VivoBarefoot Compton Wellies

Yeah! They came! It did not take three months for them to arrive, but I did want to give myself ample time to really feel them out. So here goes.

First Impressions:

-The packaging was wonderful! No plastic. The boots came each in its own "cheese cloth" type bag. Terra Plana is an ethical company; they use alternative resources which in turn will inspire others to do the same. I LOVE the look of the boots. I ordered the brown because I have always had black boots and wanted to change it up a bit. I was most excited,though, about the red lining and the two yellow stitches on the top outside of each boot. Red just happens to be one of my favorite shoe colors.

I guess I felt like my feet were extra happy slipping into a pair of red-lined barefoot shoes. Until I got to the bottom and everything was squished. Take note, if you want to wear them with the shoe insert, order two sizes up otherwise one size up will do it. I just took out the insert and voila they fit perfectly. You do have to make sure you unzip them all the way before attempting to put your foot into the boot. After getting the shoe inserts out, the first thing I noticed was that I had room to wiggle my toes! What a wonderful feeling. My toes felt free! I think they even danced a little (if you can imagine toes dancing). After I wore them around the house for the afternoon I took them off and studied them. They have a 3mm "puncture resistant sole" and are made of vegetable leather. The leather was in good condition, smooth, and soft. The sole is extremely flexible. I compared it to some of my other shoes and was amazed at how much flex it had! The only drawback is that I can see the glue where the boot meets the sole. To me, this is minor, and no one else would even notice it.

Day 1 Outside:
I can feel everything!!!! I love it! I was nervous about walking on the rocks, but my feet felt protected and pain free (which has been my biggest problem lately). I ran, jumped, climbed a tree, and skipped all in my Vivobarefoots! No pain, fully flexible. I actually found it easier to climb on the rocks and the tree with these boots. Most likely because of the ultra-flexible, thin sole...I almost felt like I could grip better.
Trip to the beach:
I wore my boots to Old Orchard Beach for a Teen Center weekend. We climbed the jetty, and how much easier it was to feel the rocks. I am not usually very sure-footed, but definitely feel more so now!
Warmth:
These boots are great for the fall with a thick pair of socks. I even wore them in the rain, and true to Terra Plana's word, they are water resistant. Now as we enter winter, though, I have had to put them away (with the exception of our Washington State trip where the weather is milder). I am so bummed because I do not have any barefoot winter boots. Minimalist footwear is not cheap, thus we will be trading one pair at a time. I am kind of a wimp when it comes to being cold...especially with my feet, and Maine winters are just too harsh for these thin boots.
Style:
I get compliments on the boots everywhere I go! Who says you have to sacrifice comfort for style? These boots are very stylish and look great with jeans (over or under the pant leg), tights (yes I have even worn them with dresses and tights), and sweat pants.
Overall, I give my first pair of minimalist footwear a 10! I just got another pair for my birthday. The VivoBarefoot Candy in yellow (they are a spring/summer shoe so the review on those may have to wait a bit).
I will definitely be posting more. Alan is going to be wearing his slippers to work everyday for a week. We will let you know how that goes!