Vivobarefoot Men’s RA II Classic Oxford – Product characteristics
- Rubber sole
- Shaft measures approximately Ankle from arch
- Light, flexible and breathable, with an ultra-thin sole
- Wild Hide Leather – naturally scarred and durable
- Men’s Everyday Shoes
- Light, flexible and breathable, with an ultra-thin sole
- Wild Hide Leather - naturally scarred and durable
- Men's Everyday Shoes
Vivobarefoot Men’s RA II Classic Oxford – Reviews
Clown shoe
This is absolutely not wearable with any kind of dress pants/suit. Ok ish with a pair of jeans, although the show box is really wide and the shoe looks a little like a clown shoe. You may as well wear vibram gear in terms of looks/fashion….I think that s probably why only the shoe is shown on the website. A picture with a model wearing it with pants would clearly reveal how unfashionable this shoe is. Would make any Italian designer turn in its tomb :)A shoe to wear on casual occasions or during the weekends. I am disappointed because I thought I finally found a barefoot shoe I could wear in office. This is clearly not suitable. Buy their sports model instead.
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2019
A Step back for VivoBarefoot
I started off with the original Ra, Then the Dharmas, now these.I strongly feel this was a step back for Vivo Barefoot.SizingThe original Ra and Dharma were great. Somewhere between the Ra and Dharma Vivobarefoot seem to have changed the way they size thier shoes. I wore a 40 Ra and 41 Dharma (ordered a 40 and had to return it and order a 41). Remembering this I sent an e-mail to Vivo Barefoot asking if the shoe was sized like the Ra or the Dharma and was replied that the size structure for the Ra II was more like the original Ra so I ordered a 40, just to return it and order a 41 (again)LeatherI don’t know why they chose this leather. Not to say it’s bad leather, but it is MUCH tougher and not as flexible as the Ra and Dharma and I feel it goes against the feeling of a minimalist shoe. Something intended to flex with your feet. I like the textured look of the originals, but I can look past that. I had to treat the leather twice with leather softener to get a decent feel to it. Note I said decent not good. I have now had it for a few months and it is feeling better but still feels off any time i sidestep or turn around, which I do all day due to the nature of my job.Fit.Other than it being smaller, the Ra II is also tighter vertically (not sure proper term). I was unsure whether to keep the ‘correctly sized’ ones or return them. They were extremely tight across the top of my feet. The leather soften treatment and a few months of breaking in has made it … acceptable, any smaller I would not have been able to keep them.SolesMuch stiffer and heavier than the Ra and Dharmas. Almost no ground feel. Much less flexible also. I even noted this before I tried them on when I tried to flex it in my hands.Other.Less flexible all over it seems. Heavier. Also there is a brown section of suede (?), visible in the pics, that runs across the inside of the heel and over the very top (I just didn’t realize it actually runs past the inside and over the top.) If you have a job where shoes must be all black , you gotta give it the sharpie treatment every couple weeks. Not a big deal, but still think it should have been black.Only wearing these out because I paid a good amount for these (hoping they were more like their predecessors)In the meantime I will be looking for a better minimalist shoe for work,
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2015
An Exceptional Product
I seldom write reviews, but I wanted to write something about this pair of shoes from Vivobarefoot, because I felt they deserved some earnest praise. I have worn them as my only pair of shoes for work over the past two and a half years. In that time, I had them on my feet five days a week, eight to twelve hours per day, at the office, on the subway, and everywhere in between. I also wore them on weekends for semi-formal occasions. They have held up incredibly well, and they look just about as good today as on the day I first bought them.I turned to these shoes, because I was experiencing pain between my toes, and also at foremost joint of my big toe, and I was struggling to find a pair of dress shoes that didn’t exacerbate the problem. However, I noticed that the pain was greatly diminished when I walked around barefoot, and became much worse when wearing dress shoes. I tried all kinds of dress shoes. Nothing seemed to solve the problem. Ultimately, I resolved to find something that came as close to being barefoot as possible while nevertheless remaining presentable at work.These shoes did the trick. They were wonderful to wear to and from the office. I felt like I was wearing slippers all the time; total and complete comfort. I loved the feel of walking on carpet or pavement or the transition from one to the other.For a long time, I was self conscious that they were too wide, especially because men’s shoe fashion a couple of years ago was all about extremely narrow toe boxes (which, frankly, is an asinine fashion). But most people never noticed them and never gave them a second glance. They are not the height of fashion, but they allowed my feet to function as feet should, and my foot pain has completely vanished.I should note that these shoes are very minimalist with only a few millimeters of material between the foot and the ground. At first when walking around on pavement, I found that my heels felt bruised. But over time my heels toughened up, and now I find that walking on pavement is totally comfortable and there is absolutely no need for extra padding.These are just a great shoe. Never going back to traditional dress shoes.
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2017
Comfortable and stylish
These are my new favorite shoes! I have waited for a long time to buy some because I wished they were a little cheaper, but after trying other minimalist shoes, I got tired of compromising. I have minimalist (zero drop) shoes that are very comfortable but don’t look that great. I recently tried out another brand that looked better but was not comfortable. Then I stopped wasting my time and got some vivobarefoots. These are exactly as great as I imagined they would be. They look sharp. The sole is very pliable. The inner lining is cork, which feels great. They are very light. They are roomy in the toe area but secure in the mid foot to heel area. And I like the way they look. I got the ones called navy, which I think is a confusing name. They are more like black with a blue tint. Maybe midnight blue would be a good name. I kept looking for where to buy the truly dark black version of this shoe, and only recently figured out it was the “navy” one.
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2021
- Light, flexible and breathable, with an ultra-thin sole
- Wild Hide Leather - naturally scarred and durable
- Men's Everyday Shoes
Vivobarefoot Men’s RA II Classic Oxford – FAQ
Does the insole still slip with each step like what happened on the original vivo ra? my toes slipped the insole on the orig. ra under my heel.
Yes, but not with each step that you would feel it. Mine are a couple months old and one shoe’s insole started riding to the shoe’s heel and up the inside of the heel. I have to remove the shoe and replace the insole towards the toe halfway thru the day. Sucks for $150 shoes that you’d have to do this. And from the first time I wore them, I was in love. Not worth the risk.
I bought the vivobarefoot men’s ra ii wp classic casual oxford. what’s the best way to take care of them/clean them/get rid of scuff marks?
I use Weidman Leather Wipes on all of my smooth leather Vivos. It doesn’t discolor them after they dry (less than an hour). I walk an average of ten miles a day and work two jobs. I have to clean them every day because I put them through a lot over the course of the day. I love these shoes. I have eight pair and have several more on the way. I have been in Vivos exclusively for almost a year and cannot find a single problem.
I wear a 10.5 in most shoes..should I buy 10 or 11? Thanks!
I wear an 11 in most USA size or 45 euro. I would buy 11.
i stand 12hours a day and have not found a shoe, or orthodic that keeps my feet from aching. Are these shoes comfortable for standing all day?
These are great shoes, I loved these shoes but they are a minimalist shoe. If you haven’t worn minimalist shoes then they may not be the best for your situation. They do not have padding on the foot or arch support. With this type of footwear you foot is what breaks in, not the shoe. Returning your feet to a more natural state and not as much condisitoned to unnatural shoes. I wish you the best of luck and hope you find relief but please do research and find the best for you.
How do you avoid getting plantar fasciitis from wearing barefoot shoes initially? Seems like I’m the only one who got it.
Go to this site https://www.correcttoes.com/. It will link to others. Also, what size shoe. I bought these shoes but because my problem was a thinning heel fat pad, I could not wear them. My shoe are shoes are 42M, which is the Vivobarefoot Men’s RA II Classic Oxford size.
How is the cushioning on the soles? I’m used to Altras which have very nice cushioning.
Almost no cushion at all. I have Altras as well but find that my feet have adjusted over time and I now find the Vivos more comfortable than any shoe I’ve ever owned except for Soft Stars.(which also have no cushion) It can take a little time though but I found it totally worth it.
How do they do at the gym?
The Oxford is a style of dress shoe. They’re very comfortable, but they wouldn’t long maintain their “dress” appearance if worn to the gym. Vivobarefoot offers a wide selection of excellent “barefoot” aka minimalist aka no-lift exercise/running shoes. I run in Luna “barefoot” sandals by LunaSandals.com.
The listing states that the material is Textile and Synthetic. Is that correct?
Yes – the upper is leather – the sole is a rubber material. There’s a cork insert footbed. I’ve had my pair for about six months now – wear them 3-4 times a week and really like them. I’ve even worn them on days where I’m standing most of the time and my feet aren’t nearly as tired at the end of the day as they have been in the past with “regular” shoes.
- Light, flexible and breathable, with an ultra-thin sole
- Wild Hide Leather - naturally scarred and durable
- Men's Everyday Shoes
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