Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsA very well-made "barefoot" shoe - but not for narrow feet
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2022
Several years ago, I transitioned to wearing minimalist or so-called "barefoot" shoes for any time I was on my feet and not already going barefoot, i.e. whenever I needed a little extra protection for my feet but otherwise wanted to be able to feel the ground. I have not looked back since then. I cut my minimalist shoe teeth on several pairs of Lems' Primal 2 shoes and more recently picked up a pair of Xero's HFS shoes, all of which have suited my feet great and fall on the relatively "affordable" side of the shoe cost spectrum. I'd heard a lot about Vivobarefoot's shoes during my research but struggled to justify their exorbitantly high price when there were excellent alternatives available for 1/2 - 2/3 of the price. Still, I thought I'd give a pair of Stealth 2s a try to see what all of the hype was about.
After a little on-foot time while standing/walking around the office, I noticed a few things:
- Build quality of these shoes is excellent. They have a very simple design but are clearly made of very high-quality materials. Maybe not enough to justify the mid-$100s asking price, but still very nice.
- The hexagonal outsole pattern made for a very flexible shoe along multiple axes. I like the idea and can see how it would help promote good grip on irregular surfaces.
- These shoes are definitely made to accommodate the widest of feet. Unfortunately, this meant that my feet, with relatively narrow heel/midfoot and only slightly wide forefoot were absolutely swimming in these shoes. Whereas my Primal 2s and HFSs wrap up and around my midfoot (which helps keep my foot feeling locked in and secure), the Stealth is very wide across the board. In the midfoot, the relatively stiff upper material in this area ballooned way out and around my foot, even with the laces cinched down. And in the forefoot, I had easily a quarter inch or more of space on either side of my foot, not just because of the upper, but even because of the design of the outsole. It's just a very wide shoe.
That said, while the shoes made a very good initial impression from a build quality perspective, the extremely wide fit was just a no-go for my feet. I don't prefer wearing socks, but even if I had socks on, my foot would still be swimming in these shoes. If you have very wide feet, these shoes may work for you; otherwise, if you have average to narrow feet, you may want to look elsewhere for a more dialed-in/fitted shoe, including one of the shoes mentioned above.
