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BUILT TO THRIVE 
IN WILD PLACES

Contrary to common assumption, ESC isn’t just short for ‘escape’. (We’re more about embracing than escaping around here.) ESC stands for Ecological Survival Collection: our line of specialised bare-footwear built for Earth’s core biomes, where we find the most extreme expressions of climate, terrain, flora, and fauna.
 
We strongly believe that to thrive in wild places and as a species, we must work in harmony with nature, not against it. We are nature, and nature is us. Designed in partnership with leading survival experts, and pressure-tested in both the lab and the environments they’re meant for, the ESC range is built to thrive in the planet’s wildest places.

BUILT TO THRIVE
IN WILD PLACES

Contrary to common assumption, ESC isn’t just short for ‘escape’. (We’re more about embracing than escaping around here.) ESC stands for Ecological Survival Collection – our line of specialised barefootwear built for the planet’s most extreme environments. We strongly believe that to thrive in wild places, as well as a race, we must work in harmony with nature, not against it.


Designed in partnership with leading wilderness experts and pressure-tested not just in a lab, but the environments they’re meant for, the ESC range is built to thrive in the wild.

ecological survival collection

THE ORIGIN STORY

E.S.C

THE ESC ORIGIN STORY

ECOLOGICAL SURVIVAL COLLECTION

THE ESC ORIGIN STORY

What does it take to build footwear that not only helps you explore in the world’s most challenging environments, but enables you to connect to yourself and nature on a deeper level? When Wilderness Skills Instructor Ben McNutt posed this ambitious question to Vivo Co-Founder Galahad Clark in 2013, it sowed the seeds for the Ecological Survival Collection.

 
Working with local communities and respected survival experts, our dedicated design team set out to create a footwear collection tailored to five core Earth biomes: forest, jungle, aquatic, tundra, and desert. For more than a decade, we have challenged conventions, learned from Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and examined how Vivobarefoot can contribute to the postcolonial awakening within exploration and the wider outdoor industry.
 
The result? Footwear built for navigating the planet’s toughest terrains with confidence, in harmony with nature. Footwear for connecting, not conquering.

 

ESC

THE ORIGIN STORY

What does it take to build footwear that not only helps you explore in the world’s most challenging environments, but enables you to connect to yourself and nature on a deeper level? When Wilderness Skills Instructor Ben McNutt posed this ambitious question to Vivo Co-Founder Galahad Clark in 2013, it sowed the seeds for the Ecological Survival Collection.

 
Working with local communities and respected survival experts, our dedicated design team set out to create a footwear collection tailored to five core Earth biomes: forest, jungle, aquatic, tundra, and desert. For more than a decade, we have challenged conventions, learned from Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and examined how Vivobarefoot can contribute to the postcolonial awakening within exploration and the wider outdoor industry.
 
The result? Footwear built for navigating the planet’s toughest terrains with confidence, in harmony with nature. Footwear for connecting, not conquering.

 

ecological survival collection

ESC

Earth's five biomes

ecological survival collection

ESC

Earth's five biomes

biome

01

Explore Forest 
Back to Forest

biome

02

Explore Aquatic
Back to Aquatic

biome

03

Explore Jungle
Back to Jungle

biome

04

Explore Tundra
Back to Tundra

biome

05

Explore Desert
Back to Desert

ecological survival collection

PERFORM, PROTECT
AND CONNECT

Building a barrier between ourselves and nature may allow us to endure wild places. But to truly thrive in them – with optimal utility and full feeling – we must work with nature. This means marrying technical materials with biome-rooted expertise around when to welcome, and how to harness, natural processes.

Earth’s biological tapestry exhibits an extraordinary diversity of life. Each piece in the ESC collection is uniquely designed to excel in a specific biome – with features tailored to its climate and terrain – while possessing the broader attributes to thrive in a multitude of other landscapes.

ESC

PERFORM, PROTECT AND CONNECT

Building a barrier between ourselves and nature may allow us to endure wild places. But to truly thrive in them – with optimal utility and full feeling – we must work with nature. This means marrying technical materials with biome-rooted expertise around when to welcome, and how to harness, natural processes.

Earth’s biological tapestry exhibits an extraordinary diversity of life. Each piece in the ESC collection is uniquely designed to excel in a specific biome – with features tailored to its climate and terrain – while possessing the broader attributes to thrive in a multitude of other landscapes.

ecological survival collection

the esc timeline

E.S.C

the esc timeline

ECOLOGICAL SURVIVAL COURSES

HOW TO THRIVE IN THE WILD

Aspire to truly connect with the the planet we call home? Introducing our in-depth VivoHealth ESC courses, designed to equip budding adventurers and seasoned expeditioners alike with the practical skills and knowledge required for both surviving and thriving in the wild.

Led by world-class survival experts and filmed in the environments covered, the courses will teach you the planning, navigation, campcraft, and survival skills needed to explore safely and responsibly.

WITH JOHN JOHN FLORENCE

HOW TO THRIVE IN THE WILD

Introducing our VivoHealth ESC courses: in-depth educational programmes designed to equip both budding and seasoned adventurers with practical skills for not just surviving but thriving in the wild. Led by wilderness survival experts and filmed in the environments where the courses focus, we cover essential topics such as expedition planning, survival skills, and responsible exploration. Equip yourself with the knowledge and techniques to connect with nature and maximise your wild outdoor experiences. .

HOW TO THRIVE
IN THE WILD

Aspire to truly connect with the the planet we call home? Introducing our in-depth VivoHealth ESC courses, designed to equip budding adventurers and seasoned expeditioners alike with the practical skills and knowledge required for both surviving and thriving in the wild. 

Led by world-class survival experts and filmed in the environments covered, the courses will teach you the planning, navigation, campcraft, and survival skills needed to explore safely and responsibly. Led by world-class survival experts and filmed in the environments covered, the courses will teach you the planning, navigation, campcraft, and survival skills needed to explore safely and responsibly.

 

STORIES FROM THE WILD

esc blogs

The original hardwearing hiker

exploring the art of human nature

We asked Jimmy Söber, otherwise known as Formbark, if he would be open to creating a cast of five ESC characters, one for each biome. We’re delighted that he said yes.

Read More

extreme environments & terrains

THE GREATEST STORY WE’VE NEVER TOLD

As we mark the launch of the Jungle ESC, it’s finally time to tell the ESC story in full. 

Read More

hiking & urban roaming

BEHIND THE SCENES OF A DECADE OF INTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT

This blog takes you behind the scenes of the uniquely rigorous research and testing process required. 

Read More

hiking & urban roaming

Reimagining exploration in wild places

ESC stands for exploration not as conquest or escape, but connection. This blog focuses on what we hope comes out of ESC. 

Read More

lightweight trail runners

Bio-Inspired design in practice

If we can make barefootwear that thrives in the planet’s wildest places, surely we can make all footwear in harmony with nature?

Read More