Vivobarefoot Neo Trail anyone?

[daisy]

Am just about to head out for a run but happened to be browsing minimalist trail/offroad shoes this morning (cos I'm sad like that) and thought the sole on this Vivo looked a bit more rugged than my much loved but much too mild NB Minimus.
Anyone out there already tried this model/brand?
Got any thoughts/comments which might help me spend my (mostly imaginary) money? After all, Christmas is coming - I know they're pricey (£89?) but if I ask Santa to bring me the Left shoe and get Hubby to buy me the right one it may just be possible....

Cheers, I'll be back later.

[overthecrowroad]

Done a couple of hundred miles on mine. Grip is fairly good. Not quite as good as Walshes or X-talon but not too far off. Thin 2.5mm sole with 4mm lugs. Very comfortable and I don't get blisters. Down side is that they don't drain very well and get fairly heavy when wet. They were fantastic on the Cairngorm 4000 route last Sunday and now usually my first choice of footwear for on the hills. You can get them at http://www.barefootathlete.co.uk/ for £80 although I got mine off an ebay seller where they are still going for around £75.
Next year they are bringing out a lighter, better draining version called the BreathO which might be worth waiting for.

[daisy]

Done a couple of hundred miles on mine. Grip is fairly good. Not quite as good as Walshes or X-talon but not too far off. Thin 2.5mm sole with 4mm lugs. Very comfortable and I don't get blisters. Down side is that they don't drain very well and get fairly heavy when wet. They were fantastic on the Cairngorm 4000 route last Sunday and now usually my first choice of footwear for on the hills. You can get them at http://www.barefootathlete.co.uk/ for £80 although I got mine off an ebay seller where they are still going for around £75.
Next year they are bringing out a lighter, better draining version called the BreathO which might be worth waiting for.

Great to hear they'll be that useful. Thanks OTC. 'Heavy when wet' ? Since I don't race I've never seen this as a problem..just a better work out! Anyway, the mud round here at the moment renders the whole idea of lightweight shoes largely academic....
Plus, the concept of waiting for a pair of shoes I've suddenly fallen in love with? Not happening!! :w00t: I'm going to struggle to make it through the next month and a half as it is.
Cheers.

[Twister]

I am seriously considering these for winter running where I'll be going back to sock wearing and needing the extra grip that the Trail Glove doesn't offer. Of course I would prefer to buy one of the more minimalist inov 8 trail shoes but inov 8 haven't quite worked out the need for more space in the toe box yet. Okay, make your fell racers like rock climbing slippers but minimal trail shoes need to allow for toe splay and expanding feet!

Anyway, the Neo's look pretty good, I liked the original ones for a little bit, but they are now re-assigned to "general use" I did love the fit so I'd think that the Neo trails will be nice, but I've read that they may be a bit too heavy, and like the last poster said they have draining problems. (could be solved with a few mods though?)

http://www.vivobarefoot.com/uk/ and enter the code: OFFROAD20 at the checkout for 20% off. They come in around 71 quid at that. I'm still umming and arring personally, but you got until the 22nd to use that code.

[daisy]

Yeah - isnt' that a bummer with Inov8's shoes? I tried on the Baregrip absaloutley determined I was going to love them but after spending the last 3 months in the Minimus it was just all wrong. ( I've got an old pair of Roclites that have a much more generous toe box.)

Anyway, I'm now dropping the appropriate 'hints' but can't decide what colour scheme to go for...I suppose there are worse problems in life, though...

I take it, Twister that you liked the Merril glove then?

[Twister]

I take it, Twister that you liked the Merril glove then?

Love them. Check out my blog for an old review and a bit of an update later this week...

[overthecrowroad]

I think I'm going to get another pair since sportshoes are doing them cheap.
http://www.sportsshoes.com/product/V...running-shoes/

[plodding bear]

I've had a lay-off from running for a few months due to an injury, and I'm just starting back with shortish jog/walk things, so it's an ideal time for me to try the 'barefoot' or minimalist approach as I'm not doing any great distance for a while!
What's the grip like on the vivo's? I would go for trail gloves but they are very pricey. Most of my running is done on moorland tracks and muddy paths with a bit of everything else thrown in!

[Twister]

I've had a lay-off from running for a few months due to an injury, and I'm just starting back with shortish jog/walk things, so it's an ideal time for me to try the 'barefoot' or minimalist approach as I'm not doing any great distance for a while!
What's the grip like on the vivo's? I would go for trail gloves but they are very pricey. Most of my running is done on moorland tracks and muddy paths with a bit of everything else thrown in!

Then don't get the trail gloves! No grip really but they are good enough for dry trails, I'm in the Pyrenees at the moment and I'd say they suit Euro mountain running quite well. A good starting point for running minimal is to keep running in your old shoes and add a few barefoot sessions if possible to try and strengthen the feet. check out the barefoot thread for advice and definitley give it a go.

I would recommend reducing your shoes slowly, I don't know what you have been running in but if its Walsh or inov-8 then you'll probably good to go already, try something like the inov-8 285 or NB MT101 for a transitional shoe before dropping to a lower heel height.

[plodding bear]

Cheers Twister, most of my running was walshies and wave harriers. I was looking at the mt101's but trying to find any of these shoes to try on seems to be nigh on impossible. I've seen the vivo's are in Sportsshoes at the mo, so thought I'd pop over and try a pair.