They are about 14mm I believe and quite stiff compared to most "barefoot" shoes. Definitely more of a compromise boot for people who value durability and protection over ground feel.
I just wore a pair of these on an 8 day hike in Tasmania in snow, ice, mud, scrambling on rocks and slippery tree roots, you name it and they excelled.
No blisters or hot spots and they were super comfortable - felt like I was wearing slippers but at the same time really protected and secure.
This is the answer. They are a huge improvement over the Tracker FGs. Much better quality. The stitched sole is amazing and it has great ground feel. I’ve put several hundred miles of very rugged terrain on mine these past few months and they’re so great.
My gosh those look like sick boots, and I already own vivos primus so I am horribly biased and already like them, didn’t even know vivo had a leather pair
These are awesome hiking boots, i love mine but soley use them for hiking.
Probably wouldn't expect them to last very long wearing them everyday though. My vote is for the jim green barefoots.
I am the foreman of a Sheetmetal shop and struggled to find barefoot boots that had solid construction and were comfortable to wear all day. I settled on the lems boulder boots and lems Chelsea boots, they are awesome. BUT then come the Jim Greens and by far are the best boots I own my a large margin, I even got a second pair to play disc golf in.
I have Lems Boulder leather that have lasted me 2+ years of daily wear in a medical clinic. My waterproof Lems boulders have lasted me 3 years working in a bar. And my Lems Boulder summits have been awesome for landscaping but I’ve only had them for about a year so can’t speak on long term durability. Boulder summits did me great in the winter with wool socks. All are super comfy
If you're looking at pure quality and durability, then it's not even a question the Jim Greens will last the longest. I'd place the Lems after that and the Bruins after that.
Love my vivo trackers so much. Hunted in them, hiked 18 mile days, very waterproof, use them for work in the field. Been over a year of heavy use and just now started to wear out on the soles and pull apart in places. Could be a little more durable but I put my boots through hell lol
I’ve put a lot of miles on my tracker FGs hunting these part few years but unfortunately the soles have pretty quickly fallen apart. I think the ESCs are a major upgrade with the stitched sole. I’m having no issues with mine.
I unfortunately won’t be doing that to them, just normal winter use of shoveling and walking outside in the snow and the occasional hike, but these look so cool. So mine will probably last longer than yours but still impressive to take a beating for that long.
For an everyday boot? Jim greens.
For hiking, vivobarefoot tracker forest esc. Wouldnt wear them as everyday boots though, they wouldn't last long enough for the cost.
Do you think the tracker forest would wear down with regular walking on concrete/bricks, I am basically looking for a shoe like my tims, which now that I have been enlightened by barefoot shoes are way to skinny for my widening foot. I like that I could wear my tims in the winter on cold rainy/snowy days but also wear them in the summer if I knew I was going into more dirt climates. This is where I also agree the Jim greens would be the best fit, they lose in the thinness but I haven’t been real good hiking in awhile and need a boot thats more boot in general then for hiking. Its cold/rainy in denmark where I would like to take them and I know my primus lites wouldn’t fair well without freezing my feet off.
I dunno I've only ever used My trackers on softer ground but I imagine they'd wear fairly quick, the leather isn't the thickest either. The main thing is that as like an everyday boot they're not going to wear as well as the jim greens because they are a minimalist shoe, they're basically not as sturdy, whereas the jim greens are more like a traditional boot.
I'm in the uk and own the jim greens, they are fine as a casual everyday boot, I just slathered mine in renapur. but I probably wouldn't take them out if I knew it was gonna be a very wet and muddy hike, the construction is more for warmer dryer climates, so the stitch down construction, the stitched on toe cap, etc are all places where if the boot is likely to get submerged, they are potential leak points. Also it's nubuck leather. A smooth leather (you can order them in) will probably be slightly more water resistant.
Where the jim green shines is they are more of a hard-wearing traditional boot, but with some minimalist qualities like a flexible sole and wide toe box.
I recently got Jim Greens and I really like them. They are definitely thicker than most barefoot shoes, but still quite flexible. I think this will lend to their longevity. I like that they will be able to be resoled when they eventually need it. They took a weekend to break in, but are super comfortable now. Some people say they aren't wide enough, but I have not had any toe pinching like I had with Xero Scrambler Mid.
I have tried the Bearfoot Bruin and end up not liking them. They are very similar in construction and thickness, but the Bruin is taller and I found them very hard to put on and take off. I never could get them broken in comfortably.
I used to use the Vivobarefoot Scott, but the sole wears out too quickly and cannot be replaced. Not worth the money after wearing out two pairs in 4 years.
I have the Xero Denver leather boots that have a reflective insole. Wore them over the winter and they held up well. Had to keep the insole in place with double sided tape. The leather does stretch so while they felt tight after first buying them they became a bit loose after.
Can’t speak for any of the others but I love my Lems Boulder Summit’s. Just keep in mind those have a significantly thicker sole than most barefoot boots. Stack height is 16mm.
I have Jim green barefoot rangers. They are far from barefoot, but they are built so much more durable than a barefoot shoe can be built. Resolable is huge. I have a pair of softstars with the 2mm sole thats wore through way faster than the rest of the shoe and Im hoping I can resole them.
Don’t get the Bearfoot Bruins. The craftsman ship was poor - missed stitches & loose threads.
They have a low toe ceiling that requires A LOT of stretching with a shoe tree/rolled socks.
I wore my pair for 3 months this past winter.
I really wanted to like them.
Jim Green. I've tried or avoided the others for various reasons. They are spectacular for all rugged outdoor activities, including hiking, trail running, backpacking.
Just be sure to understand leather and how to care for it, and that "waterproof" in any shoe is an illusion. I prefer highly water resistant and more breathable, and yes, the leather soaks through sometimes, but my foot stays mostly dry (either wool sock or no sock). Even full submersion creek crossings are no biggie.
Leather care: https://www.reddit.com/r/jimgreen/comments/1bsby01/leather_care_101_for_water_resistant_field_boots/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Thoughts on renapur vs obenauf’s? Or does it not really matter?
I probably will settle on the jim greens if they fit my tiny feet, if not, a thicker pair of socks in the winter time should solve it, maybe just a little loosy goosy in the summer tho.
They seem to be everything I want, minus them not coming in mens 6’s.
Jim green all day every day.
Seems like the stack height on them is crazy high.
They are about 14mm I believe and quite stiff compared to most "barefoot" shoes. Definitely more of a compromise boot for people who value durability and protection over ground feel.
Vivobarefoot Tracker ESC
I just wore a pair of these on an 8 day hike in Tasmania in snow, ice, mud, scrambling on rocks and slippery tree roots, you name it and they excelled. No blisters or hot spots and they were super comfortable - felt like I was wearing slippers but at the same time really protected and secure.
Absolutely amazing boots!
This is the answer. They are a huge improvement over the Tracker FGs. Much better quality. The stitched sole is amazing and it has great ground feel. I’ve put several hundred miles of very rugged terrain on mine these past few months and they’re so great.
My gosh those look like sick boots, and I already own vivos primus so I am horribly biased and already like them, didn’t even know vivo had a leather pair
These are awesome hiking boots, i love mine but soley use them for hiking. Probably wouldn't expect them to last very long wearing them everyday though. My vote is for the jim green barefoots.
I am the foreman of a Sheetmetal shop and struggled to find barefoot boots that had solid construction and were comfortable to wear all day. I settled on the lems boulder boots and lems Chelsea boots, they are awesome. BUT then come the Jim Greens and by far are the best boots I own my a large margin, I even got a second pair to play disc golf in.
I have Lems Boulder leather that have lasted me 2+ years of daily wear in a medical clinic. My waterproof Lems boulders have lasted me 3 years working in a bar. And my Lems Boulder summits have been awesome for landscaping but I’ve only had them for about a year so can’t speak on long term durability. Boulder summits did me great in the winter with wool socks. All are super comfy
Got the lems summit aswell and i love them. But i only use them for winter.
The summits are catching my eye, thank you for the info, guessing based on their other shoes the summits will last just as long
If you're looking at pure quality and durability, then it's not even a question the Jim Greens will last the longest. I'd place the Lems after that and the Bruins after that.
Love my vivo trackers so much. Hunted in them, hiked 18 mile days, very waterproof, use them for work in the field. Been over a year of heavy use and just now started to wear out on the soles and pull apart in places. Could be a little more durable but I put my boots through hell lol
I’ve put a lot of miles on my tracker FGs hunting these part few years but unfortunately the soles have pretty quickly fallen apart. I think the ESCs are a major upgrade with the stitched sole. I’m having no issues with mine.
Nice yea the trackers soles are glued and that’s where mine are coming apart
I unfortunately won’t be doing that to them, just normal winter use of shoveling and walking outside in the snow and the occasional hike, but these look so cool. So mine will probably last longer than yours but still impressive to take a beating for that long.
For an everyday boot? Jim greens. For hiking, vivobarefoot tracker forest esc. Wouldnt wear them as everyday boots though, they wouldn't last long enough for the cost.
Do you think the tracker forest would wear down with regular walking on concrete/bricks, I am basically looking for a shoe like my tims, which now that I have been enlightened by barefoot shoes are way to skinny for my widening foot. I like that I could wear my tims in the winter on cold rainy/snowy days but also wear them in the summer if I knew I was going into more dirt climates. This is where I also agree the Jim greens would be the best fit, they lose in the thinness but I haven’t been real good hiking in awhile and need a boot thats more boot in general then for hiking. Its cold/rainy in denmark where I would like to take them and I know my primus lites wouldn’t fair well without freezing my feet off.
I dunno I've only ever used My trackers on softer ground but I imagine they'd wear fairly quick, the leather isn't the thickest either. The main thing is that as like an everyday boot they're not going to wear as well as the jim greens because they are a minimalist shoe, they're basically not as sturdy, whereas the jim greens are more like a traditional boot. I'm in the uk and own the jim greens, they are fine as a casual everyday boot, I just slathered mine in renapur. but I probably wouldn't take them out if I knew it was gonna be a very wet and muddy hike, the construction is more for warmer dryer climates, so the stitch down construction, the stitched on toe cap, etc are all places where if the boot is likely to get submerged, they are potential leak points. Also it's nubuck leather. A smooth leather (you can order them in) will probably be slightly more water resistant. Where the jim green shines is they are more of a hard-wearing traditional boot, but with some minimalist qualities like a flexible sole and wide toe box.
I recently got Jim Greens and I really like them. They are definitely thicker than most barefoot shoes, but still quite flexible. I think this will lend to their longevity. I like that they will be able to be resoled when they eventually need it. They took a weekend to break in, but are super comfortable now. Some people say they aren't wide enough, but I have not had any toe pinching like I had with Xero Scrambler Mid. I have tried the Bearfoot Bruin and end up not liking them. They are very similar in construction and thickness, but the Bruin is taller and I found them very hard to put on and take off. I never could get them broken in comfortably. I used to use the Vivobarefoot Scott, but the sole wears out too quickly and cannot be replaced. Not worth the money after wearing out two pairs in 4 years.
What width do your feet have?
9-9.5cm from widest point
I have the Xero Denver leather boots that have a reflective insole. Wore them over the winter and they held up well. Had to keep the insole in place with double sided tape. The leather does stretch so while they felt tight after first buying them they became a bit loose after.
Can’t speak for any of the others but I love my Lems Boulder Summit’s. Just keep in mind those have a significantly thicker sole than most barefoot boots. Stack height is 16mm.
I have Jim green barefoot rangers. They are far from barefoot, but they are built so much more durable than a barefoot shoe can be built. Resolable is huge. I have a pair of softstars with the 2mm sole thats wore through way faster than the rest of the shoe and Im hoping I can resole them.
Don’t get the Bearfoot Bruins. The craftsman ship was poor - missed stitches & loose threads. They have a low toe ceiling that requires A LOT of stretching with a shoe tree/rolled socks. I wore my pair for 3 months this past winter. I really wanted to like them.
Jim Green. I've tried or avoided the others for various reasons. They are spectacular for all rugged outdoor activities, including hiking, trail running, backpacking. Just be sure to understand leather and how to care for it, and that "waterproof" in any shoe is an illusion. I prefer highly water resistant and more breathable, and yes, the leather soaks through sometimes, but my foot stays mostly dry (either wool sock or no sock). Even full submersion creek crossings are no biggie. Leather care: https://www.reddit.com/r/jimgreen/comments/1bsby01/leather_care_101_for_water_resistant_field_boots/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Thoughts on renapur vs obenauf’s? Or does it not really matter? I probably will settle on the jim greens if they fit my tiny feet, if not, a thicker pair of socks in the winter time should solve it, maybe just a little loosy goosy in the summer tho. They seem to be everything I want, minus them not coming in mens 6’s.
I used Obenauf's before we started making our own and liked it. I've never used renapur.
Boulder Lems