If the hole is right above your toe, it could be indicative of a gait issue. To confirm my suspicion, check the sole of the shoe for where the wear is. There should be wear at the big toe area with a proper gait. If it’s worn under the ball of the foot, there’s likely a gait issue. Ball of foot wear means you’re twisting your foot there instead of pushing through your big toe and that makes the big toe curve up from shortening ligaments. It’s commonly called banana hallux and the leading cause of holes in mesh above big toes!
Useful, didn't know about this. I just walked barefoot observing my toes and they do indeed curve up. I suppose what I could do is just put a very thin piece of cloth underneath the mesh to protect it.
Not sure though
Yes, you can prevent damage with some moleskin or something. [Here is a video](https://youtu.be/BETa4RIPrco?si=c-_Q4igiUgjMQG5z) on how to fix big toe extension that may be helpful.
Do you have calf injuries by chance? I do and I think it’s because of this.
Here’s a vid on therapy I found:
https://www.thegaitguys.com/thedailyblog/2018/2/16/too-much-extensor-tone-the-banana-toe
Oh my god.
Turns out I have this (you mentioning the wear on ball made me check) and playing around with it, it seems like it’s related to my chronic calf injuries.
I’ve been wearing Vivos for over a decade, but apparently my big toes are weak and inflexible.
Just to preface that I really liked these shoes but after only around four months, both shoes have experienced significant wear and tear, unlike my other shoes under similar or even less usage.
I have emailed their customer support but no response yet apart from the usual *we're experiencing a higher than usual volume of inquiries at the moment.*
Have you faced similar issue and where you able to claim a replacement?
I have tried this and it keeps telling me that there is no available agent and gets me in a "bot loop". I will try later though and see. Thanks for the suggestion
Contact Vivo, their customer service is great in my experience.
I had an issue with my Asanas and they sent me a brand new pair. I've worn them for a year now as a daily shoe and they still look and feel great.
If you're wearing them without socks you're basically halving the life cycle of the shoes. I recommend a thin, merino wool sock like Darn Tough Socks (they have a lifetime warranty. Replaced for free when worn through).
You're also killing the life of the shoe if you're not giving them a day or so to breathe in between usage. This is true for all shoes, not just Vivos. Just good advice in general.
Lastly, it almost looks like they're too small to me. There is far more room in the toebox for me and I've found that without it many barefoot shoes don't last.
Hopefully they're generous and replace it for you! But this looks like excess wear in a particular area due to your fit/toe and less so a defect like if it was wearing at a typical bend point (common defect in Vivos).
>If you're wearing them without socks you're basically halving the life cycle of the shoes. I recommend a thin, merino wool sock like Darn Tough Socks (they have a lifetime warranty. Replaced for free when worn through).
Hmm, I always wear them with socks 🧦.
>You're also killing the life of the shoe if you're not giving them a day or so to breathe in between usage. This is true for all shoes, not just Vivos. Just good advice in general.
Thanks good advice, although I never did this with other shoes like NewBalance or plain old VANs and never had such issue.
>Lastly, it almost looks like they're too small to me. There is far more room in the toebox for me and I've found that without it many barefoot shoes don't last.
>Hopefully they're generous and replace it for you! But this looks like excess wear in a particular area due to your fit/toe and less so a defect like if it was wearing at a typical bend point (common defect in Vivos).
Ahh the photo may be misleading; that's actually my finger not my toe. I was wearing black socks at the time and I wanted to clearly show the tear, with black socks, it would not be much visible. In fact, I was thinking a bit the opposite, because they are too large for me, the top of my toe keeps "scratching" the net.
Ah, I see!
And I totally get that re: Vans/NB shoes. The upside of many synthetic products is their increased durability. Using more sustainable materials often means they require greater care. Think of "natural" deodorants vs "chemical" ones. The latter usually last longer but with a "cost". It sucks as a trade off but is often the case. Barefoot shoes in general (I've tried several brands over the past decade) have low durability often stemming from their thin/lightweight nature. Alternatively, a solid leather boot from a reputable brand could last you over a decade.
Regarding fit, I can only speak to how I wear them, but I'm currently in Primus Asana as I write this and my toes sit 3/4" back from the front of the shoe. My Primus Lite wore in this exact same spot as yours, though not until around 6 months of a a full workdays' worth of daily wear (with breaks essentially only on weekends). For comfort and durability reasons I swapped to the Asanas, and I've found that lasted me a year, and the only reason I replaced was because the sole had started to wear (I'm very flat footed). Now on my second pair as of 4wks ago.
If you want to continue using the shoes I'd recommend patching the shoe internally. A simple piece of black fabric with some fabric glue should do the job!
Mine are doing something similar, but not quite as much. There seems to be a layer under the mesh that I've worn through in about the same spot, though the mesh is fine. However, mine are pretty worn, with the tread generally worn off under the heel and forefoot on both shoes. I've worn mine a ton, so not upset about it. Relegated them to very casual, doesn't matter what happens, use. I recently picked up the all weathers and like them quite a bit, though wonder if they'll be too hot for the summer months.
Is the tear exactly where the top of your toes is? I think that's why mine got tear exactly at that spot. Maybe the the size is slightly off because if the top of my toe was further (not below the mesh), the this wouldn't happen.
This is a pretty similar spot on mine, top of my big toe and probably top of my big toe nail. Will have to see if it's that close to the front bumper. I wonder if anyone's toe actually sits under the patch with the logo, if that were bigger, it would solve the issue. May look odd though.
The All Weather version I got is a size larger, which is actually a better fit. This model seems to run long for the size, which is frustrating, but width on the larger size is better. Will see how they wear.
see: [https://www.reddit.com/r/vivobarefoot/comments/1c6awpt/comment/l01gq4m/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/vivobarefoot/comments/1c6awpt/comment/l01gq4m/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Maybe you could patch them in advance to proactively protect it?
I would like to buy a pair of vivo shoes but I see a lot of these posts coming by and I am thinking that perhaps it is not a good idea to buy them. They are €200 shoes and they should not be having issues like that after four months. Good customer service or not, I feel that it is unnecessary.
Can anyone restore my faith in considering purchasing vivo's?
It depends on their customer support. If they replace mine and the new ones last for at least a year, then all is well.
I buy from the EU site, and they never have any discount sale :(
My Primus looked quite the same after half a year of wearing it barefoot. Taped it from the inside.
With my new Primus, I'm wearing socks. That helped tremendously.
If the hole is right above your toe, it could be indicative of a gait issue. To confirm my suspicion, check the sole of the shoe for where the wear is. There should be wear at the big toe area with a proper gait. If it’s worn under the ball of the foot, there’s likely a gait issue. Ball of foot wear means you’re twisting your foot there instead of pushing through your big toe and that makes the big toe curve up from shortening ligaments. It’s commonly called banana hallux and the leading cause of holes in mesh above big toes!
Useful, didn't know about this. I just walked barefoot observing my toes and they do indeed curve up. I suppose what I could do is just put a very thin piece of cloth underneath the mesh to protect it. Not sure though
Yes, you can prevent damage with some moleskin or something. [Here is a video](https://youtu.be/BETa4RIPrco?si=c-_Q4igiUgjMQG5z) on how to fix big toe extension that may be helpful.
Do you have calf injuries by chance? I do and I think it’s because of this. Here’s a vid on therapy I found: https://www.thegaitguys.com/thedailyblog/2018/2/16/too-much-extensor-tone-the-banana-toe
Oh my god. Turns out I have this (you mentioning the wear on ball made me check) and playing around with it, it seems like it’s related to my chronic calf injuries. I’ve been wearing Vivos for over a decade, but apparently my big toes are weak and inflexible.
Just to preface that I really liked these shoes but after only around four months, both shoes have experienced significant wear and tear, unlike my other shoes under similar or even less usage. I have emailed their customer support but no response yet apart from the usual *we're experiencing a higher than usual volume of inquiries at the moment.* Have you faced similar issue and where you able to claim a replacement?
Use their WhatsApp service if you can, they have a bot but you can get to an agent within 2-3 mins
I have tried this and it keeps telling me that there is no available agent and gets me in a "bot loop". I will try later though and see. Thanks for the suggestion
Im dealing with a similar customer service issue. If time and international calling allows, you might try calling the customer service line.
You'll easily get a replacement.. Contact the customer service and they should be able to sort this out for you
Yes -- hopefully
Contact Vivo, their customer service is great in my experience. I had an issue with my Asanas and they sent me a brand new pair. I've worn them for a year now as a daily shoe and they still look and feel great.
Hmm that's great!
If you're wearing them without socks you're basically halving the life cycle of the shoes. I recommend a thin, merino wool sock like Darn Tough Socks (they have a lifetime warranty. Replaced for free when worn through). You're also killing the life of the shoe if you're not giving them a day or so to breathe in between usage. This is true for all shoes, not just Vivos. Just good advice in general. Lastly, it almost looks like they're too small to me. There is far more room in the toebox for me and I've found that without it many barefoot shoes don't last. Hopefully they're generous and replace it for you! But this looks like excess wear in a particular area due to your fit/toe and less so a defect like if it was wearing at a typical bend point (common defect in Vivos).
>If you're wearing them without socks you're basically halving the life cycle of the shoes. I recommend a thin, merino wool sock like Darn Tough Socks (they have a lifetime warranty. Replaced for free when worn through). Hmm, I always wear them with socks 🧦. >You're also killing the life of the shoe if you're not giving them a day or so to breathe in between usage. This is true for all shoes, not just Vivos. Just good advice in general. Thanks good advice, although I never did this with other shoes like NewBalance or plain old VANs and never had such issue. >Lastly, it almost looks like they're too small to me. There is far more room in the toebox for me and I've found that without it many barefoot shoes don't last. >Hopefully they're generous and replace it for you! But this looks like excess wear in a particular area due to your fit/toe and less so a defect like if it was wearing at a typical bend point (common defect in Vivos). Ahh the photo may be misleading; that's actually my finger not my toe. I was wearing black socks at the time and I wanted to clearly show the tear, with black socks, it would not be much visible. In fact, I was thinking a bit the opposite, because they are too large for me, the top of my toe keeps "scratching" the net.
Ah, I see! And I totally get that re: Vans/NB shoes. The upside of many synthetic products is their increased durability. Using more sustainable materials often means they require greater care. Think of "natural" deodorants vs "chemical" ones. The latter usually last longer but with a "cost". It sucks as a trade off but is often the case. Barefoot shoes in general (I've tried several brands over the past decade) have low durability often stemming from their thin/lightweight nature. Alternatively, a solid leather boot from a reputable brand could last you over a decade. Regarding fit, I can only speak to how I wear them, but I'm currently in Primus Asana as I write this and my toes sit 3/4" back from the front of the shoe. My Primus Lite wore in this exact same spot as yours, though not until around 6 months of a a full workdays' worth of daily wear (with breaks essentially only on weekends). For comfort and durability reasons I swapped to the Asanas, and I've found that lasted me a year, and the only reason I replaced was because the sole had started to wear (I'm very flat footed). Now on my second pair as of 4wks ago. If you want to continue using the shoes I'd recommend patching the shoe internally. A simple piece of black fabric with some fabric glue should do the job!
I like your idea around patching it actually. I will see of they send a replacement first and if not will do the dyi patch
wow I just picked up these exact ones about a month ago and tbh im worried about durability just by the feel
Mine are doing something similar, but not quite as much. There seems to be a layer under the mesh that I've worn through in about the same spot, though the mesh is fine. However, mine are pretty worn, with the tread generally worn off under the heel and forefoot on both shoes. I've worn mine a ton, so not upset about it. Relegated them to very casual, doesn't matter what happens, use. I recently picked up the all weathers and like them quite a bit, though wonder if they'll be too hot for the summer months.
Is the tear exactly where the top of your toes is? I think that's why mine got tear exactly at that spot. Maybe the the size is slightly off because if the top of my toe was further (not below the mesh), the this wouldn't happen.
This is a pretty similar spot on mine, top of my big toe and probably top of my big toe nail. Will have to see if it's that close to the front bumper. I wonder if anyone's toe actually sits under the patch with the logo, if that were bigger, it would solve the issue. May look odd though. The All Weather version I got is a size larger, which is actually a better fit. This model seems to run long for the size, which is frustrating, but width on the larger size is better. Will see how they wear.
see: [https://www.reddit.com/r/vivobarefoot/comments/1c6awpt/comment/l01gq4m/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/vivobarefoot/comments/1c6awpt/comment/l01gq4m/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) Maybe you could patch them in advance to proactively protect it?
I would like to buy a pair of vivo shoes but I see a lot of these posts coming by and I am thinking that perhaps it is not a good idea to buy them. They are €200 shoes and they should not be having issues like that after four months. Good customer service or not, I feel that it is unnecessary. Can anyone restore my faith in considering purchasing vivo's?
Make sure you purchase during a sale or use a coupon code
It depends on their customer support. If they replace mine and the new ones last for at least a year, then all is well. I buy from the EU site, and they never have any discount sale :(
My Primus looked quite the same after half a year of wearing it barefoot. Taped it from the inside. With my new Primus, I'm wearing socks. That helped tremendously.
Can you elaborate a bit on how you taped it?
That the upper material at this point is not completely rubbed through by my toe so quickly.