Vivobarefoot Men's Porto Rocker High Walking Shoe

Broke 2 month after purchase for that price it should be different !

A year later, and I have had a chance to wear these shoes at length. Unfortunately, I have had to re-assess my opinion of the Porto Rocker, downwards. There are two issues, one minor and one major.1) ComfortThe shoes initially felt very comfortable, and it seemed like a way to have a barefoot experience in more formal outward appearance. However, this is relative. After wearing them for a few months, I tried on my old pair of Ra2 shoes: these were way more comfortable than the Porto Rockers. I suspect this is partly due to the Ra2's more flexible sole and softer leather, but may be due to the different designs as well.2) DurabilityWhile they are comfortable shoes, there is a serious issue with durability. As noted by other reviewers, within weeks of wear, the sole starts peeling off. In my case the split started around the arch of the shoe and then moves to the toe and heel. I contacted VivoBarefoot; after several difference contacts and photos sent, they said they could take the shoes back. However, I liked the shoes and, thinking it was defective glue—re-glued the shoes with a strong rubber cement. Within a few more months, this also delaminated. I now think that the design itself is flawed, since the bendiness of the thin sole puts intense shear on the bond, forcing it to peel away. To make matters worse, the heel of the sole scuffs down in under a year (with rotation with other hoes), so that £50 resoling will have to be done much sooner than you might expect.In summary, while I am still happy with my Ra2 shoes, I am much, much less so with the Rocker. The truly annoying thing is that the Rocker is pitched as a more durable version of the Ra2-type shoe, with resoling an option. But the reality is that the Rocker is less comfortable and, in some ways, less durable than the Ra2.This is even more disappointing when you know that these shoes come from a member of the Clark shoe dynasty that brought the world durable shoes including the classic desert boot. If VivoBarefoot genuinely want to advance barefoot shoes, they need to dramatically reconfigure their flagship shoe.________________________INITIAL REVIEW.Vivo Barefoot has inexplicably decided to discontinue this & other professional (haute) styles. I only wear this brand for leisure & professional styling -I've got funny feet. And as I was already happy with this style & the couple of other styles I own, I scoured Amazon & other shoe retail sites to buy up as many pairs of this hand cut Lisbon & the Porto. I spent a bomb of money but in the end it's worth it, as I won't have to think about buying comfortable work shoes for many years to come.

I am a big fan of Vivobarefoot! I like the way they look, fit and feel. They come in a broad variety of styles, materials and colors. Because of that, I have acquired many in the past few months, both current and past models. Other than a pair of Lems Nine2Five and Xero Hanas, I have given away most of my other shoes. They just don't feel right anymore, even the Altras I'd worn for a few years.I recently got a couple pairs of the 2nd generation Portos here on Amazon, in Tan & Brown. These are fine for semi-formal and dressy casual wear. As I understand it, the 1st generation outsole had an inset softer grip section surrounded by leather, the 2nd gen. only has the leather section under the arch area, with the rest being the firm, rubber-like sole.By my reckoning, this version with the rocker heel is the 3rd generation. I chanced on a December deal and got both Tan and Black pairs in EU45. I like this design the best, though the 2nd gen. has it's charms.I compared the weight of the 2nd gen. Porto with these, both in EU45. This new pair weighs 10-3/4 ounces (one shoe) vs 12-3/4 for the older version. The lighter weight is due to a slightly thinner leather upper and mid-sole.The sole is more flexible, too. The fit is similar to the 2nd gen., with perhaps a 1-2mm wider toebox in this new pair. It also has a 1-2mm narrower heel, though you don't notice it because the heel rests over plenty of sole. The slight difference is taken up with more expansion of the leather sides. Very comfortable for me!The rocker combined with the more flexible sole makes it feel more like a Gobi or RA, though of course not as flexible as those because they have a rubber sole (soul?). I find my gait is somewhat more relaxed in these compared to the 2nd. gen., which have the entirely flat back heel requiring a more careful way of walking to avoid heel strike and "slapping" the mid-foot with each step. Still, the 2nd gen. isn't bad (for me), just that this new Porto Rocker is even better ergonomically. Some people, including me, might eventually wear the corner edges of the rocker section the most if they come down on their outer heel first. This remains to be seen.Aesthetics are subjective. For me, these Rockers are more stylish than the 2nd gen, though perhaps a tad less formal. At first I thought I wouldn't like the contrasting tan sole and back section against the black, but now that I see it, I think it looks pretty cool actually. The Tan version harmonizes more with the warm tone, lighter color sole and back, so has less visual contrast than the Black version.Something I really, really love about these Porto Rockers is the lack of pull tabs. I hate those! They are more trouble than they are worth, imo. OK, they give a tiny bit of convenience when putting the shoes on, but not really more than simply grabbing the top of the back of the shoe between thumb and curved index finger. The real hassle with pull tabs is almost every time you bend your legs much or get up and down from a chair, your cuff usually gets hung up on the tab. Then, you have to reach down and move your pants leg over the tab. Frankly, this is annoying, and represents my major peeve with Vivobarefoot shoes having pull tabs, which is most of them!I may update this review as I wear these shoes in more situations. I'm very happy with these, and my wife is probably hoping I'm about done acquiring new pairs of Vivobarefoot for a long while... (Nah!)

This sole is a joke. Splits in two after a few weeks. It already comes like that. The basic sole design is defective. I love what they try and do. I have bought their shoes for years. But this is just not acceptable craftsmanship and shows a lack of regard for basic product quality checking.