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Review of the VivoBarefoot Achilles

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Dan Fairbanks | 2 Comments

This is more of a first impressions than it is a full review. I had a chance to try the Achilles on and run around the block a few times. So what what were my first impressions?

They are a great entry level running sandal. 

I have personally been running in Luna Sandals for much of the last year (I am the CEO of Luna Sandals), among other minimalist shoes, so I feel like I have a good base line to compare the Achilles with. The Achilles are light and initial comfortable when first trying them on. After running in them for a few minutes I felt a little irritation between my big toe and the adjacent toe, which which would likely go away in time if I kept running them. I did not have the same problem on my right foot. The back heel strap is comfortable on both feet. They had very nice ground feel, giving it a good minimalist shoe like feel, which is very close to barefoot running. The toes are allowed to splay naturally, which is a nice feature as well and especially important for good barefoot like running form.

So why do I say they are a good entry level running sandal, instead of just a good overall running sandal? 

There is no denying that I am predisposed to be biased toward Luna Sandals. But the truth is that I want the running sandal market to expand and I want to see quality products on the market that encourage people to try it in whatever form works best for them. Luna Sandals are still going to be the way to go for me. Nothing fits and works better on my feet than a custom made pair of sandals that molds to my feet. But I do have to say that VivoBarefoot has made a quality product that approaches the running sandal idea from a completely different way that many people are really going to love. If I didn't have the little toe irritation I probably would have said that they were a great overall running sandal. Undoubtedly a lot of people are really going to love these sandals and they will quickly become their running footwear of choice. I can already see people winning races in them.

Dan Fairbanks

CEO and Co-Founder

Born to Run

Posted in Achilles, First Impressions, Review, Vivo Barefoot