"Barefoot" Footwear

Review – Vivo Barefoot Leonidas Sandal

By Al Gauthier ⋅ August 15, 2009 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Review – Terra Plana’s Vivo Barefoot Leonidas Sandal

We are pleased to review our second shoe from Terra Plana’s wonderful Vivo Barefoot series. We are already sold on the quality of the Vivo Barefoot series of shoes and are excited to review a sandal in this series.  The Leonidas is another great example of excellent craftsmanship and a great design.  The sole is flexible and flat – we love it!

Comfort
Very comfortable!  There are three adjustable straps: a toe adjustment, an adjustment near the top of the foot, and one at the heel.  The adjustment at the heel is flexible enough to shorten or lengthen the shoe slightly, allowing for a perfect adjustment.  There is plenty of room for the toes and the shoe has a wonderful wide design made for real feet. These are the most comfortable sandals I have ever owned and I have owned more than I can count.

Weight
These are not heavy shoes but they are not incredibly light either.  The leather materials and the sole add some weight.  They feel heavier than the Aquas we reviewed earlier, however, they are by no means uncomfortably heavy and still much lighter than most sandals.

Flex / Sole
The sole is their 4.5 mm off-road sole.  This sole is very flexible but does not have the same ground transmission that some of the other Vivo Barefoot shoes do.  There is a honeycomb style design on the bottom of the sole that gives the shoe extra rigidity. I would have preferred a thinner sole and miss feeling the textures of the ground in the same way as with my Aquas.  I suspect that the choice of the thicker sole may have been design related. Without the more substantial upper it may have been necessary to build a more rigid sole to avoid a shoe with too little structure.

Support / Insole
As with all Vivo Barefoot shoes, there is no arch support built into the shoe.  The insole has been stitched into the shoe.  There is no cushioning.  The red fabric of the insole is comfortable to walk on.

Barefoot Feel
The thicker 4.5 mm sole reduces the barefoot feeling of these shoes.  While I would count these shoes as excellent sandals, they are not on the very top of the list for a close to barefoot feeling.

Breathability
The air circulation in these sandals is fantastic.  The large vented areas of the shoes are placed in the most desirable places.  The toes are well ventilated and the vents on the side of the sandal go down to the level of the sole.  This allows for air to easily flow under the foot through the arch.  This is perhaps the best ventilated shoe I’ve had the pleasure of wearing.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing
These are well-made shoes.  I could find no errors in the craftsmanship.  Most of the shoe is stitched although there is some evidence of glue.  This sandal  features recycled mesh made from PET bottles making them more eco-friendly. I expect these shoes will last many years.

Water Resistance
The sole of the shoes is waterproof, however, due to the large vents nearing the bottom of the shoe and the very thin sole, your feet would easily get very wet if used in rain.

Sizing
Sizing accuracy seems to be good with this model of Vivo Barefoot.  You should be able to order the size of shoe you normally wear and find these shoes to be comfortable.  Please confirm your size choice by contacting Vivo Barefoot first as sometimes size differences will exist between models.

Price
$140 US – These are expensive sandals, however, given the quality of materials used and the comfort of these shoes, the price is worth it.

Style
While these are fairly unique looking sandals, I find them very pleasing to the eye.  Men’s sandals are known for being incredibly ugly and bulky.  While these sandals aren’t perfect, I find them more attractive than most men’s sandals.

Break-in Period
There was no break-in period for these shoes.  The materials and construction of these shoes does not lend itself to stretching.  If you have the correct size, these shoes should be comfortable right out of the box.

Shoe Care
The leather upper is easily cared for with a recommended leather cleaner.

Uses
Running, walking, hiking, climbing, and just about anything else you can imagine. The strapping system allows for a firm fit when necessary.  They would be comfortable for a full day of activity.  Because of the low profile and large ventilation holes, use in dirty environments with significant amount of debris may lead to some ending up under-foot.

Summary

These good looking, versatile, comfortable, well-ventilated sandals have a great flexible sole, no artificial support, and are well-made.  They are a great addition to anyone’s shoe collection.  In addition, the covered toes and heel may make them work appropriate shoes in many environments.

To purchase these sandals, visit the Vivo Barefoot area of the Terra Plana web site.

Download and Listen to any Audiobook for only $7.49. Save 50% for 3 months on over 75,000 Titles.

___________________________________________________________________________

Featured Interview: Christopher McDougall – Author of Born to Run

Buy His Book: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Download the Audible Audiobook

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

0 Hours, 54 Minutes, 32 Seconds Download mp3 - Click Here (Size )

(Find “Living Barefoot” in iTunes and download it onto your iPod / iPhone or listen online

Keep Yourself Connected:

Subscribe to our Twitter Feed, Listen to or download our Podcasts, subscribe to our RSS feed, or Subscribe to our email updates.

Recent Minimalist Shoe Reviews: Stay updated by being notified when we release a new reviews. Subscribe Here.

Tags: barefeet, Barefoot, barefoot hiking, barefoot life, Barefoot Shoes, barefoot walking, barefooter, barefooting, flexibility, Full Review, healthy feet, Leonidas, Leonidas Sandal, living barefoot, terra plana, Vivo barefoot, Vivo Barefoot Leonidas

© 2009 Living Barefoot .

Privacy Policy | Disclaimer / Reader and Listener Agreement

Call us @ 1-888-868-2198