Vivobarefoot Breatho Trail

After a bit of mulling, I finally picked up a pair of Vivobarefoot Breatho Trail shoes this afternoon. The black and yellow ones, as I quite like that 'honeybee' look. After checking out a few sizes I ended up with an EU44 - the next size up left far too much room and my foot was rolling around in there like a pig in a blanket - the 44 has a roomy toe box, but is snug around my ankle and feels like it'll stay on better.

I was looking at their normal (i.e not running) shoes, and quite fancying a pair of those for work, but when I looked at the sizing guide, it turns out I've just bought a UK 9.5! Slightly odd as I take an 11-12 in most things, an 11.5 in my road shoes and a 10.5 in my Wave Harrier trail shoe, which are snug on purpose to stop them rolling.

So now I'm confused - has anyone else come across this with VVBF shoes, or are my feet playing silly beggers?

Comments

  • Ian MIan M ✭✭✭
    I think they're playing silly buggers. Never underestimate the ability of VVBF, do just not quite get things right.

    I've got a pair of size 45 Neo trails, which are marginly too small, so ordered a pair of 46 Breatho trails which are way too loose esp round the heel.
  • I find Vivo's sizing very erratic. 

    It's as though they saw people commenting that you should 'go a size up from what you normally wear' and compensated for that in their later styles. I also think their fit around the ankle and how much room there is in the toe-box varies a good bit between different styles.

    I'm seriously considering a pair of their black shoes for work now, though. Damn expensive, and I'll have to take a gamble on sizing since I can only get them via mail-order. Totally fed up with how my feet / legs feel after a few hours standing in heel-drop shoes, particularly now that I wear Merrell foot-glove things instead of slippers around the house.  

  • Good advice folks - thanks!

    Radicchio - I was thinking that if I wear zero-drop shoes for work (which is where I spend most of each day), then it's bound to help with flexing my calves and getting them used to that last little bit drop that they don't get normally. Been wearing my old Converse All Stars to wander about in, and realised that was why I had stopped wearing them - mildly aching calves.

    Lord help me, but I@m seriously fancying a trip to London to try 'em on in the store... image

  • Thought I'd take the opportunity to update this.

    Got some black Ra shoes online. They're a very nice formal shoe, and look much more like a normal business shoe in the flesh than they do in images.

    I bought them unseen, and gathered from some review comments that it was a good idea to go up two sizes. I'm a women's 42 in VFF Bikilas, and the Vivos are 44s and fit well. They're snug around the ankle, and give plenty of toe-room, without feeling at all like they're slopping around. I tend to leave the insole in the shoes.

    Only slight inconvenience I didn't anticipate with zero heel-drop shoes is that all my trousers now trail on the floor at the back.
  • Do like the look of the Ra's - was thinking I might pick up a pair. As I spend most of my life in the office, it just seems like the obvious thing to do.

    Good tip on the trouser issue!

  • Ian MIan M ✭✭✭
    Yup, I've had a pair of Ra's as my work shoes for several years now. Just had a look on their website and the current Ra's look even more like proper shoes than they used to. Fantastically wide at the front (which is nice), to the extent that I reckon they double up as snow shoes at a push image
  • Just been to Tesco (other large supermarkets are available) in my Vibram FiveFingers for the first time - driving the car was good fun. image

    On the Ra front, how do they compare to other Vivos for size? With being leather, I'm guessing there's not as much give as in the Breatho trail, which is made of stretchy mesh.

  • Ian MIan M ✭✭✭
    The Ra's I've got come up slightly on the large size, but not enough to worry about, but the design has changed a bit since mine were made, so all bets are off on the current model image
Sign In or Register to comment.