Vivo forest tracker esc durability

[B_Reynolds_AK]

After about 300 miles on my ESC’s I started having a pain in the ball of my right foot which made me switch to the Altra Lone Peak Hiker. The foot is getting better but each time I wear the ESC’s after a few hours the pain starts coming back. I have been looking for some insoles to try but haven’t found ones that feel right in them. The Altras feel great and have better traction but there is zero water resistance in the model I got.

Try the Sofsole AIRR insole. It’s great in my Tracker’s

 

[mtnbound]

Try the Sofsole AIRR insole. It’s great in my Tracker’s

View attachment 890786

Thanks, I’ll check them out.

 

[Dobermann]

After about 300 miles on my ESC’s I started having a pain in the ball of my right foot which made me switch to the Altra Lone Peak Hiker. The foot is getting better but each time I wear the ESC’s after a few hours the pain starts coming back. I have been looking for some insoles to try but haven’t found ones that feel right in them. The Altras feel great and have better traction but there is zero water resistance in the model I got.

I've had good luck with Superfeet insoles. Had to buy a couple, as the arch placement will be more forward or backward on different models - one gave me immediate pain, while another model fit live a glove and is now in all of the four different Vivos I wear for daily use.

 

[mtnbound]

I've had good luck with Superfeet insoles. Had to buy a couple, as the arch placement will be more forward or backward on different models - one gave me immediate pain, while another model fit live a glove and is now in all of the four different Vivos I wear for daily use.

I have tried them before and couldn’t get ones that felt right but that was in a different boot. I didn’t even consider them for the Vivo’s because of that but I’ll look again. Thanks

 

[RussDXT]

Would running insoles on barefoot shoes reduce the benefits of barefoot shoes?

With standard boots and shoes I have always run insoles, but with barefoot I have not and haven’t had any issues yet.

On an unrelated note I got the chance to try the shoes in extreme muddy conditions this last weekend at the Nightforce Challenge in Wyoming and they worked better than anything else I have run.

 

[mtnbound]

Would running insoles on barefoot shoes reduce the benefits of barefoot shoes?

With standard boots and shoes I have always run insoles, but with barefoot I have not and haven’t had any issues yet.

On an unrelated note I got the chance to try the shoes in extreme muddy conditions this last weekend at the Nightforce Challenge in Wyoming and they worked better than anything else I have run.

I still feel the ground with my Lone Peaks, they are not as “grounding” as the Vivos are. I think so long as you go with a flat insole you are not losing the benefit. Glad the Vivos worked for you.

 

[RussDXT]

I still feel the ground with my Lone Peaks, they are not as “grounding” as the Vivos are. I think so long as you go with a flat insole you are not losing the benefit. Glad the Vivos worked for you.

Gotcha, I was thinking an arch support insole.

Thanks!

 

[Lawnboi]

Would running insoles on barefoot shoes reduce the benefits of barefoot shoes?

With standard boots and shoes I have always run insoles, but with barefoot I have not and haven’t had any issues yet.

On an unrelated note I got the chance to try the shoes in extreme muddy conditions this last weekend at the Nightforce Challenge in Wyoming and they worked better than anything else I have run.

I don’t think so for higher impact activity. I have some insoles in my Jim greens that make them much more comfortable after a long day or a day with weight. I still walk the same in them, still feel the ground plenty.

I wish someone would come up with a totally flat quality gel insole for these boots. The insole’s that come with vivos are next to nothing. Vivo thermal insole is a little more significant, and the l&s gel insole is what Iv been using lately and very happy with. Especially for work days where I’m spending most of my day on concrete.

I wouldn’t put something like a superfeet in mine. Used oranges for years in heavy stiff boots but am all in on barefoot style boots this year

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

I wish someone would come up with a totally flat quality gel insole for these boots.

That is pretty much what the Sofsole AIRR's I posted about are. I cannot use any insole with inbuilt arch support. These are as flat as you can get while still offering really good cushioning. I've used them in my Crispi's, Hanwag's, Lowa's and the Trackers.

 

[grahambiel]

I’d think the lathrop and sons ones would be another option.

On the arch support question, one of the reasons for moving to minimalist footwear is to strengthen your feet. So you need to get time in without insoles supporting your arch to keep building up your feet.

But the transition is very slow (as I’m learning) so I don’t see any reason you shouldn’t use a supportive insole on bigger hikes to avoid injury, if you need it

 

[wh0cansay]

Would running insoles on barefoot shoes reduce the benefits of barefoot shoes?

Of course. The whole point of barefoot shoes is having minimal amounts of material between your foot and the ground.

 

[Wolf13]

My everyday shoes are a slip on vivo. I was traditionally a very hard heel striker. No matter what I did, I would subconsciously go back to heel strike throughout my day. That changed when I went full time to the thinnest of soles and vivos 95% of the time. May not work for everyone, but the constant reminder of doing it “wrong” helped immensely. This was three or four years ago, and now I rarely have to remember to walk right.

 

[BBob]

I used to use Superfeet and other supportive insoles in everything. After wearing barefoot shoes now for awhile I can’t use a supportive or a supportive arch insole in anything anymore, it feels awkward and makes me walk funny. My feet also took a little bit of a beating in the beginning but after some time I can now wear even the Gobi’s about anywhere with the thin little cork insole. Takes awhile but it’ll get there. The downside is my feet have slowly expanded and lengthened. I can’t wear some of my older good shoes anymore because they are now too small which has been a little costly

 

[wh0cansay]

The downside is my feet have slowly expanded and lengthened.

That's not a downside!

 

[BBob]

That's not a downside!

True in the sense of overall good but my bank account differs

 

[twall13]

My everyday shoes are a slip on vivo. I was traditionally a very hard heel striker. No matter what I did, I would subconsciously go back to heel strike throughout my day. That changed when I went full time to the thinnest of soles and vivos 95% of the time. May not work for everyone, but the constant reminder of doing it “wrong” helped immensely. This was three or four years ago, and now I rarely have to remember to walk right.

I had the same experience. Once I started wearing Vivobarefoot Ra shoes to the office everyday I quickly adapted my gait. I feel like that helped more than the year and a half I spent running in barefoot shoes prior to that. Running and walking are very different gaits and I had to adapt to both.

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[Dobermann]

'To insole or not to insole' with minimalist, no-drop shoes might come down to individual anatomy ... I ran for years in barefoot shoes without insoles just fine, but hard larger boots for work. When I switched to minimalist shoes for all-day, every day, my high arches just couldn't take it. I do reserve one pair of Vivo Trackers (not ESCs) for short-duration stints on weekends, but this doesn't work for me standing on a hard surface at work for up to 10 hours a day ... the Superfeet might reduce some of my ability to feel the ground, and reduce some of the sole flexibility somewhat, but the overall set-up is still far more flexible than most other boots I've used. Works for me.

 

[CoryM181]

I recently added the northsole extra cushion 6mm insoles in my tracker esc's and have really liked them so far. I didnt necessarily want more cushion but I wanted taller insoles to take up some volume in the boots as my feet would constantly shift in the boots when side hilling. I would recommend them

 

[Lawnboi]

For me insole vs none.

I can get away with a shoe that’s nothing without an insole doing normal things. I just can’t when I’m on rough terrain with weight on my back. After a 10 mile day doing that my feet appreciate a few millimeters of gel.

 

[SouthPaw]

I put Northsoles in my barefoot style work boots and the cushion helps when on your feet all day.

For Tracker ESCs I find the factory sole just fine, even in rough terrain and very heavy pack. I do recommend using their thermal insole when temps get below freezing.