Vivobarefoot Launches Shoe Made From Plants
I had the absolute pleasure of being a part of the launch event for the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite II Bio new shoe which is 30% made from plants. The team asked that I lead one o f my Wellness Walks through Giffith Park in Los Angeles and I couldn’t say yes fast enough. The opportunity to work with one of my favorite shoe companies and to lead a mindful nature walk to educate others on the healing benefits of walking in nature was a win win.
I was introduced to this brand a little over a year ago and I couldn’t believe how different my feet felt, how different I felt wearing them. As someone who makes a living walking, I am very particular about my footwear. I am also a long distance runner so my shoes have to do double duty depending on the seasons. Leading Wellness Walks ( also known as Forest Therapy, Forest Bathing, or Nature Therapy ), the terrain I walk on can be anything from concrete, to walking trails, to challenging hiking terrain. When I first began wearing Vivo, I realized that I could basically for the first time, feel the earth below my feet. I was in control of using my toes to grip unstable dirt or rocks beneath me, I was using my feet in a way that I had never done in any type of shoe before. It felt as close to grounding that I have ever felt while still wearing a shoe.
As a life long competitive runner in marathons, triathlons and even one 1/2 ironman I oddly and sadly never took the time to learn more about my feet. The team at Vivo taught me more than I ever knew about the nerves and bones, that our feet have 200,000 nerve endings that are never “feeling” what they are supposed to feel because many of us are squishing our feet into shoes that are ultimately not good for our feet.
The philosophy behind Vivobarefoot is quite simple, minimal shoes offer you less process and materials meaning you benefit from maximum connection between your feet and the ground and less process equals less impact on the environment as well. This new plant based shoe is made simply of corn, natural rubber and algae. What I think is also incredibly compelling is that this is their first step in their innovation journey to become a fully plant-based shoe! I also love their transparency and stating that they know that this shoe is not 100% plant based yet but recognize that it is that “step” in the right direction and better to innovate for good, than to stand still and I couldn’t agree more. By 2020 they are aiming to use 90% sustainable materials across the entire product range.
I was so proud to be a part of this launch in the US and my feet are thankful to have been introduced to a shoe that allows me to feel more in touch with the ground below me. As the Vivo team states, which of course I 100% agree with, nature makes the best technology.
