Vivobarefoot’s Founder and CEO explains how embracing barefoot shoes benefits body and planet 

Galahad and Asher Clark, two seventh-generation cobblers, established Vivobarefoot in 2012 with a fundamental insight: barefoot footwear is regenerative to human health, especially for people living in ‘civilized’ societies wearing regular padded shoes. More than a simple business motivated by profit, Vivobarefoot embodies a state of mind and ideology. The company’s products are crafted to bring humans closer to nature, with the belief that proximity to the natural world fosters its conservation, as aligning to natural systems stands as the only real model of sustainability. Vivobarefoot’s journey in the retail sector is one of health-centric innovation, sustainability, and advocacy for the virtues of barefoot shoes. Retail Merchandiser had the privilege of speaking with Galahad, CEO and Founder, to learn more about Vivobarefoot’s product lines and dedication to environmental stewardship.

“Coming from a family of shoemakers, my cousin Asher and I each pursued somewhat independent shoe projects. One day, a childhood friend who had completed research in postural alignment suggested to us that our shoes should emulate the experience of being barefoot. To demonstrate this idea, he had cut off the soles of a pair of Nike shoes and affixed moccasin-like bottoms. Immediately taken with this concept, we ended up researching and studying barefoot footwear. It is astounding how few people in the footwear industry truly grasp anatomy and biomechanics, so we made it our mission to understand it all. Along the process, we extensively tested the prototype barefoot shoes we were developing and had the realization that this minimalist approach is how all shoes should be made, as it mirrored how shoes were traditionally crafted for millennia before the era of mounted travel. In the beginning, we believed this idea to be much bigger than us, leading us to try and persuade major shoe brands in embracing the barefoot philosophy. Some of those companies came close to launching barefoot lines, even collaborating with us on prototypes. However, in the end, they always wanted to compromise, asserting an understanding of the science and philosophy behind the concept but claiming consumers were not ready for barefoot shoes yet. Faced with this impasse, we resolved that if no one else would champion barefoot shoes, we would. Thus, in 2012, we launched Vivobarefoot as a standalone brand and never looked back,” he affirms proudly. 

Lifestyle needs 

Only 13 years later, Vivobarefoot now stands as a leader in the barefoot shoe segment, offering its signature footwear in various colors and styles. Its diverse product portfolio enables the company to accommodate the varied lifestyles of its clientele. “Our barefoot shoe lines are organized into four categories: outdoor, active, lifestyle, and kids. Within the outdoor range, we provide hiking boots, trail running shoes, sandals, and more. Most notably, the star of this range is ESC, which stands for Ecological Survival Collection. This series of shoes is the pinnacle of our outdoor products, engineered to help humans thrive in the world’s most extreme biomes. Collaborating with leading survival experts from those environments and drawing inspiration from the wisdom of people indigenous to those biomes, we developed specialized footwear for our ESC line, such as the jungle boot, Arctic boot, forest boot, and desert boot. Meanwhile, our active range features gym and running shoes, including the recently launched Primus Flow, which is our most lightweight running shoe to date. Additionally, our Motus training line is specifically designed for lateral movement and includes the popular Motus Strength and Motus Flex models.  

“Transitioning to our lifestyle range, we create everyday footwear designed for continuous, regular use, as the whole point of barefoot shoes is to wear them every day to promote stronger and healthier feet. Regardless of the level and type of activity our customers enjoy, having strong, healthy feet enhances overall bodily function and comfort. This is why we passionately believe that people should wear barefoot shoes every day, not only when training. Amongst our everyday lifestyle category, the Gobi sneaker stands out as the best seller of our leather and canvas shoe selection. Last but not least, our kids’ line features miniature versions of outdoor, active, and lifestyle shoes, including school footwear tailored for young barefoot shoe wearers,” Galahad elaborates. 

Connection with nature 

Vivobarefoot is currently undergoing substantial expansion on a global scale, namely in the UK, the US, and various Asian countries. Galahad provides insights into the driving forces behind this expansion and the flourishing barefoot movement. “Especially since the pandemic, we have noticed a surge in the pursuit of natural health, as individuals seek to reclaim control of their own health and rediscover a sense of freedom within their bodies. At Vivobarefoot, we truly believe that the essence of this movement lies in reconnecting with nature, a sentiment shared by a growing number of people. In many ways, the pandemic has catalyzed this movement alongside rising skepticism towards big pharma and the use of toxins in large-scale agriculture. People are becoming more discerning, realizing that artificial interventions in nature are detrimental to both the planet and human health. Consequently, they are embracing natural remedies to be healthy again, spending time outdoors, basking in the sunlight, and adhering to natural rhythms. Moving naturally is also a part of that, making going barefoot an integral component of the natural health movement. Grounding our feet on the earth is the ultimate form of connection with nature, whereas wearing bulky, padded shoes literally disconnects us from the natural world. This movement is happening all over the world, notably in America and Europe, particularly in countries like Germany, Scandinavia, Austria, and Switzerland. It is also gaining traction in China and Southeast Asia, with our business growing rapidly in Japan. Thanks to the internet, people all over the world can share their wisdom and knowledge, ensuring that nobody is excluded from the natural health movement,” he enlightens. 

Active participation in this movement remains incomplete without a dedication to safeguarding the planet. Aware of that, Vivobarefoot is focused on reducing the footwear industry’s negative environmental impact on the environment through Revivo, its shoe repair initiative. “Introduced approximately four years ago, Revivo is the first pioneering re-commerce platform initiated by a shoe brand. In the past year, we repaired and refurbished over 100,000 pairs of shoes. Our goal is to evolve into a circular company, ensuring that none of our shoes ever end up in landfills. To achieve this, we prioritize crafting shoes either from recycled materials that are perpetually recyclable, or from natural components that are repairable or biodegradable,” Galahad concludes. 

Vivobarefoot’s visionary barefoot shoes empower a nature-centered revolution by blending health and sustainability.  

www.vivobarefoot.com