packgoatguy
WKR
I've been wearing mostly zero drop type footwear since mid 2023. I've had bad ankles, high arches, gout, and most recently a tailor's bunion... so plenty of foot issues. In the past decade, id used Solomon hightop lightweight hikers and big heavy zamberlain boots. After a very bad sprain in about 2014, I would regularly roll my ankle. Often a couple times a month. After switching to the vivo trackers, I haven't had a significant roll (while hiking) since. However, this past March, I was jogging (wearing my regular brooks trail runners, which are low drop, but not zero drop) and I had another bad ankle roll. After recovering from that, i did have a few minor rolls around mid May during bear season when the snow would give-way under my foot in an unexpected way. Once I was able to run again, I switched to my Altra lp 8, and found that I could only trust my stability if I forced myself to run with a toe-heel strike instead of a heel-toe strike. This was a challenge and I've had to work through tendinitis in my Achilles and have found I am more likely to catch my toe and trip... but in the end I think it has been worth it as my legs and feet adjust to my new form.
I've been wearing vivo tracker esc boots since the spring of 2023. I've got two pairs, one a size larger than the other that I use during the colder months because I can layer 2 socks inside. I only wear them for hiking/hunting... not around the house... but they both have a couple hundred miles on them by now. I've got a couple videos I can share that I made to show the wear and tear they've seen and how they have held up. (Be warned, they are boring). Overall, I've been impressed with the durability... the tread especially. I'm not a fan of the stitching around the outside of the sole, as it seems to get beat up and fray a lot. It would also be nice if there was more protection for the leather at the toe because it gets beat up there too. I've always worn mine with gaiters and I've been pretty on top of applying the beeswax stuff they recommend. One thing that I'm not a big fan of is their lack of waterproofing. The leather itself is reasonably water resistant if I've generously applied the beeswax... but that wears off in a day. The water comes in through the seams pretty easily though. So, if I know I will be in a lot of consistently wet conditions, I've had success making over-booties out of tyvek and gorilla tape. I can usually get 10-20 miles on a pair of the booties before they wear through. The tyvek breaths well enough that my feet don't get clammy, but is waterproof enough to keep the boots from getting soaked if it's raining or going through puddles.
I use the FP Insoles Kingfoam flat with the Trackers.
fpinsoles.com
I've been wearing vivo tracker esc boots since the spring of 2023. I've got two pairs, one a size larger than the other that I use during the colder months because I can layer 2 socks inside. I only wear them for hiking/hunting... not around the house... but they both have a couple hundred miles on them by now. I've got a couple videos I can share that I made to show the wear and tear they've seen and how they have held up. (Be warned, they are boring). Overall, I've been impressed with the durability... the tread especially. I'm not a fan of the stitching around the outside of the sole, as it seems to get beat up and fray a lot. It would also be nice if there was more protection for the leather at the toe because it gets beat up there too. I've always worn mine with gaiters and I've been pretty on top of applying the beeswax stuff they recommend. One thing that I'm not a big fan of is their lack of waterproofing. The leather itself is reasonably water resistant if I've generously applied the beeswax... but that wears off in a day. The water comes in through the seams pretty easily though. So, if I know I will be in a lot of consistently wet conditions, I've had success making over-booties out of tyvek and gorilla tape. I can usually get 10-20 miles on a pair of the booties before they wear through. The tyvek breaths well enough that my feet don't get clammy, but is waterproof enough to keep the boots from getting soaked if it's raining or going through puddles.
I use the FP Insoles Kingfoam flat with the Trackers.
King Foam FP Insoles For Sale Online | FP Footwear
Shop online for king foam FP insoles at FP Footwear & experience extraordinary comfort. Improve your athletic performance with these top-quality insoles for sale.
fpinsoles.com
