by Nick Pang. The VB ONE is VIVOBAREFOOT’s ultimate on-road or in-gym barefoot performance shoe. The uppers feature a lightweight and breathable hex mesh with V Web lamination for stitch-less lateral support. It is also lined with a soft-fit performance lining containing environmentally friendly Aegis to provide active moisture management, anti-stink, and a pure barefoot experience.
The V Road outsole is a hexagonal two tone ultimate barefoot sole. Tuned for the road and treadmill this flexible, soft and wet/dry slip resistant sole lets your foot do its thing with pure sensory clarity.
Aesthetically, the VB ONE looks like the VB Evo, VB Evo II, and VB Evo Lite. The upper is similar to the Evo Lite but superior in terms of breathability and softness.
Review Summary
My pair of VB ONE (EU43) weights in at 7.2 ounces with the sockliner, 6.2 ounces without. VIVOBAREFOOT shipped the limited edition Training Clinic version (Black for Men, White for Women) that comes with a mini-pulsating metronome, Uncommon Sense DVD, and barefoot running book by Lee Saxby.
Wearing the VB ONE sockless, I took it out for a spin on the rubber track doing a mix of speed work after a couple of miles warming up. I’m happy to be able to sprint in them with great traction and control. Personally, the VB ONE belongs to the same class as the lightweight racers like Merrell Barefoot Vapor Glove, Mizuno Wave Universe 4, Adidas Adipure Gazelle, SKORA PHASE, and New Balance Minimus HI-REZ. Even though this is technically a road shoe, I run dominantly non-technical trails so I took it out for a 4 mile run on the local cross country course with rolling hills. No problem with the hills or gravel or packed dirt and no bruises even though it has no rock plate. This is truly an awesome multi-purpose shoe for both road and non-technical trails.
After dusting off the VB ONE with a wet cloth, I can also wear it as a casual an walking shoe with jeans and track pants! The VB ONE is truly living up with the name as the ONE shoe for everything – road running, trail running, speed work, casual, walking, and probably many more activities.
As with all VIVOBAREFOOT performance shoes, the VB ONE is super-flexible, low to the ground with a 3mm puncture-resistant outsole, and designed/crafted using premium vegan materials. It is also the best looking minimalist running shoes from VIVOBAREFOOT hands down in the black and orange colorway (limited edition)!
[nrcwhere2buy shoebrand=”VIVOBAREFOOT”]
I tested these shoes on a variety of terrain in a variety of conditions. The testing simulated the conditions I would normally run in both training and racing. On gravel roads: For me, gravel roads are among the most demanding environments for minimalist shoes. The road I run on consists of sharp, unavoidable rocks strewn over a very hard-packed dirt road. Minimalist shoes help by eliminating the need for intense focus required to run these roads barefoot. The protection offered by the EVO was extremely good. I knew I was running over rocks, but the sole disbursed enough force to prevent injury or modification of form. This is one of the few surfaces I prefer wearing shoes to barefoot. Distances: My ideal minimalist shoe MUST be adequate for distance running. Since I really only use shoes for cold temps or rugged terrain over long distances, this is an absolute must. My longest run in the EVOs thus far has been approximately 12 miles. This seems to be my reasonable threshold for determining a shoe’s suitability for distance running. Based on the early returns, this will probably be my preferred shoe for rugged 100 mile races. Speed: I don’t normally do much speedwork. My usual “speedwork” consists of an occasional 3 mile tempo run or a local 5k. To give the shoes a fair test, I ran a series of 40 yard sprints and a one mile run at a 6 minute pace. The shoes functioned well at a fast pace. The weight of the shoe was not obtrusive. Based on these tests, I think this shoe would function well as a racing flat. This may be a good solution to high school and college cross country runners searching for a minimalist shoe that provides better traction than Vibrams.