Vivobarefoot worksmanship is lacking

[acc]

Both the Vivobarefoot Evo I bought for someone via LeftLanesports, the ones I saw in the NYC store, and the Ra I bought off Onlineshoes are of inferior quality to Merrell (clean seams, unblemished soft leather) or New Balance Minimus Zeros I tried.

Problems:
glue issues
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zO4wS1dXhrM/T2u3M-yn2BI/AAAAAAAAAHs/PWMQvtRYfxk/s1600/IMG_0913.JPG
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tt6NMBCkdMM/T2u4TLCGtKI/AAAAAAAAAI0/bm4aZN_DbcA/s1600/IMG_0929.JPG

seam issues
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-erTiGuYQBwk/T2u3TnkyQCI/AAAAAAAAAH0/kieTQmSf3jA/s1600/IMG_0914.JPG
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OaP4k_YEwgY/T2u4Z6zJr9I/AAAAAAAAAI8/0ld7wNtNmjw/s1600/IMG_0936.JPG

a wide toebox that isn't so wide
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1WGEPXAN8tg/T2u8rPl96gI/AAAAAAAAAJc/rcozj7srIUU/s1600/IMG_0934.JPG
M42 isn't wide enough either... http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HixSOK-zDGY/T2vAUf7K9MI/AAAAAAAAAJk/9R4nSn-0gSw/s1600/IMG_0907-threshold+filter.JPG

Intrernet-reported sizing anomalies that are worse than VFFs' sizing issues. (hilarious since they don't have toe pockets and only have a multi-layered sole + insole)



I can forgive Vibram for seams/glue since the seams are much more complex. But Vivobarefoot has no excuse: they are part of Clarks and give their workers "fair wages". So unless giving workers fair wages means they slack off, I don't see how these could be brought to market for the same price as Rockports. Oh wait, they have the minimalist formal footwear market pretty much cornered. (and no, $300 Primal Professional shoes are not an alternative.)

Also their toebox is along the lines of 2E-3E. I fit into a Minimus Zero US Men's 8 , 4E width and can splay all the way. In the Ra M41 I can't splay. In the M42 I can barely splay but have half an inch to 3/4" in front of my big toe.

[JustinB]

The first picture you have is a dab of glue to hold the sole in if you decide to not remove it.  If you remove the sole, the glue comes right out.  As for seam issues, I don't have any of those problems and the shoes are plenty wide for me.  I don't even see a problem with your second picture..

It's possible that they aren't wide enough for you but my Ra's and Neo's are some of my favorite shoes.

[jmijares]

I have the RA, the Oaks, and the Evo IIs.  I got the RA and Oaks directly from Vivobarefoot and the Evo IIs from Leftlane and haven't had any QC issues with any of them.  Initially it felt like the shoes weren't as roomy as the Merrell Trail Gloves, but I found that after breaking in the insole, it seems to be quite roomy now.

[acc]

Thanks for the insight on the glue... but the seams on the inside still seem to be really messy.
It may be unclear in the second picture but the glue on the seam for the plastic strip that says Vivobarefoot also has excess glue.

There's also excess thread where the seams are. Initially I didn't wear it with the insole. I ended up putting the insole back in due the seams.

As far as fit goes, the picture where it's filtered to be black and white is M42. The one with the sock is M41. In both cases my pinky toe can't spread because it touches the end of the insole. The leather is also very hard, and I would not wear them without socks.

I got it from Terra Plana according to the box...
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-76sGsEob4ts/T2u4xzpdK9I/AAAAAAAAAJU/Ix3wEF74nqo/s1600/IMG_0942.JPG

When I went to the physical store the quality on the bottom of the soles was also erratic... some lugs were not the same size /shape.

It's okay for a pair of sneakers to have excess glue, but when it's over $110 retail, you'd expec to have at least Rockport dressport quality. I can't take it to the cobbler to widen them either. I'm worried he'd rip it to shreds with seams like this.

And yes, it could just be I'm nitpicking and that my feet are freakishly wide now.

[TsuaSai]

I completely agree. I have two pairs of Evo IIs one mine and one and my husbands. Mine started coming apart after 3 months. I emailed them about it asking if anything could be done about it and they never replied. I also contacted them on facebook and the result was the same. Now about a year or so later my husbands are completely falling apart and he only wears his on the weekends since they wouldn't work for his job. That said I won't be buying anything else from there till something changes. Seems crazy for that to happen to both our shoes with so little wear on them at 160 bucks a pop when we bought them.

[Horse Rider]

That's strange, I've been running in Evo II all winter long, in snow, slush and salt, and they look completely new, they don't even get dirty. I can't imagine how they can come apart being they look like there is nothing that can unravel on them. Maybe you got a bad batch...

[Sablewings]

I have to say, like others above I'm not finding too much of an issue with the photographs, and have found all pairs of my Vivos pretty solid. I've not found any glue in the footbeds either, the insoles come out and the insides are clean.

I own -
1 pair black leather Vivo Barefoot Lucys bought in 2009 - hundreds of miles walked in these shoes, very wide footbed. I am still wearing them now in 2012, the only issue with them is around 1cm of stitching has come apart above the toes on the right foot. It could be repairable though.

1 pair blue and grey Lucy's bought in 2010 (£40/$63) still 100% solid though they need a wash...   They are long in the toebox, but seem a little narrower than my black leather ones, not enough to bother, but I notice it. They have a different upper, so this may be why.

Vibram have this exact same issue with their black KSO's being varying sizes to the other colours - I got fitted for my Speeds and black KSO's in a shop, and was surprised how much the Vibrams varied between their shoe types - my feet varied between a M42 to a W40. With Vivo barefoot I've ordered a 42 (size 8 ) each time and they've been ok.

1 pair red and pink Aqua Lites bought in 2012 (£50/$79) - I was a little unsure about these at first because there's only a single-line of stitching around the upper sections, and the toebox seems stiffer, but then I figured it was the styling of the Aquas. One thing I have noticed though is the footbed is a bit smaller than the shoe, so my toes actually poke over the end when I'm walking...! Maybe I should contact Terra Plana, if they are nice maybe they'll replace the footbeds...?

Because of the recession and the big markup profit possible on barefoot shoes I do wonder if there are some fakes or seconds for the Vivo barefoot shoes floating around now - just like the Vibrams, and in a few cases they may be making their way into shops? It is a worry.

[d_monic]

Just a thought, after I noticed some punctures in the upper on the side of my first pair of EVOs and heard that there was a recent design change by VB, I called the NY store and they offered me a replacement pair of shoes at no cost to me (not even shipping).  Excellent customer service, IMHO.  Perhaps it made a difference since I purchased from them directly?

Other than that, I've owned 3 pairs of VB and sizing/fit/quality has been fantastic.

[assdksl]

Hi guys! My first post!

I have a similar problem I ordered all black Aquas size 45... I received size 46... that was the only good thing about the purchase. Inside shoe, there is red lined stitch that is "mirror" stitch to the one holding out sole to the upper of the shoe (if that made any sense). It is so badly sewn on the right shoe that it's like very sharp saw (like some particles of glue are sticking from the holes of the stitching) which makes shoe almost unwearable. I checked the left shoe too and there are similar sections but not on the critical parts touching the foot (like outer portion of the foot next to the little finger). So what do you thing I should do? Should I try to somehow fix that on my own or should I call for reclamation or smth. Shoes looks nice btw. Too bad

And about the sizing if anybody is interested, my feet are 29cm long (11.4 inches). I'm usually 11 or 11.5 in Nike shoes so I mailed Terra Plana asking which size should I order. They said 45. I ordered 45 and got 46 instead. But, in 46, shoes are on the roomy and long side which I liked. They are also not very light for this type of shoes. I would classify them as urban-casual-semi-minimal shoes That's not bad or good for me, just to let you know what to expect if you order

And one more question. I've seen some1 mentioning Merrell road glove. If I try to get them online (I tried EU45 in store and they were a bit short for my liking) what size would you suggest?

All the best!

[Mr. Leigh]

I got my second pair of Vivo Barefoot shoes yesterday from the Clymb, however they are the first pair that I am keeping.  First, I tried the black/white Neos and I found them a tad on the narrow side and my wife did not care for the aesthetics of them.  I returned them.  I now have the Neo Trail Hydrophobic in a size bigger and they are going to be staying.  Overall I like the shoes, however I am a little disappointed in the quality of the shoes, or lack thereof.  The first thing I noticed was the heel tab on the back of the right shoe was crooked.  I then also spotted a few unclean marks, some excessive glue and a frayed thread poking out from somewhere it did not belong.  Now I am not an overly critical person and as I previously stated I am keeping the shoes, however there are too many little things to not at least sound off about it here amongst other users.  I am not worried about the glue, rather there be a little too much glue than not enough.  I think I can use a very fine tipped crafting scissors and remedy the frayed piece of thread issue easily enough.  The only thing that I cannot do anything about is the crooked heel tab.  It is not noticeable on, but I know it is there and it is bothersome to me.  I wondered if it was a second or something and possibly that is why it was on The Clymb.  I actually started another thread post on it.  I will have to see if I can get a few pictures to put up like acc did.

http://birthdayshoes.com/forum/birthdayshoes-com-general-discussion/the-clymb-any-negative-experiences/msg61955/?boardseen#new