Vivobarefoot Stealth II review

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If you are looking for the ultimate barefoot experience then carry on reading our in-depth and honest review of Vivobarefoot Stealth II.

My relationship with shoes has always been a turbulent one, I have very narrow feet with a very high instep so finding shoes that actually stay on my feet have always been a struggle. I always have to have laces or straps to tie as tight as I can to keep them from falling off.

I decided to try Vivobarefoots Stealth II, I really loved their whole philosophy “the less we can give you the better”. They believe that your feet work perfectly as they are. It’s simple, their shoes are foot-shaped, no added support or even a heel. Vivobarefoot wants your feet to work how they are designed to, naturally. Vivo lets your feet move like feet are meant too. The soles are ultra-thin yet still protective, so you get the ultimate sensory experience. Did you know the foot has over 200,000 nerve endings the same as the hands? This fascinated me!

I own a pet care business and walk miles on end every day, so I always need comfortable footwear. I also have back, hip and leg joint problems that cause a lot of pain, so I need light shoes all year round! I picked the Stealth II (the ultimate movement shoe) as I loved the design of them and they have support and stretch zones that have an adaptive fit, perfect for my feet! It really appealed to me how light and natural they were and Vivo give you a 100-day trial or money back which I think is absolutely fantastic as I’m forever wasting money on shoes that don’t fit properly.

My Vivobarefoot Stealth II arrived swiftly and well packaged in a brown cardboard box with the logo on. The shoes were wrapped up in logo imprinted tissue paper and well presented. As soon as I opened them I could see they were the exact shape of the foot which does look different to most shoes. They were extremely light to hold and looked just as advertised.

Something I found quite different was that the insoles came separately so you have to fit the insoles in yourself if you want that added warmth. I have to say I myself love the minimalistic look, they aren’t bulky looking on the foot and with my narrow feet this instantly made me happy which is not something that happens very often when I buy shoes.

Pro5- These shoes are patented with an ultra-thin puncture resistant layer that is 5x more puncture resistance then soles of the same thickness.

Vegan- They are all produced using animal free products and practices

Performance Insole- They have a 3mm vegan insole which you can take out to feel the ground or leave in for that added warmth.

Breathable Mesh- To make sure the shoes are lightweight, breathable and comfortable they use synthetic multi-ply materials.

V-Mesh- They are engineered with foam and mesh along with a honeycomb constructed upper.

V-Web- The shoes are fused together using heat for a lightweight structure and switchless resilience. The engineered hex mesh material is used to give stretch and support.

Breathable Mesh- To keep your feet nice and cool.

TPU Sole- Super thin, lightweight and incredibly sturdy for maximum underfoot sensory precision.

Weight- The shoes weigh 120g

Stealth II comes in Women’s UK sizes 3-9, in either White or Black/Red.

It’s obvious from the start that the Stealth II is foot-shaped which is quite a different look to most other shoes. Their simplicity is something that I actually rather liked. The logo is imprinted subtilty on the side of the shoe as well as on the sole and “stealth” is imprinted on the heal in white, so it is barely visible adding the minimal look.

The top two lace holes are navy and red along with the lace holder on the tongue which is a lovely shade of red. The in-sole is white and the added insole for warmth is red and black. It’s great that when you take out the sole the shoe still looks like it has a sole in it.

They are a classy looking high-quality shoe that will go with most clothing. I wore them with jeans in the day and with my walking gear at work, I’m also looking forward to bringing them on my travels this summer as they are easily foldable for packing.

The Stealth also has reflective bits on the heal, toe, and tongue of the shoe for those who run at night, it was only when I took a picture with the flash on I could see this so it’s not obvious to see.

I have been wearing my stealth II at work walking the dogs, at home and just general trips out and from day 1 they have been an absolute pleasure to wear. Like I said before I have very narrow feet with a high instep so was a bit wary that I was one of these people that needed the extra support in shoes, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The first time I wore them we went on a long walk, I wore them without socks on a warm day and I could feel the breeze through the shoes which was lovely and cooling. I will probably add the insole in the winter for that added warmth.

They were instantly comfortable to wear, no rubbing or pinching. I didn’t find them to be wide fitting which is a huge bonus for me but may not be if you have wide feet. The laces weren’t too long so were easily hidden in the shoe under the tongue which is quite a unique shape.

I decided to do the ultimate test and wear them for work where I walk for 6 hours a day with 15 dogs. I suffer badly with hip, leg and back pain so lightweight shoes are an absolute must for me. Heavy shoes really affect my leg joints and the pain can be very intense, so I was very intrigued to see how the sheaths performed.

Halfway through the day my legs usually start to ache, but I did notice I actually lasted a bit longer when I had the sheaths on and my legs weren’t as achy as usual. I can’t tell you how happy this made me! Even though my legs still ached at the end of the day they weren’t as bad as usual! Thank you, Vivo! I could feel the natural support on my feet and am hoping the more I wear them at work the more my feet will revert back to how they are naturally supposed to.

I tend to do a lot of climbing with the dogs up and down hills and wanted to see how well the Stealth grip to the ground so went both up and down a few hills to test them out. The sole looks like it wouldn’t be that great at gripping if I’m honest, but I was quite surprised with how well they actually gripped to the ground when I was climbing up quite a steep embankment. I didn’t slip once!

I ordered a UK size 6, (39) which can sometimes be a bit big on my feet as I am actually a 5 and a half (just to add to the awkwardness of my feet!) The size 6 was a good fit for me and I didn’t feel they were too wide. With having very narrow feet I was pleasantly surprised how well they fit me so if you have wide feet I’m not sure if they would be a little narrow.

Vivobarefoot offer 100-day beginners trail for their shoes. They believe that after 100 days of wearing your Vivobarefoot your feet will be much happier and loving the natural feel, if not they will give you a full refund. There’s no excuse not to give them a try!

Thanks for reading our review on the Vivobarefoot Stealth II, I hope it has enticed you to invest in a pair for yourself, trust me you won’t be disappointed. They are comfortable, durable and give your feet the sensory experience you’ve been missing out on.

Disclosure: Although these shoes were gifted to me, my review and opinions are 100% honest and my own thoughts. Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you,
we earn a small commission if you make a purchase.