Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III Review

The Primus Lite III is a uniquely-profiled flat shoe that's ready for the gym and the road. If you've been looking for something to add to your quiver for regimented workout days, this is the shoe we would point you to.

Performance Comparison

Ground Feedback

With a 7mm stack height, this isn't the lowest profile shoe around. If you want to get lower to the ground, however, you can remove the 3mm insole for more ground feel. The Primus Lite III is designed to be very flat. There are no raised lugs on the outsole, and the tread pattern is nearly two-dimensional. These factors combine to create a large, flat surface to interface with the ground.

With plenty of room in the toe box, we could feel and push off the ground easily and comfortably. When running, we noticed how easy and fun it was to sprint in these shoes. The flat, wide profile helps you feel and respond to the ground with a lightning reflex, and the room in the toe box makes it feel natural to stay on the toes while the legs are churning and burning.

Stability

Once again, ample toe room plays a huge role in the stability of these shoes. When your feet and toes can properly splay and spread out, it greatly enhances balance and stability. This characteristic, along with the flat profile that creates a stable base, work together to create a strong platform that will help your training excel.

While the durable upper of the Primus Lite encases the foot well, we noticed that our feet tended to slide forward when running downhill in these shoes. The hardness of the rubber may also cause some discomfort and rubbing, but we didn't have much of an issue with this personally. And, once again, the wide and spacious toe box didn't leave our toes feeling cramped despite the tendency to push forward on slopes. The primary drawback of this shoe's stability is its lack of versatility. While it will protect your foot on the trail, the nearly two-dimensional tread design is not built for loose surfaces. The only time we felt unstable in these shoes was when navigating loose slopes or racing down sinuous sandy trails. It's best to keep these shoes on hard surfaces, where they will give excellent stability.

Traction

We try to test shoes in the environment for which they're built. Sometimes, however, we need to take them outside of the bounds of their intended use to find the edges. During our traction test, the Primus Lite III was not the best trail runner. While the flat rubber sole does great at gripping hard surfaces, these shoes slip on dirt, sand, gravel, and pretty much any loose surface. Moreover, when these soles get wet, they lose traction even on hard top.

On the other hand, on hard surfaces like roads or concrete, the sole of the Primus Lite III grips superbly. The flat profile of the tread design provides maximum surface area where the rubber meets the road. When lifting weights, the flat, stable platform creates a good base for pushing your max. If you stay within the bounds of its ability, this shoe will reward you with excellent traction and performance.

Weight

While the recycled rubber upper may increase durability, it also adds weight. These shoes are a few ounces heavier (per shoe) than our lightest-weight contender. At 8.4 ounces per shoe, though, they are still light enough to be well within the “minimalist” shoe category.

The weight did not affect the feeling of lightness on the feet. Whether training in the gym or knocking back the miles of road, these shoes felt really good to wear. The hard rubber of the upper is patched with light, breathable mesh, which helps keep these shoes light enough to keep your mind off your feet and focused on your new deadlift one rep max or your new personal best 100M sprint.

Durability

While our testing period is limited, we can make certain deductions about longevity based on the quality of the materials used in construction. The environmentally conscious Primus Lite are comprised of recycled PET, a heat-resistant rubber. While it's stiffer than most uppers, the rubber is pleasantly pliable, especially once it's warm. The upper also incorporates a breathable mesh, helping cool the foot. This could be a weak point, but in this case, the rubber covers the potential abrasion points.

To be honest, we really have to dig deep to find potential weak points on this pair of shoes. They held up extremely well during testing. The low profile on the tread could be an early point of wear — there's only 2mm of wear before you get to slick rubber. Vivobarefoot did a good job of designing the uppers, even incorporating thinner, flexible material at the flex points. Over time, however, these points may become weak, or the laminated outsole may become delaminated. You can be assured that this won't happen without a ton of wear. These superior trainers will be well worth the investment.

Should You Buy the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III?

Whether you're looking for a barefoot trainer for your CrossFit addiction or to take your road running to the next level, these shoes won't disappoint. While they're not geared for most trail running, they'll provide enough traction for hard dirt surfaces. That said, we don't recommend them if your running regimen incorporates more technical trail terrain. Where they excel is on blacktop or concrete, and here, they can't be matched by the competition. Because they are a true barefoot shoe, with no foot support and a wide toe box that allows the foot to spread, you may want to take your training slow if you're not accustomed to this type of shoe. These will, without a doubt, increase foot strength and dexterity, and as with all strength and agility, building this can take time. If you're already a barefoot enthusiast, then you'll enjoy the way that the Primus Lite III helps your feet feel free to perform as nature intended.

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