Vivobarefoot Gobi II Men’s Classic Desert Boot – Product characteristics
- Made in USA or Imported
- Rubber sole
- The original minimalist desert boot, designed to let you explore barefoot every day
- Non-Marking TPU Outsole – our thinnest and most durable barefoot sole
- Men’s Everyday Shoes
- The original minimalist desert boot, designed to let you explore barefoot every day
- Non-Marking TPU Outsole - our thinnest and most durable barefoot sole
- Men's Everyday Shoes
Vivobarefoot Gobi II Men’s Classic Desert Boot – Reviews
Ideal Barefoot Boot
Love these shoes! While on the hunt for a pair of barefoot style, zero drop, zero balance shoes for work during wet/cold weather I came across these. I looked over the reviews and disregarded most as a lot comes down to personal preference. I have been a patron of the natural style/ways in foot ware for over close to 20 years now. Essentially prior to its mainstream arrival. 5 finger toes were all one could find initially with other brands supporting in their lines. After years of trial and error with various types I landed on Merrells. Been a solid advocate and wearer in the Merrell barefoot line since their arrival to the market mid 2000s. If its been on the market and not an unreasonable price point ive tried it. With that gave these guys a go. I was super impressed from the moment I took them out of the box. Solid leather construction. Clean stitching. Details tied together. Overall very well made. I picked up my pair for under 150$ as the price does fluctuate on Amazon. Prior to wear I throughly doused in “camp dry” type product as they are not finished leather. I then wore for a few days to see how they felt. I was amazed. My feet could not have been more pleased and they worked well with my work uniform. Prior to first wet day I throughly mink oiled them. I use mink oil for all leather type products. Let that soak in for a day and then wore them in a very wet muddy atmosphere. Mink oil worked as expected and everything beaded off. I repeat the mink oil process once or twice a month depending. Especially early on to build a base. I walk 6-10miles a day on office floors and concrete + terrain. Have worn them for 2+ months now. The shoes have held up exceptionally well. I am ecstatic with the find and purchase. I intend to wear them during the wet/winter month and then transition back to the Merrell Trail Gloves I wear all the rest of the time. If you are a fan of not wearing foot wear but accept in gentile society you must then you will be pleased with a pair of these bad boys on your tootsies.
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2020
gussetted tongue, but need treatment if you want water resistance
very comfortable, smart-looking shoe.I got these for the rain, since my existing shoes all tend to soak through. I applied some clear polish to attempt to bolster the water resistance, but it wasn’t very effective. Next storm I’ll follow up with some mink oil or Obenauf’s LP Boot Preservative.I was very happy to find these Gobi II shoes have a guessetted tongue, which makes them even more rugged and boot-like — good for keeping sand and water out if you step in a little deeper than expected.update: one annoying thing about these shoes is that your cuff will sometimes catch on the pull-tab on the back. The pull tab/loop isn’t even big enough to fit your finger through to pull on the shoes, so I may cut it off…
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2014
squeak
I like the shoes, but they squeak when walking on polished floors. When i say squeak, i mean each step, squeak, squeak, squeak. I find myself trying to walk on unpolished tile or carpet to avoid the squeak. Everyone at work will eventually tire of the squeak and give you stink eye. I thought maybe the newness would wear off the bottom of the shoe, lessening the squeak, but… nope. Other than that, I like everything about them, but that squeak is driving me insane.
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2016
Love these shoes!
Perhaps my favorite shoes for work! They have no arch support, big toe box and no heel lift. They are great barefoot shoes which look good and my previous pairs have all held up very well. Because they are leather, there is a bit of a break in period, but I can certainly wear them all day, and they fit just as my previous ones have. With barefoot shoes, you may want to have a tighter fit than with normal shoes, but that’s up to you! That’s just what I prefer.
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2016
Comfy and well-made but weird-looking
These are my second pair of Vivo Barefoot shoes. My first is a sporty pair of blue running shoes–comfortable and unique-looking but a bit too casual for work. I was hoping these would look like dressy-casual chukka boots, but they’re so wide in the toe box that a colleague called them “hobbit shoes.” Fortunately, things are loose enough in the shire that I can get away with them–and they are comfortable and well-made. But they are really too unique for my taste. In first putting then on, I quickly nicked them too much to return–so beware, these are easy to scratch. They are also roomier than my other Vivo Barefoot shoes, so I wish I’d bought two sizes to compare–but that’s mostly because a smaller size might have looked less odd. I’m wearing them now and enjoying them–just not as excited to have then as I’d hoped.
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2015
and I felt like I was swimming in them
I have a couple pairs of barefoot style running shoes, and wanted something for casual every day. I ordered my usual size, and put these on the for the first time, and I felt like I was swimming in them. After a week though they fit perfectly. I have no clue if they shrunk a little to mold to my foot, or if I just got use to the fit.These shoes, even if you keep the cork insole in, are very cool. They don’t keep heat and moisture in, and breath very easily. If you are somewhere cold, like me, you might want to pair these with some wool socks to stay warm.I’ve received a ton of complements for how these shoes look. The look particularly good with dark denim. However being suede, if you cross your legs, and rest a shoe against the dark denim pants, they will turn slightly blue.
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2016
The Winterproof trail freaks are pretty snug by comparison
I’m a big fan of Vivobarefoot, though their sizing consistency can be frustrating. I own size size 44 in Vivo’s One road shoe, Breatho trail shoes, Neo trail shoes, and Winterpoof TrailFreak trail shoes. All fit differently! The Gobi is closer to the fit of the One road shoe, the largest of the ones I listed here. The Winterproof trail freaks are pretty snug by comparison.These are the first pair of shoes I’ve owned where my feet actually felt cold! The leather is thin and in a cool office environment, you can feel it. I wouldn’t have it any other way though, I like the thin construction, it’s well suited to the intent behind these.
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2015
- The original minimalist desert boot, designed to let you explore barefoot every day
- Non-Marking TPU Outsole - our thinnest and most durable barefoot sole
- Men's Everyday Shoes
Vivobarefoot Gobi II Men’s Classic Desert Boot – FAQ
how warm are they in cold weather?
They are not warm in cold weather. Thin sole, single thickness of leather around the foot. On the other hand, they are extremely comfortable except in winter. I have them in both brown and black. They are also amazingly durable so far.
I wear a narrow shoe, about a “B” width. Do these run even a bit narrow? I can get into the New Balance minimus.
These definitely run wide. They have a wide toe box. They are wider than the New Balance. As you wear barefoot shoes, then your feed widen some.
Does the suede get discolored easily (in rain or otherwise)?
I always spray my suede with a waterproof.
why did the price change
Hi Karina,Thank you for your inquiry. We greatly apologize for the inconvenience or confusion this may have caused. The prices on our website fluctuate often depending on the specifications put forth by our vendors. We encourage you to check back periodically, as it is possible the price may drop back down again in the future. If you have any further questions or concerns, please let us know. KelleyLeftLane Sports
where are they manufactured?
My oxblood and tan ones both say “China”. Cannot locate my black ones right now. (messy house)
Can you tell me size in inches or centimeters? I am really confused about sizes 🙂
Neither. American shoe sizes don’t use with inches or centimeters. If you check this link it might help you- http://www.zappos.com/measure-your-shoe-size The shoe is comfortable.
Is the size 12-12.5 the equivalent to the 12 or does it run slightly larger?
I’d say that it runs right to size. I got a 14 and it fits well.
Do they strech lenghtwise? The next size is way too wide. The size down would need to stretch up to a quarter size. Is that going to happen?
They don’t stretch lengthwise. They are true to size.
what size to wear if you’re a 10.5?
I’m a size 11 and I order size 12 and they are a great fit. I measured my foot against a wall in centimeters and checked their sizing chart.
Are these slip resistant?
“slip resistant” is a funny way of putting it. the rubber is fairly grippy and the sole pattern works well on most surfaces. that said, the rubber is not as grippy as what you would find on a rock climbing shoe; and the sole pattern, though functional, is relatively minimal and does not provide the kind of traction in a slippery surface that you would find in a deeply lugged hiking or work boot. so.. yes, the rubber is nice and grippy, but they’re not deeply lugged for mud or slush or wet grass.
- The original minimalist desert boot, designed to let you explore barefoot every day
- Non-Marking TPU Outsole - our thinnest and most durable barefoot sole
- Men's Everyday Shoes
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