Vivo Barefoot Scott Minimalist Boot Review–Ready for Winter
Review of the premium “winter-proof” minimalist boot from VivoBarefoot that puts together thick pull-up leather, organic waxed canvas, a bellowed tongue, thinsulate lining, and an Ion-Masked insole.
It’s been getting colder these last few weeks here in Atlanta–point of fact, the lows for at least a couple days this past week have been in the 20s! That’s unseasonably chilly for the South (It’s called “Hotlanta” for a reason!), and by extension, I’ve been shifting away from the ultra-minimalist shoes (Sorry Sensori!) in my closet to footwear that provides a little more protection from the elements.
Thankfully, these days there are a decent number of options available to keep my feet biomechanically happy and temperature-comfortable. The cold need not be the arch-nemesis of healthy feet! Point of fact, we’ve reviewed a handful of “minimalist/barefoot boots” — everything from the Lems Boulder, to the Vivo Barefoot Gobi (Note:you can get the Gobi for 45% off right now — ~$80), or the Vivo Barefoot Offroad Hi (if you need some aggressive tread).
And today, I’ll be talking about a new minimalist boot for winter 2013/2014: the Vivo Barefoot Scott. The Scott is a winter-ready boot that Vivo Barefoot sent my way to test and review, which is exactly what follows … after the jump!
The Boots
I grabbed the above image off of Vivo Barefoot’s website today. Clearly, Vivo is marketing the Scott as “winterproof.” But just what does that mean?
The Vivo Scott is the first minimalist shoe (or boot) I’ve tested that uses 200 gram 3M Thinsulate for insulation and are “Ion-masked,” which is a treatment that makes them breathable but water-repellent (more on what that means).
Note on the sole-to-upper construction: despite the photos on Vivo’s website indicating otherwise, the sole is not stitched to the upper. Apparently, the stitches were removed because they degraded the water-repellent qualities of the boots, acting as wicks to bring water into the shoes. By extension, the soles are glued to the upper. Unfortunately, like at least one other pair of Vivo’s I own, I’ve had a small sole-from-upper detachment issue on one boot. It’s minor and I just noticed it, but it’s there. I’m not over-worried about this becoming a larger issue simply because my most worn pair of Oaks has this in one spot and it’s never gotten worse. It’s annoying to note, but not really all that noticeable, thankfully.
The Scott has a gusseted or bellows tongue, which helps keep out the elements, and rise above the ankle. The upper of the boot is a mix of leather and waxed canvas. The Scott’s 4mm “concave hexagonal” rubber sole is “classic” Vivo Barefoot in that I first experienced it my original pair of “Terra Plana” Vivo Oaks circa 2010 (and not since). They also have a removable insole.
Take a look at the boots:
Soles and Insulation Keep Feet Warm without Sacrificing Ground Feel
The Vivo Barefoot Scott features 200 gram 3M Thinsulate for insulation.
The Vivo Barefoot Scott boots have 200 gram-rated 3M Thinsulate that wraps the upper of the shoes. Actually, it might also be part of the soles, too, but I’m not sure. 200 gram Thinsulate is rated to 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s not particularly cold, but bear in mind you’re likely going to be wearing the Scotts with socks and with this rating, you can use warmer socks to improve the temperature rating or go lighter if it’s warmer.
My feet have been quite comfortable passing through mid-20s temperatures wearing regular socks in the Scott’s; mind, I’ve not spent long periods outdoors in these colder temperatures yet. If you’re a 200gm Thinsulate expert reading this, your input would be welcome in the comments. I’ve also worn the Scotts sans socks quite comfortably (to my surprise) but not in very cold temperatures.
The Vivo Barefoot Scott has a 4mm thick, concave hexagonal rubber sole.
The Scott’s 4mm concave hexagonal (it’s a mouthful, but descriptive!) rubber sole helps put a little more distance between your feet and the ground without sacrificing much in the way of sole flexibility or ground feel. Outside of the trail-ready sole you get with Vivo Offroad His, the Scott’s 4mm rubber sole is one of Vivo’s thickest offerings. Meanwhile, Vivo Barefoot also offers the “Gobi” desert boot, which has the 3mm TPU sole, the thinnest offering in Vivo’s footwear collection, and a sole that provides a slew of ground feel–more feel than the Scott.
Regardless of these comparisons, you get pretty fantastic ground feel with the Scott’s with surface textures passing through the soles (and removable insoles). If you step back and look at the “minimalist boot” category, the Scott sets a high bar for ground feel. By comparison, the Lems Boulder has 9mm thick outsoles (and a good bit less ground feel).
In addition to great ground feel, as with all of Vivo Barefoot’s offerings, the Scott’s have a large toe box, zero arch support, and are “zero drop” or neutral from heel to toe. All of the qualities you’d expect from a barefoot shoe.
The Scott’s insoles seem to be the standard 5mm thick foam you find with other Vivos but have “Thermal Plantar Protection” (see this pic), which is some proprietary tech trademarked by Vivo Barefoot.
All in all, the Scott brings to the table a suite of features aimed to keep your feet comfortable in the winter months. Are they “winterproof?” I guess that depends on how you define the term and what your winter is like. Could you stand outside in freezing temperatures for hours in the Scott? Probably not. That said, relative to other minimalist boots, the Scott is in a class of it’s own for cold-weather consideration. No other minimalist boots (that I know of!) have Thinsulate lining.
The Looks
The Vivo Barefoot Scott paired with bootcut jeans!
Vivo Barefoot Scotts–like the Gobis (or the Ras)–have what I’d describe as a low-height profile, minimally embellished toe box that defines the look of the boots. After all, it’s the main thing you will see when wearing the boots with jeans or pants. The overall look of the Scott is classic to my eye. I feel like they’d be at home in 19th century England (BWDIK).
In the dark brown leather/waxed canvas colorway, the Scott has stylish, rugged look to it. The leather is a high quality matte and the waxed canvas has a durable look, feel, and quality to it. Note that the canvas doesn’t feel waxy to the touch. The gusseted/bellows tongue and steel lace eyelets lend more quality to the build of the boots. For that matter, as high-top, gusseted boots go, it’s surprisingly easy to loosen the Scott’s laces, yank them onto your feet, and tighten them up to tie. Thank goodness.
I’ve worn the Scott boots with both jeans and pants. They dress up pretty well thanks to their simple look and quality materials. They also feel right at home in a rustic setting or perhaps even in a business casual work environment.
Channeling my inner-farmboy wearing the Vivo Scott’s while at a pumpkin patch with the family.
Conclusion
Like so many Vivo Barefoots, the bad news is that they aren’t cheap. The Scott can be had for $160 (shipped free both ways) from Zappos, which is $25 less than the price on VB’s website. Of course, that’s only $10 more than the old, discontinued FiveFingers Bormio, and I’d say that between the two the Scott is a higher quality boot. Still, $160 isn’t cheap.
The nice thing is that if you’re looking for a minimalist shoe that delivers on providing barefoot-feel and comfort but also works through the colder part of the year, the Scott isn’t likely to disappoint. It helps that the Scott is fashionable, too, and can be worn in a lot of different settings (I think they’re easily passable in a chino/khakis-appropriate business casual environment).
Bottom line: if you’re after a casual-wear boot that will take you through the colder months, the Scott is worth heavy consideration. There are other options out there, but it’s easy to argue that the Scott is the whole package, or at least, a really solid compromise of “barefoot” functionality and feel, style, and insulation from the elements.
Just how cold it can get for the Scott’s to start failing on the insulation front is yet to be seen. It’s also not clear yet how they do in wet-weather. If I can lend more input here in the coming months, I surely will!
If you pick up a pair, let me know what you think!
This premium winter-proof mens lifestyle boot is put together with premium thick pull-up leather, organic waxed canvas, bellowed tongue, thinsulate lined and Ion-Masked. Simplicity redefined and loaded with amazing hidden features that you will forget are even there when you?re walking around in cozy barefoot luxury.
Upper Material: Leather
Upper Description: V Leather and organic waxed canvas
Collar/Panel/ Lining: Thinsulate: The industry?s most diverse product portfolio?warmth solutions for every level of activity.
Sole Unit: V – MULTI 1
Sole Thickness: 4mm
Sole Description: V Multi 1: Concave hexagonal grip for lifestyle wintery months.
Closure/Lacing: Lace-up System: Fasten securely with simple tie-up lace.
Weight (grams): 300
Justin Owings is a deadlifting dad of three, working from Atlanta. When he's not chasing his three kids around, you'll find him trying to understand systems, risk, and human behavior.
33 replies on “Vivo Barefoot Scott Minimalist Boot Review–Ready for Winter”
not a fan of the fabric – not that dirt resistant etc and gives them quite a ‘special’ look that I would have loved to avoid with a plain leather look – or some fabric accents if it has to be…
These look great, but I wish they made an uninsulated version. I know that the gobis exist but the traction on these looks so much better.
I like the look of the brown ones you show off. Pulling up Zappos, they appear to only have a black color with a white sole. To me, that really mucks with the look of the boot. The Zappos pictures of the sole also shows a non-concave pattern.
For the concave sole on your boots, have you noticed if they pick up any additional stuff? Easy to clean out with a nice stomp? I’m wondering how it does in dirt and/or mud. I would hate for some dirt to get caught in there and track around everywhere.
@Josh,
The concave sole doesn’t pick up much in my experience. I imagine mud would get sucked into the hexagons, but haven’t taken them into the mud to date.
Ha! Got these about week ago, but as the real winter has yet to arrive here in Scandinavia my pair has so far been waiting behind the staircase.
Didn’t catch the un-stitched sole thing before I read your review.
I remember I saw the stitches on the webpage before ordering and thinking that’s a *really good thing*, as in almost every pair of Vivos I have, the sole has started separating from the uppers to some extent.
And that includes quite a few pairs: the Aqua lite, Neo-trails, Synth hiker, breezy lite, the dharma (canvas edition) and the Gobis..I’ve read about it happening in the new “The One” and the “Stealth” models as well..
So, not thrilled about this change. I’d rather have durability over (some) waterproofness.
I’ve actually been wondering about why Vivo has not been able to solve this problem, as it’s been going on for a few years. I’ve read several times that they “are aware of the problem, and it has now been corrected”, but nothing seems to have changed.
I’ve been wondering if it’s the TPU that’s the problem, as I notice it’s very hard to get glue to stick to it. I’ve tried to repair a few of mine with shoe-goo and it just seems to fall off after some time and not really sticking to the TPU..
Maybe the TPU is a “fat plastic” and needs some bad-for-the-environment-ass glue that VB doesn’t wanna use or something.
IDK, but there is a problem there.
But, on to something positive,: When I got the shoe, the first thing I noticed is that sole feels softer and more sticky/rubbery than on any other VB shoe I’ve had.
Maybe they have tweaked the TPU formula, or are using actual rubber on this one?
If they have (and it?s not just in my head:), it?s good news in my book, as while the TPU they used in their previous soles have proved *very* durable, I’ve always felt it’s slightly too hard, sacrificing flexibility and groundfeel. And maybe even more importantly (especially in these boots), it’s also *very* slippery in icy/wet slippery conditions. Downright dangerous right around 0C/32F.
But these felt softer and grippier, and maybe, just maybe, that will make the glue work better as well..Time will tell..
insulation? reasonable but in temperatures towards zero, i guarantee personally that my feet will be frozen in these things if i can’t keep moving around enough – however, i have to agree i’m really happy with these boots and they even come within the relatively strict dress code at my office job, so extra win there!
Just did my bicycle commute in wet weather today, a lot of spray – most of the water was on the toe box – but my feet were not wet inside, so the boots come through yet again
Thanks for the great review! I still own a pair of Vivobarefoot Aqueous from several years ago, but I cannot for the life of me get the stink out of them. What I did love though was the styling of them. Specifically the way I could lace them up to the bottom of the tongue, and then let my pants fall behind the tongue, leaving the entire tongue visible.
So my question is, can you do something similar with the Scotts? If there is anyway you could add a photo of them with the tongue not laced and sticking out of your pants that would be absolutely amazing! Thanks again for the great review.
Hi,
I just got my Scotts yesterday and they feel and look nice. I didn’t have time to really test them yet. I will write some more as soon as I spend a couple more days wearing those and after I test them in the snow. Erie should soon be quite snowy, so I will let u guys know!
@Peter
Great to know they fare well in wet conditions.
@Kelsey
B/c the tongue is gusseted up the sides, I don’t think that would work, unfortunately!
On a somewhat related note, I just got a pair of Women’s Columbia Minx Mid Lace Boots. They have a big ‘ol insole in them with a huge heel/toe drop. But, the insoles are removeable! And what happens when you take them out?? A zero drop, flexible soled, winter boot! They have some patented tech from Columbia that reflects heat back at you and so far it has done a great job of keeping my feet warm. So any ladies looking for some minimalist winter boots, check them out! You can find them at Dick’s Sporting Goods and on Zappos.
Not trying to derail this review and discussion, but, isn’t wearing boot style footwear (wherein you have material strapped/laced around the ankle, thus, restricting natural ankle movement) somewhat counter to the natural running/walking form that the whole barefoot/minimalist movement is based on?
I’d like to add something about “winterproof” footwear while I’m at it.
While the Thinsulate padding in the boots may be nice, the biggest source of heat loss (in winter) in any shoe is the ground. By far.
So if you are going to be out in real cold weather, without something between you and the ground, some padding around your ankles is not going to do much good. To stay warm add an insulating insole, it’s going to be far more effective.
The other important thing is to have them sized big enough. They should probably be a half size (or more) larger than something you would wear in the other 3 seasons. They should never feel tight. There is nothing colder than wearing a tight, foot hugging shoe in cold weather.
Last winter I wore the unlined Vivobarefoot Gobis down to about -20C/-4F.
The only thing I added was an extra woolen felt insole. They were also generously sized.
This allowed me to be reasonably comfortable with only thin wool socks. This combination did more to winterproof the boots than any padding in other parts of the shoe could ever do.
TL;DR version: Winterproof your boots with adding a felt/insulating insole. Buy them large enough so you can wear said insole and an extra pair of socks without the boots never, ever feeling tight-ish. Enjoy winter!
I would have to agree that most of the heat inside any minimalist boot is lost through the sole (especially in vivo’s), although the scott’s thermal insole does help a fair bit. I’ve had mine for a few weeks now in the UK, I too ordered the brown and think they look great. The leather is very soft and supple after a few wears. I wear the boots loose at the top so there is no problem with the ankle adding any unnecessary support, they are light enough to not slop on your feet. Here in the UK with the thermal lining and insole they are warm enough for most winter days with a normal pair of sock (toe socks of preference for me :)), but if it was a very cold day then as mention previously, another pair of thermal insole would be a great idea, especially as these boots have a generous toe box and supple leather. I always order a uk12 (eu46) in vivo’s and these fit nicely, so I would say they run true to size. There is plenty of ground feel and flexibility for a boot. They seem well made with good quality materials, although as someone noted, the soles are not stitched! Possible flaw as my off road hi’s are now garbage after 9 months of use, but only time will tell. Possibly my favourite shoes, along with vivo’ gobi’s. Hope this has helped anyone looking to buy these, as I think they are great!
Not sure if it is mentioned in the review but this shoe comes with a insulated insole. This is unlike the regular insole used in the traditional lifestyle shoes vivo offer. It offers increased protection from the cold and if worn with a decent sock (merino, smartwool etc) will keep the cold at bay. So leave it in if it’s cold, take it out if you are after increased proprioception.
If anyone would like any info on this shoe or any other Vivobarefoot shoe, contact me.
hmm, well, here comes my letter to vivo about this shoe, just fyi..
“hi, vivo,
here comes the story..
i was very happy, when your new winter-casual shoe the scott has appeared in your shop a month ago, so i’ve ordered it on the very 1st day.
btw. i have a quite large collection of vivos, the scott is my 9th pair. and i’ve heavily promoted vivos in my family too, sooo we have 19 pairs now, when i count it right..
but according to my experiences, there are slight “design flaws”, your shoes repeat time to time.
once. you seem regularly “forget”, that a barefoot shoe has to be able to follow the fluid movement of the foot. okey, my foot. 🙂
so i’ve experienced, that ALL of your modells, which don’t have a cushioned ankle-line support, or which are too hard at that part, will suffer from a handicap, more precise: i will suffer. badly.
it occured that my red textile ra functions as a laceless slipper at home from the first few weeks on, because the top/high edge of its ankle part destroyed my foot.
..and another proof for this is, that with my 2 aquas, my suede ra, my evo2, my neo trail, and with my oak i don’t have any problems, they feel gorgeous, every time and any time.
and twice. at ALL of your models without a sewed sole there will be a glueing problem sooner or later. have experienced this with an aqua lite in 7 days, and sent it back. experienced it in two weeks with my first neo trail, and sent it back. and yes, my second neo trail behaved just like this, but i kept it, it looks like a wreckage by now, but have worn it very intensively, its sole (better said those “V-teeth”) almost disappeared, but the glueing still holds it “enough” together.
and yes, ALL of your sewed soled modells i own are perfect in this regard.
when i’ve recieved my scott i was confused. confused because on your website you have showed pictures of it with a sewed sole. but out of the box, there wasn’t any clue, just the glue..
have asked about this on your facebook (@10.16.), how could it be and recieved some answer which tried to reassure, but after a few weeks of hesitation taking it outside, and wear in the mud&rain, i came up with a decision to send it back. ..i’m still not completely sure, but it seems, that my ankle-back interfers again with that sewed leather part inside (cushioning problem..), and i don’t really want to put a 2nd winter-slipper into my cupboard, especially such an expensive one. have never spent 160 eurs for any shoes..
during these weeks of hesitation, i’ve put them on reguraly inside the house, which isn’t a real world test but “ab und zu” yet..
and another/last sign of an “immature” product: during this light test phase, the seam on the upper part started to unfold*, which is quite disappointing.
so today i’ll took it to the post office, though i really wanted to have a proper winter shoe at last. 😐
matts mentioned here his last winter trip in his gobi..
actually it’s not the gobi, it’s that kind of sole, it uses, what i’m more than sceptical about, though it’s the sole vivo used most until recently.
simply put, it’s TOO thin. it’s raining here right now, and i had my black leather aquas on (nomen est?..), which i have since more than a year now. but its sole has a small puncture (just like a bicycle tire..), which i’ve discovered yesterday, and tried to fill it with some glue, because the water came up. (..i thought, i succeeded, but now have discovered another even smaller one, which resulted a bit less but still wet socks after the morning walk. will have another try with the glue..)
so, these soles are good for your bare foot, but after some unnoticeable injury they could loose their ability to function as a proper sole.
water is just NOT allowed to enter from the sole-side.
these minor flaws are very problematic, with such an expensive product they would need to use the most appropriate material, or at least look for it. but i doubt that it’s the case.
these shoes, quality-wise just don’t worth their price, but i don’t have any other choice, because they fit best.
so i just hope since a while that they will improve.
Angi, I hope the Minx in the name does not actually refer to animal fur. Those animals get skinned alive, after going through hell all their lives.
Just ordered the black because vivobarefoot didn’t have the brown in my size 42. Did you wear your normal size or did you size up or down? I’ve only had the aquas and I got those in 42 which is what I based the decision for this on. hope the black with white sole is as good aesthetically as the all brown. not sure why they decided to throw on that white sole.. The only reason I got these over the gobi is because of the hexagon sole which looks as though it has much more grip. very excited non the less, it’s getting really cold here and I’m feeling the cold through my soles of my aquas which i took out months ago because they kept stinking.
OK. Some bad news. Went for a hike for a couple of hours on Saturday. First time I’ve really used the boots, save for a 20min test walk the day I picked them up.
Came back thinking I would post back and tell you all how comfortable the Scotts are (because they really are).
But, when I came home and took of my shoes, I realized the sole had already started to separate rather badly on my right foot, with the left also showing early signs of separating.
I’m frustrated and disappointed. How hard can it be to get this right? Even el cheapo brands manage to get this right, and these boots are certainly not cheap. And it’s been going on for a few years now. But this was my worst experience so far. Just after a couple of hours..
Thanks for the review!
Could you comment on the fit?
I have a pair of Aqua lites, neos, ras, and breatho trails, all the same size, but they all fit a bit differently (the aquas and ras are the best for me).
Thanks.
@Rob
They are going to fit more like the Ras and the Aqua lites.
$160 feels like a money grab… will wait for this to get a sale on 6pm or some other sites provided they release an all black version.
55°F is nothing, I wear Bikila LS (with Injinjis) in that kind of weather. Similarly the Bormio is actually OK even at 30-40°F if you wear merino wool Injinjis or Smartwool toesocks (the wool one not the PhD one). I find the biggest heat loss with the Bormio is through the toes 🙁 .
Also as far as I know aerogels have lower thermal conductivity than thinsulate.
Will it come with a black upper and black sole? A white sole is tacky and gets dirty too quickly.
I, too, have had some problems with these shoes.
The first pair I got lasted one day, before the stitches that connects the textile to the leather on the front part started to come loose, on of one shoe. But the other shoe was not far behind.
I returned this pair and got a new one, which lasted four days before the inside fabric came loose. And after one more day the same separation between textile and fabric as on the first pair had started.
Will see if I can get some photos of the shoes uploaded when I get home to my computer.
I hope that is was extremely unlucky getting two bad pairs in a row, but the sole issues that have been discussed here don’t suprise me too much…
Now I have ordered a pair of Lems boulder boots, hoping that they will stick together for at least two weeks…
@Deryth
Yes, please post some pics. It’s not completely clear to me what happened to your shoes.
I’m in the process of returning them but, not sure if I should ask for another pair or just ask for the money back.
Would like the boots to work, but I’m worried that they will just continue to fail and that Vivo has put out a flawed product.
Also experiencing the issues Mats is having with the soles coming unglued, have owned mine since November, live in Vancouver, BC. We’ve had a pretty mild and dry winter so far by Northwest standards. Within two weeks the right boot was as bad or worse than Mats photos, a week after the left started.
Not really a fan of the choice of tread for the boot. Poor grip when it’s wet and/or snowy (not talking ice, just snow).
Damn shame because I think it’s a great looking boot, unfortunately it doesn’t hold up to the elements and for $160 it should be pretty close to bulletproof. Returning mine this week.
Just as an FYI…
I purchased a pair of One’s and a pair of Scott’s on Xmas eve and received the One’s within a few days. I just found out today from Ralph Libonati Company, the US distributor for Vivo, that the Scott’s have been sold out and they should not have been taking any more orders online. They refunded my money, but it took some sleuthing and bypassing of all of Vivo’s customer service email addresses (no response to multiple emails). The Libonati rep said they wouldn’t be receiving any new Scott’s in brown? before this upcoming fall of 2014.
If you’re waiting on a shipment of shoes, google Ralph Libonati Company and give them a call; they’ll have a refund out to you pronto.
I am extremely frustrated with Vivobarefoot as well. First of all the customer service is God awful, dealing with Ralph Libonati Co. is a little easier, but having to go through them in the first place is stupid. I had been trying to order the Vivobarefoot “The One” Since last July, and it kept being backordered. I was finally able to get a pair and within 2 days of wearing them only a few hours the soles began separating really badly. I still wear them almost daily and the separation has only gotten worse, the shoes look terrible and get SOAKED from even the smallest puddles. I have tried calling, emailing, tweeting, and facebook messaging Vivobarefoot over the last few months with zero replies.
For my first pair I am VERY disappointed in them and due to their lack of a response will probably never buy anything from them again. It’s too bad they make the only minimalist shoes I don’t mind wearing out in public with normal “street” clothes. Really a sub-par product from reading reviews from others on here clearly having the same issue.
To me, ‘winterproof’ means I can wade through slush in them. I just don’t trust oiled canvas to be able to cope with that. Waxed leather, maybe. Still looking for a barefoot shoe I can wear when it’s properly raining, without getting soggy feet.
I had read reviews about the rubber at the welt separating from the leather and canvas on these boots. I bought a pair and love them. Abusing them daily. I wear them as work boots, and my work has me outdoors, moving snow, landscape work and building maintenance. My soles began to separate slightly, which wasn’t a problem it just looked bad. Finally I decided to fix them with shoe goo, which worked amazing. Better than new. I’ve been wearing them daily for 7 months. My iPhone health app logs 25000 steps per day in these boots. They are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. I keep them looking good with Kiwi black shoe polish. I apply the polish a few times per week to the whole boot, leather and canvas. I believe this also helps keep the water out. My feet stay suprisingly dry in these boots. They are warm in the winter, especially with wool socks. They are cool in summer.
I’ve just received a pair of Scott (black; autumn-winter 2015 model): the outsole is stitched to the upper.
these are currently onsale at vivobarefoot for $125 and i’m sure less with a coupon code!
Quick review:
I just got through this past winter with these boots. With the insole they are plenty warm with midweight injinjis, and with thick wool socks I was totally comfortable in zero degree F temps.
They are simply not waterproof. They were water resistant for a few weeks, that’s it. I solved that problem by using some rub-on boot wax from REI, used it on the leather and the canvas material. Now they’re mostly waterproof. The sole does separate from the upper after a while, but only where the toe bends, and not enough to worry me.
How breathable do you find the Scott? I have the winterized Gobi, which are basically stinky sweat coffins for my feet. They’re almost unwearable because of the smell.
Are the Scott’s similar? I need something that can breathe.
33 replies on “Vivo Barefoot Scott Minimalist Boot Review–Ready for Winter”
not a fan of the fabric – not that dirt resistant etc and gives them quite a ‘special’ look that I would have loved to avoid with a plain leather look – or some fabric accents if it has to be…
These look great, but I wish they made an uninsulated version. I know that the gobis exist but the traction on these looks so much better.
I like the look of the brown ones you show off. Pulling up Zappos, they appear to only have a black color with a white sole. To me, that really mucks with the look of the boot. The Zappos pictures of the sole also shows a non-concave pattern.
For the concave sole on your boots, have you noticed if they pick up any additional stuff? Easy to clean out with a nice stomp? I’m wondering how it does in dirt and/or mud. I would hate for some dirt to get caught in there and track around everywhere.
@Josh,
The concave sole doesn’t pick up much in my experience. I imagine mud would get sucked into the hexagons, but haven’t taken them into the mud to date.
Ha! Got these about week ago, but as the real winter has yet to arrive here in Scandinavia my pair has so far been waiting behind the staircase.
Didn’t catch the un-stitched sole thing before I read your review.
I remember I saw the stitches on the webpage before ordering and thinking that’s a *really good thing*, as in almost every pair of Vivos I have, the sole has started separating from the uppers to some extent.
And that includes quite a few pairs: the Aqua lite, Neo-trails, Synth hiker, breezy lite, the dharma (canvas edition) and the Gobis..I’ve read about it happening in the new “The One” and the “Stealth” models as well..
So, not thrilled about this change. I’d rather have durability over (some) waterproofness.
I’ve actually been wondering about why Vivo has not been able to solve this problem, as it’s been going on for a few years. I’ve read several times that they “are aware of the problem, and it has now been corrected”, but nothing seems to have changed.
I’ve been wondering if it’s the TPU that’s the problem, as I notice it’s very hard to get glue to stick to it. I’ve tried to repair a few of mine with shoe-goo and it just seems to fall off after some time and not really sticking to the TPU..
Maybe the TPU is a “fat plastic” and needs some bad-for-the-environment-ass glue that VB doesn’t wanna use or something.
IDK, but there is a problem there.
But, on to something positive,: When I got the shoe, the first thing I noticed is that sole feels softer and more sticky/rubbery than on any other VB shoe I’ve had.
Maybe they have tweaked the TPU formula, or are using actual rubber on this one?
If they have (and it?s not just in my head:), it?s good news in my book, as while the TPU they used in their previous soles have proved *very* durable, I’ve always felt it’s slightly too hard, sacrificing flexibility and groundfeel. And maybe even more importantly (especially in these boots), it’s also *very* slippery in icy/wet slippery conditions. Downright dangerous right around 0C/32F.
But these felt softer and grippier, and maybe, just maybe, that will make the glue work better as well..Time will tell..
insulation? reasonable but in temperatures towards zero, i guarantee personally that my feet will be frozen in these things if i can’t keep moving around enough – however, i have to agree i’m really happy with these boots and they even come within the relatively strict dress code at my office job, so extra win there!
Just did my bicycle commute in wet weather today, a lot of spray – most of the water was on the toe box – but my feet were not wet inside, so the boots come through yet again
Thanks for the great review! I still own a pair of Vivobarefoot Aqueous from several years ago, but I cannot for the life of me get the stink out of them. What I did love though was the styling of them. Specifically the way I could lace them up to the bottom of the tongue, and then let my pants fall behind the tongue, leaving the entire tongue visible.
So my question is, can you do something similar with the Scotts? If there is anyway you could add a photo of them with the tongue not laced and sticking out of your pants that would be absolutely amazing! Thanks again for the great review.
Hi,
I just got my Scotts yesterday and they feel and look nice. I didn’t have time to really test them yet. I will write some more as soon as I spend a couple more days wearing those and after I test them in the snow. Erie should soon be quite snowy, so I will let u guys know!
@Peter
Great to know they fare well in wet conditions.
@Kelsey
B/c the tongue is gusseted up the sides, I don’t think that would work, unfortunately!
On a somewhat related note, I just got a pair of Women’s Columbia Minx Mid Lace Boots. They have a big ‘ol insole in them with a huge heel/toe drop. But, the insoles are removeable! And what happens when you take them out?? A zero drop, flexible soled, winter boot! They have some patented tech from Columbia that reflects heat back at you and so far it has done a great job of keeping my feet warm. So any ladies looking for some minimalist winter boots, check them out! You can find them at Dick’s Sporting Goods and on Zappos.
Not trying to derail this review and discussion, but, isn’t wearing boot style footwear (wherein you have material strapped/laced around the ankle, thus, restricting natural ankle movement) somewhat counter to the natural running/walking form that the whole barefoot/minimalist movement is based on?
I’d like to add something about “winterproof” footwear while I’m at it.
While the Thinsulate padding in the boots may be nice, the biggest source of heat loss (in winter) in any shoe is the ground. By far.
So if you are going to be out in real cold weather, without something between you and the ground, some padding around your ankles is not going to do much good. To stay warm add an insulating insole, it’s going to be far more effective.
The other important thing is to have them sized big enough. They should probably be a half size (or more) larger than something you would wear in the other 3 seasons. They should never feel tight. There is nothing colder than wearing a tight, foot hugging shoe in cold weather.
Last winter I wore the unlined Vivobarefoot Gobis down to about -20C/-4F.
The only thing I added was an extra woolen felt insole. They were also generously sized.
This allowed me to be reasonably comfortable with only thin wool socks. This combination did more to winterproof the boots than any padding in other parts of the shoe could ever do.
TL;DR version: Winterproof your boots with adding a felt/insulating insole. Buy them large enough so you can wear said insole and an extra pair of socks without the boots never, ever feeling tight-ish. Enjoy winter!
I would have to agree that most of the heat inside any minimalist boot is lost through the sole (especially in vivo’s), although the scott’s thermal insole does help a fair bit. I’ve had mine for a few weeks now in the UK, I too ordered the brown and think they look great. The leather is very soft and supple after a few wears. I wear the boots loose at the top so there is no problem with the ankle adding any unnecessary support, they are light enough to not slop on your feet. Here in the UK with the thermal lining and insole they are warm enough for most winter days with a normal pair of sock (toe socks of preference for me :)), but if it was a very cold day then as mention previously, another pair of thermal insole would be a great idea, especially as these boots have a generous toe box and supple leather. I always order a uk12 (eu46) in vivo’s and these fit nicely, so I would say they run true to size. There is plenty of ground feel and flexibility for a boot. They seem well made with good quality materials, although as someone noted, the soles are not stitched! Possible flaw as my off road hi’s are now garbage after 9 months of use, but only time will tell. Possibly my favourite shoes, along with vivo’ gobi’s. Hope this has helped anyone looking to buy these, as I think they are great!
Not sure if it is mentioned in the review but this shoe comes with a insulated insole. This is unlike the regular insole used in the traditional lifestyle shoes vivo offer. It offers increased protection from the cold and if worn with a decent sock (merino, smartwool etc) will keep the cold at bay. So leave it in if it’s cold, take it out if you are after increased proprioception.
If anyone would like any info on this shoe or any other Vivobarefoot shoe, contact me.
hmm, well, here comes my letter to vivo about this shoe, just fyi..
“hi, vivo,
here comes the story..
i was very happy, when your new winter-casual shoe the scott has appeared in your shop a month ago, so i’ve ordered it on the very 1st day.
btw. i have a quite large collection of vivos, the scott is my 9th pair. and i’ve heavily promoted vivos in my family too, sooo we have 19 pairs now, when i count it right..
but according to my experiences, there are slight “design flaws”, your shoes repeat time to time.
once. you seem regularly “forget”, that a barefoot shoe has to be able to follow the fluid movement of the foot. okey, my foot. 🙂
so i’ve experienced, that ALL of your modells, which don’t have a cushioned ankle-line support, or which are too hard at that part, will suffer from a handicap, more precise: i will suffer. badly.
it occured that my red textile ra functions as a laceless slipper at home from the first few weeks on, because the top/high edge of its ankle part destroyed my foot.
..and another proof for this is, that with my 2 aquas, my suede ra, my evo2, my neo trail, and with my oak i don’t have any problems, they feel gorgeous, every time and any time.
and twice. at ALL of your models without a sewed sole there will be a glueing problem sooner or later. have experienced this with an aqua lite in 7 days, and sent it back. experienced it in two weeks with my first neo trail, and sent it back. and yes, my second neo trail behaved just like this, but i kept it, it looks like a wreckage by now, but have worn it very intensively, its sole (better said those “V-teeth”) almost disappeared, but the glueing still holds it “enough” together.
and yes, ALL of your sewed soled modells i own are perfect in this regard.
when i’ve recieved my scott i was confused. confused because on your website you have showed pictures of it with a sewed sole. but out of the box, there wasn’t any clue, just the glue..
have asked about this on your facebook (@10.16.), how could it be and recieved some answer which tried to reassure, but after a few weeks of hesitation taking it outside, and wear in the mud&rain, i came up with a decision to send it back. ..i’m still not completely sure, but it seems, that my ankle-back interfers again with that sewed leather part inside (cushioning problem..), and i don’t really want to put a 2nd winter-slipper into my cupboard, especially such an expensive one. have never spent 160 eurs for any shoes..
during these weeks of hesitation, i’ve put them on reguraly inside the house, which isn’t a real world test but “ab und zu” yet..
and another/last sign of an “immature” product: during this light test phase, the seam on the upper part started to unfold*, which is quite disappointing.
so today i’ll took it to the post office, though i really wanted to have a proper winter shoe at last. 😐
david”
*https://www.dropbox.com/s/vnf40m65uewi1i1/2013-11-14%2017.24.03.jpg
matts mentioned here his last winter trip in his gobi..
actually it’s not the gobi, it’s that kind of sole, it uses, what i’m more than sceptical about, though it’s the sole vivo used most until recently.
simply put, it’s TOO thin. it’s raining here right now, and i had my black leather aquas on (nomen est?..), which i have since more than a year now. but its sole has a small puncture (just like a bicycle tire..), which i’ve discovered yesterday, and tried to fill it with some glue, because the water came up. (..i thought, i succeeded, but now have discovered another even smaller one, which resulted a bit less but still wet socks after the morning walk. will have another try with the glue..)
so, these soles are good for your bare foot, but after some unnoticeable injury they could loose their ability to function as a proper sole.
water is just NOT allowed to enter from the sole-side.
these minor flaws are very problematic, with such an expensive product they would need to use the most appropriate material, or at least look for it. but i doubt that it’s the case.
these shoes, quality-wise just don’t worth their price, but i don’t have any other choice, because they fit best.
so i just hope since a while that they will improve.
Angi, I hope the Minx in the name does not actually refer to animal fur. Those animals get skinned alive, after going through hell all their lives.
Just ordered the black because vivobarefoot didn’t have the brown in my size 42. Did you wear your normal size or did you size up or down? I’ve only had the aquas and I got those in 42 which is what I based the decision for this on. hope the black with white sole is as good aesthetically as the all brown. not sure why they decided to throw on that white sole.. The only reason I got these over the gobi is because of the hexagon sole which looks as though it has much more grip. very excited non the less, it’s getting really cold here and I’m feeling the cold through my soles of my aquas which i took out months ago because they kept stinking.
OK. Some bad news. Went for a hike for a couple of hours on Saturday. First time I’ve really used the boots, save for a 20min test walk the day I picked them up.
Came back thinking I would post back and tell you all how comfortable the Scotts are (because they really are).
But, when I came home and took of my shoes, I realized the sole had already started to separate rather badly on my right foot, with the left also showing early signs of separating.
I’m frustrated and disappointed. How hard can it be to get this right? Even el cheapo brands manage to get this right, and these boots are certainly not cheap. And it’s been going on for a few years now. But this was my worst experience so far. Just after a couple of hours..
I’ll post a few pic for y’all to see:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1105103/DSCF3054.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1105103/DSCF3056.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1105103/DSCF3070.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1105103/DSCF3071.jpg
Not too pretty, eh?
Thanks for the review!
Could you comment on the fit?
I have a pair of Aqua lites, neos, ras, and breatho trails, all the same size, but they all fit a bit differently (the aquas and ras are the best for me).
Thanks.
@Rob
They are going to fit more like the Ras and the Aqua lites.
$160 feels like a money grab… will wait for this to get a sale on 6pm or some other sites provided they release an all black version.
55°F is nothing, I wear Bikila LS (with Injinjis) in that kind of weather. Similarly the Bormio is actually OK even at 30-40°F if you wear merino wool Injinjis or Smartwool toesocks (the wool one not the PhD one). I find the biggest heat loss with the Bormio is through the toes 🙁 .
Also as far as I know aerogels have lower thermal conductivity than thinsulate.
Will it come with a black upper and black sole? A white sole is tacky and gets dirty too quickly.
I, too, have had some problems with these shoes.
The first pair I got lasted one day, before the stitches that connects the textile to the leather on the front part started to come loose, on of one shoe. But the other shoe was not far behind.
I returned this pair and got a new one, which lasted four days before the inside fabric came loose. And after one more day the same separation between textile and fabric as on the first pair had started.
Will see if I can get some photos of the shoes uploaded when I get home to my computer.
I hope that is was extremely unlucky getting two bad pairs in a row, but the sole issues that have been discussed here don’t suprise me too much…
Now I have ordered a pair of Lems boulder boots, hoping that they will stick together for at least two weeks…
@Deryth
Yes, please post some pics. It’s not completely clear to me what happened to your shoes.
I’m in the process of returning them but, not sure if I should ask for another pair or just ask for the money back.
Would like the boots to work, but I’m worried that they will just continue to fail and that Vivo has put out a flawed product.
Also experiencing the issues Mats is having with the soles coming unglued, have owned mine since November, live in Vancouver, BC. We’ve had a pretty mild and dry winter so far by Northwest standards. Within two weeks the right boot was as bad or worse than Mats photos, a week after the left started.
Not really a fan of the choice of tread for the boot. Poor grip when it’s wet and/or snowy (not talking ice, just snow).
Damn shame because I think it’s a great looking boot, unfortunately it doesn’t hold up to the elements and for $160 it should be pretty close to bulletproof. Returning mine this week.
Just as an FYI…
I purchased a pair of One’s and a pair of Scott’s on Xmas eve and received the One’s within a few days. I just found out today from Ralph Libonati Company, the US distributor for Vivo, that the Scott’s have been sold out and they should not have been taking any more orders online. They refunded my money, but it took some sleuthing and bypassing of all of Vivo’s customer service email addresses (no response to multiple emails). The Libonati rep said they wouldn’t be receiving any new Scott’s in brown? before this upcoming fall of 2014.
If you’re waiting on a shipment of shoes, google Ralph Libonati Company and give them a call; they’ll have a refund out to you pronto.
I am extremely frustrated with Vivobarefoot as well. First of all the customer service is God awful, dealing with Ralph Libonati Co. is a little easier, but having to go through them in the first place is stupid. I had been trying to order the Vivobarefoot “The One” Since last July, and it kept being backordered. I was finally able to get a pair and within 2 days of wearing them only a few hours the soles began separating really badly. I still wear them almost daily and the separation has only gotten worse, the shoes look terrible and get SOAKED from even the smallest puddles. I have tried calling, emailing, tweeting, and facebook messaging Vivobarefoot over the last few months with zero replies.
For my first pair I am VERY disappointed in them and due to their lack of a response will probably never buy anything from them again. It’s too bad they make the only minimalist shoes I don’t mind wearing out in public with normal “street” clothes. Really a sub-par product from reading reviews from others on here clearly having the same issue.
To me, ‘winterproof’ means I can wade through slush in them. I just don’t trust oiled canvas to be able to cope with that. Waxed leather, maybe. Still looking for a barefoot shoe I can wear when it’s properly raining, without getting soggy feet.
I had read reviews about the rubber at the welt separating from the leather and canvas on these boots. I bought a pair and love them. Abusing them daily. I wear them as work boots, and my work has me outdoors, moving snow, landscape work and building maintenance. My soles began to separate slightly, which wasn’t a problem it just looked bad. Finally I decided to fix them with shoe goo, which worked amazing. Better than new. I’ve been wearing them daily for 7 months. My iPhone health app logs 25000 steps per day in these boots. They are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. I keep them looking good with Kiwi black shoe polish. I apply the polish a few times per week to the whole boot, leather and canvas. I believe this also helps keep the water out. My feet stay suprisingly dry in these boots. They are warm in the winter, especially with wool socks. They are cool in summer.
I’ve just received a pair of Scott (black; autumn-winter 2015 model): the outsole is stitched to the upper.
these are currently onsale at vivobarefoot for $125 and i’m sure less with a coupon code!
Quick review:
I just got through this past winter with these boots. With the insole they are plenty warm with midweight injinjis, and with thick wool socks I was totally comfortable in zero degree F temps.
They are simply not waterproof. They were water resistant for a few weeks, that’s it. I solved that problem by using some rub-on boot wax from REI, used it on the leather and the canvas material. Now they’re mostly waterproof. The sole does separate from the upper after a while, but only where the toe bends, and not enough to worry me.
How breathable do you find the Scott? I have the winterized Gobi, which are basically stinky sweat coffins for my feet. They’re almost unwearable because of the smell.
Are the Scott’s similar? I need something that can breathe.