Customer Reviews Vivobarefoot Ulysses

Nice sandals. Comfy and stylish. The back strap is a big plus and keeps them on the feet!

Sweet footwear! Super, super comfortable right out of the box. Can't wear "regular flip-flops" anymore but the strap makes wearing these a pleasure. They're a little on the expensive side but if they wear well - which it looks like they will - then they're worth it. These feel like you're barefoot while protecting the bottom of the foot. Very happy with purchase! Thanks Zappos!

I defy anybody to show me a better sandal for outdoorsy people. No exaggeration, it is probably the best footwear I've ever owned. My previous pair of Ulysses has lasted for hundreds of days of hiking, international travel, and just plain wearing around town - and it's still going strong. Just bought a new pair for no other reason than I wanted to try a new color! Please understand this is a very minimalist sandal. It has no padding. It has no arch "support". If you want or need such things, do not buy this sandal. But if you want something that is bombproof, indestructible and feels like you're almost going barefoot - then this is a dream come true.

Awesome for those of us that like being barefoot (or as close as you can get and still get into restaurants) or for those scorching days where bare feet just aren't fun on the pavement. They also make a model that has partially closed front which is wonderful for driving, especially when you're out of practice with a standard and keep banging your toes on the pedals in flip flops or bare feet (is there any other fun way to drive?). These weigh nothing so you forget you even have anything on.

These may possibly be the best shoes that I have ever owned. Now, I have been wearing minimalist shoes and spending time barefoot for several years - I do think one probably needs good strong feet to get the best of these. I have been wearing my pair almost every day for the last six months and they are very durable, and very practical - whether just walking around, hiking, traveling, you name it.

I am massively impressed with these sandals. I got them before a month long trek through Europe, walking anywhere from 6-8 hours a day. They seem like a lightweight design, and I was prepared for them to fall apart at some point. 5 months later of regular wearing and they are still my favorite sandals, while staying together and showing minimal signs of wear. I highly recommend these if you are looking for a fashionable, sturdy and all around great barefoot sandal.

I've run as far as five miles in these sandals, and they are as advertised. As close to being actually barefoot as it's possible to come with any protection for your soles. They encourage you in the same way to land on the ball of your foot, and your knees will love them. But be warned: this is minimalist footwear and as such may seem flimsy; if your ideal of feeling good includes any padding at all, you should recalibrate or look elsewhere. "No arch protection" (see below) is a good thing here.

Great summer sandal, but there is no arch support. The sole is flat and gives the wearer a barefoot feeling which is fine if you have good feet. Thin sole is strong enough to prevent small sharp rock from hurting and it allows you to feel the earth in a personal way. The elastic back strap keeps the sandal in place. Sizing is important since foot is between back strap and toe thong. Too small a size could hurt while too big a size could be loose. For me size 10.5 US was a Euro 44 which worked for me. I selected black, but I had my eyes on the blue. A reflective panel, which is not obvious, is on the side of the thong sandal which I guess is good for nighttime safety. Give them a couple of weeks to get the stiffness out and form fit to your feet. Overall, I like it and they are fun to wear.

I really like these shoes, and think these are more attractive in person than the photos suggest. Also, by a long shot, these sandals are more aesthetically pleasing than all the other versions that exist of this shoe by other companies. This one is a lot less hippy-dippy looking. I'd go so far as to say it's the nicest looking sandal I have ever owned -- far superior to sandals like Chaco (which are ridiculously heavy and bulky looking). The Ulysses is very comfortable, too -- but, I suppose, only if you know what you're getting: a zero drop, minimalist type shoe without support. However, this sandal, surprisingly, does not feel as minimalist as other Vivobarefoot shoes I have worn. The sole is a tad thicker, and a tad less flexible -- although I don't think this matters in a sandal because one's feet aren't confined inside a shoe. The sizes are quite confusing with Vivobarefoot, too. This is the only shoe company I have ever encountered where I wear a different, larger size. I am a US size 11, and an EU 44, in every shoe I have ever purchased. But in Vivobarefoot, I am a 45, and in some of their shoes I am almost a 46. Which is a long way of saying, the sizing is inconsistent and off -- at least for me. Like all Vivobarefoot shoes, the Ulysses is overpriced. This price for a minimalist sandal is pretty much ridiculous, but their entire line of shoes is exorbitantly expensive. On the other hand, there aren't really m/any alternatives; and my feet, on a daily basis, remind me that less really is more when it comes to footwear.

The idea is great but the actual product is just ok. It's minimal alright but you don't really feel secure in it. The front strap is adjustable but doesn't really stay put. I like the look, and the concept but the execution needs some improvement. Also, the white sole gets dirty really quickly.

PROS: Thin bare-foot sandal. CONS: Doesn't fit well or secure foot in place; foot sloshes around left-to-right and front-to-back while walking. Strapping system seems clunky and straps are uncomfortable on skin of foot; rubs.

This negative review pertains only to the Ulysses, and not the VIVOBAREFOOT brand in general, which I love and have purchased several different styles to accommodate my poor, discombobulated feet. Call me Cinderfella, but I have kissed a lot of frogs (shoe brands) in my day, from the expensive (Ferragamo) to cheap (u fill in the blank). VIVOBAREFOOT is generally very soft, flexible, and surprisingly durable to keep my bony, callous, misshapen feet only a few steps away from the podiatrist's scalpel. Having said the positive, let me get dirty with the Ulysses. The soles are too thin and easily catch and then unexpectedly buckle under low lying-obstacles, e.g., a rug, or crooked sidewalk. After catching your breath from each near fall, more than a few times each day, you grumble home to change foot ware only to discover that the bottom soles of the flimsy Ulysses sandals act like an incredible magnet for collecting all manner of dog hair, dirt, and whatever else after a simple stroll around my block. I have even tried steel brushes to remove the swirling dirt-balls in a vain attempt to dislodged foreign visitors before they enter my "castle". These walking hazards are made overseas and probably designed there also. I'm going to trade them for another VIVOBAREFOOT style, and then live happily ever after.