Vivo forest tracker esc durability

[dtrkyman]

Just saw a new company, magical shoes out of Poland, have a low boot with a liner, sounds like a goretex type but states water resistant?


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[HighUintas]

Possibly. I think the real question is, why do I have to repair it? For a boot that expensive, should it be failing, shouldn’t it be addressed as a common known failure, and shouldn’t they be extending repairs for the life of the boot for those failures? This is the second pair (different boot type, the other was a woman’s variant of the tracker) with a similar failure. They have a known design problem that results in the same failure point that they aren’t addressing. Perhaps they will extend a warranty repair to me, but it won’t mean much knowing it’s going to happen again.

Exactly. That is why after my vivos are done I'm going to think really hard about ordering another pair. Their CS is shit and mine were water resistant for maybe a few months before water started getting in through the stitching and the outsole delaminsted from the leather. They're ok now that I've painted a rand on over stitching and outsole/leather interface.

I'm going to look at Jim Greens next and possibly Freet. But Jim Greens sounds better since it can be resoled.

I've tossed around the idea of trying to start a barefoot show/boot company in the US, but I know zilch about making boots. By the time I would have it figured out, there'd probably be a company established. It is ridiculous that we have a huge market for this in the US yet all the companies are based out of Europe, it seems.

 

[Lawnboi]

Exactly. That is why after my vivos are done I'm going to think really hard about ordering another pair. Their CS is shit and mine were water resistant for maybe a few months before water started getting in through the stitching and the outsole delaminsted from the leather. They're ok now that I've painted a rand on over stitching and outsole/leather interface.

I'm going to look at Jim Greens next and possibly Freet. But Jim Greens sounds better since it can be resoled.

I've tossed around the idea of trying to start a barefoot show/boot company in the US, but I know zilch about making boots. By the time I would have it figured out, there'd probably be a company established. It is ridiculous that we have a huge market for this in the US yet all the companies are based out of Europe, it seems.

Nicks just came out with a barefoot boot. Just from the looks it seems they don’t quite understand what they have or could have with some tweaks. I’d bet if we got a few people on here to help steer the barefoot boot to something like many of us seem to want it could be a real winner. And with the ability to resole even more so.

The JG is a decent boot. I won’t be buying any more vivos after my current pairs wear out. But dang Jim green needs to dump that rose anvil sole and buy a real outsole on those boots.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

There she goes. Not even close to laced tight, ever. We will see what Vivo says about the warranty. It’s a 6 month warranty, and I’m at 7 months and a week, of course.

Related note, the leather and sole of the boot is not cactus-safe. I got several through the leather and one through the arch of the boot. Super fun.
View attachment 955958

For anyone that has an eyelet pull out, stop by your local cobbler. I did and they instantly fixed it with a rivet and charged me $10. I paid them $20. Not worth sending them off for warranty.

 

[TheCougar]

For anyone that has an eyelet pull out, stop by your local cobbler. I did and they instantly fixed it with a rivet and charged me $10. I paid them $20. Not worth sending them off for warranty.

That’s a legit idea, thank you. Can you post a pic of the repair so I can show him?

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

That’s a legit idea, thank you. Can you post a pic of the repair so I can show him?

New rivet on the left boot. Looks very similar to factory.


Inside of boot, showing the new rivet, which is now visible, as opposed to factory rivets being hidden behind the yellow mesh.

 

[ElPollo]

I've only recently gotten into wearing vivos with the forest esc but have been working well for me so I ordered the leather AT's for daily work wear when I don't need nor want waterproof. Really wish I could find a pair of the desert esc especially for the extra height to keep debris out.
I've been wearing the belleville minimalists for 2-3 years and they're a durable option, at least the upper is. I've never had any issues except wearing out the sole, which is considerably thinner and less aggressive. They are super lightweight and much more affordable than the vivos. the leather portions on the upper is decent against cactus but the sole is definitely NOT. I don't think there's anything very close to barefoot performance that's going to deter the mesquite thorns I have to deal with at work (Argentine mesquites are evil, honey mesquite is pretty close second) ...we use steel anti-puncture insoles for these.

I really want to like the Jim Greens and while I can't point to any fault in construction somehow they just don't work for my aching right foot troubles. They actually seem VERY well constructed and the leather seems better quality than any other I've tried. The vivos just somehow are much more comfortable by the end of the day.

Wow on the mesquite spines. So not everything is bigger in Texas.

I have a pair of the Jim Greene barefoot rangers and have similar a similar experience. Had a nerve injury that affected my left Achilles tendon and the outer half that foot. The rangers hit that tendon in the worst spot.

I think a lot of companies are getting into the idea of making barefoot boots from the perspective of making boots. I thought the same way when I was first trying them out because it was what I was used to for the previous 45+ years. The upper part of a lot of these barefoot boots is a boot that is made for support. The support is really the thing that eventually creates the problems. It makes your feet and ankles weak. The ESCs don’t have that boot stiffness upper, but the sole is tougher and more durable than any other barefoot boot I’ve seen while still maintaining the flexibility.

The ESC is really just a moccasin with a rubber sole. If you look at traditional Navajo and Apache footwear, it’s really the same concept. For those who know the history of the southwest, those people regularly outran cavalry regiments on foot and were known to cover 70-100 miles of desert and mountains in a day.

 

[43.6N]

Nicks just came out with a barefoot boot. Just from the looks it seems they don’t quite understand what they have or could have with some tweaks. I’d bet if we got a few people on here to help steer the barefoot boot to something like many of us seem to want it could be a real winner. And with the ability to resole even more so.

The JG is a decent boot. I won’t be buying any more vivos after my current pairs wear out. But dang Jim green needs to dump that rose anvil sole and buy a real outsole on those boots.

https://nicksboots.com/products/ridgeline-thurman-zerodrop

Are these the Nicks you’re referencing?
Seems like a pretty compelling product. USA made, proven company, custom resolable vibram.

 

[Lawnboi]

https://nicksboots.com/products/ridgeline-thurman-zerodrop

View attachment 956804

Are these the Nicks you’re referencing?
Seems like a pretty compelling product. USA made, proven company, custom resolable vibram.

I’d like to try the strider as it’s a little taller. I prefer an 8” boot atleast for hunting to keep crap out of them.

But yea it seems compelling, I’d like to try some eventually

 

[jonpall]

I like the JG but compared to the vivo they feel like bricks on my feet.

 

[cubdriver84d]

After a few seasons in the vivo's, I'll likely give the softstar switchbacks a try after this season. I just got a pair of their chelsea boots, and the wide toe box is next level.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I will say this. Wet steel is slippery with these boots. Scarily so.

 

[Lawnboi]

I like the JG but compared to the vivo they feel like bricks on my feet.

It’s that outsole they use, I can feel the heft of the rubber. It’s garbage

After resoling to vibram sierra the boot is more flexible and dosnt have that heavy feeling on the bottom of the boot

 

[jonpall]

It’s that outsole they use, I can feel the heft of the rubber. It’s garbage

After resoling to vibram sierra the boot is more flexible and dosnt have that heavy feeling on the bottom of the boot

Good to know I might have to try that.