Neo but want some impartial information then have a butchers at the review on the Running and Rambling website. Word on the internet is that there may be a competition too!?
No one will ever accuse VIVOBAREFOOT of resting on their laurels.
United Kingdom
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.
