Best minimalist shoes review: Lems Primal 2 vs Vivobarefoot Primus lite (and Primus Trail!) 

Which of these barefoot shoes seems like the best fit for you? What are you going to use them for?

Finally a barefoot shoe review that doesn't go on about the benefits of going barefoot, talking about a wide toe box, and the zero drop heel. Yes, we know, that's why we are here. Other channels need to make just one video for the barefoot shoes benefits. And this is very in depth, talking about the fit around your ankle and rocks entering is a big point. thanks! Do you find yourself noticing the reduced flexibility at the toes in the Vivo shoes? It doesn't seem like it would be a big deal.

Very thoughtful, thorough, and relevant review. You covered a lot of the questions that I wish more reviews covered. Thank you!

Nailed it!! I ve been wearing Vivo for years now and the review was accurate with my personal vivo experience. Trying out Lems next. Great review!

Been pretty torn on which barefoot/minimalist shoes ive been wanting to try. Your channel is super helpful! thank you!

I really enjoy your reviews, as they are so detailed. Stay safe! Stay sane!

Great detail mate! Thanks. Regarding price, here in UK the lems are pricey too. There's only really one online shop selling them too. It's a shame, I think they'd do really well here if they were more available. The most available barefoot shoes here are vivo and merrell

Best thing I ever did to my Primus FGs is swap out the laces (they come with traditional replacements, but I used a set from a pair of Merrell's I wasn't wearing). World of difference. I'm very familiar with the fiddliness of the Vivo system and swapping them completely changed them for me. So much better.

The YT page I've been looking for for so long. Feel grounds review please 😄

Great review! I went with VB, but will consider Lems for future purchases. Your son is adorable!

This really helped me in that I won’t bother with the Vivos. But keep on treking in my Lems.

I have Primal 2 and I use them for just about everything. You mentioned the Primal 2 keep your feet warm. I live in Texas and we have lovely weather of about 115 in August. I’m a very sweaty person. The Lems workout pretty well and I spend a lot of time on hot concrete. If your worried about getting hot, it’s really not of a problem in my opinion.

Nice review, thanks! I just purchased a pair of the Lems Primal 2. I have two pair of Xero shoes but I am on my feet all day on hard floors so I would like just a tad bit more padding.

1. If you're feet feel suffocated when wearing vivo shoes because you end up tying them to tight, play around with the shoe laces pattern. Maybe the way the shoelaces come out of the box doesn't work. I always buy much thinner laces and change the pattern slightly because my feel would go numb and it has worked. 2. The reason the lace's tightness goes away after a while is because the front end of the shoe laces, what's closer to your toes, is not tighten before making the knots. In not pulling the lace's throughly to make them feel fitted, extra lacing is being left which will travel up undoing any tightness made from the opposite end. 3. Pebbles get in the shoes because again the shoe isn't tied to tightly as seen from the video. I've ran hundreds of miles on loose terrain and never that I remember had an issue with rocks getting in. These are just opinions. Don't want to argue with anyone. Love the review though. I might consider getting the primal 2 when I wear a hole on my Primus Trail.

Wow, never thought about how the cuff materials and design keep stuff out of your shoe. Very observant, as always!

about to order my second set of Primal 2's. Didn't really wear them a lot in the beginning but started driving OTR for 10 hrs at a time and found they were PERFECT driving shoes. I lave them up like most of my shoes/work boots with 1/8" shockcord and a spring stop toggle stopper. I did put a diff insole in at the end of the life of the shoe and am considering using a superfeet insole on the new pair but not sure how that might work with flexibility. And I like the way the fabric looks kinda 3D when they get worn down over time. It is tough to really say anything about the outersole because if it was more ridgid it wouldn't flex as much. Anyways glad I found your channel. Hope you & your family are doing ok during the pandemic!!

Thank you so much for the detailed review. I’ve been wearing Vivo barefoot shoes for a few years and while I really like them, they are not great for long periods of time walking on concrete like you said. I think that Lens will be a good option for me. Did they also send you their Chukkas? If so, how do they fit/feel? Thanks again for the thorough and detailed review. So helpful.

Have watched Matt for years doing hip and body mechanics. He’s a stand up guy and in my opinion he wouldn’t BS a viewer for any personal gain(a rarity these days).I have yet to buy ANY zero drop,minimalistic,barefoot or whatever shoes but I can say loyalty is HUGE for me and if possible I will buy from a company that also allows Matt to ‘gain’ in some way from it. I have worn flat sandals and Vans and deck shoes all my life being from Florida. My feet are and have always been my strength in sports and life. If you like flat and zero drops try Kino sandals made ONLY in Key West Florida before your eyes while you wait

Haha love it….VB seem to enjoy occupying a place in the upper echelon… love your video!! Great info!!

In Minnesota I wear my shamma sandals as long as it's above freezing.

Super cool review, just what I needed to hear! Also I liked a lot that blue pants of you, coulf you tell me where can I get them too?

Update on my last comment: Got my Lems Primal 2's. They are night and day compared to the Vivobarefoot Primus Lites. The Lems are soooo comfy, you can walk on concrete without any issues. I can carry my kids on stoney ground. The Vivos caused nasty bruising to my heels so I was forced to walk in this weird landing on the balls of my feet gait - they were truley the worst shoes I have ever worn. Everyone's different and Vivo do a 100 day return policy - must be a lot of shoes going back because they have a used shoes site also. Namaste x

Hi, I liked your thorough review, a well deserved "like". My question is: I have very wide feet, so I want to know which one is wider. Thanks and keep well.

Thanks for the quality barefoot reviews! Have you tried the Merrell vapor gloves?

Thanks, nice video and comparison, my 2 cents would be that these are 2 different pairs and that's mainly because of the thickness of the sole, Lems is not really a barefoot shoe, note how you said you tend to slam your heel down harder in Lems, that's because of 10mm stack height, there isn't enough feedback and feel of the ground. That's why vivos don't make anything over 4 mm (plus the lugs sg and fg). So if the barefoot feel it's what one looks for it's vivos every time. If more a conventional trainer with spacious toe box - Lems.

In future reviews could you speak to the differences in toe box shape ( room) and also sizing. Do they tend to fit your normal size or did you have to size up or down? And sizing based on if you wear a sock or do not. And o really width of shoes. I do find Vivobarefoot fit a bit more narrow in general..and from what I've heard..Lems ( especially the primal) fits wider. Thank you.

I was worried the Vivo would be better since they're so expensive. Really glad I got the Lems instead

I like the look of the Lems

Watching this while wearing my primal 2 and hoping my trailheads don't get jealous. If you're having lacing problems, try elastic laces.

I love the primus lights for every day stuff and gym, I have some primus trail soft grounds for hiking they are dope

The Lems have a wobbly heel and the entire lower seems to have an axis that it wobbles around. The toes also curve upward. The new Primal 3 seems to have tried to fix the wobble, but I have t tried them. I wore Primal 2 for over a year, but I’ve retired them and gotten Vivo instead.

Thank you for this review it was ver,y helpful. I just bought the Primus lite ( women's) and because we have had an unusually cold Spring ( in BC! Canada). I did have to wear socks with my Primus which I did not want to. I will eventually be purchasing the Lems shoe just for this time of year when I don't want to wear boots ( an dit would look funny as the snow has been all gone for quite some time) but it's still a little too cold for the Primus to wear without socks and even with thin socks on a couple of days. It sounds like the Lems shoes would be the perfect in between shoe. And it would also be good in the fall when it starts to get colder. If I get them, I'll definitely use your link. Thanks for also 'staying at home'.

Amazing review. Thank you!

Lems for me. I was looking for this shoes forever and observed how my posture changed with different brands, now is time for these for work in black. If I was working I buy them right away. So mine already in my mind. Corona, go away, yet I find this video because of time off. Everything happens for a reason. 💜💙💚

Extremely thorough - thank you!

Do you have any idea on the performance on the Vivobarefoot Primus 2? I'm quite tempted to get a pair of them based on your review in this video, but am unsure if i want to pick up your model, or the newer one.

The Lems are just awesome work horse shoes. Can’t go wrong.

I got my Primal 2s in 2014. The end of summer last year they finally started to fall apart (sole separation, hole in upper at end of pinky toe). The outsoles are still in great condition. I like them. They do have a couple characteristics to consider. They soak up water and do not dry quickly at all. If you get them wet today, they'll probably still be damp tomorrow. They do get hot, but mine are black so that doesn't help. Otherwise, I think they're a very good shoe. Keep them dry.

I have the Primal 2 now as a everyday shoe and I used to have the Primus Trail and they was great for hiking. The Lems are 100% vegan 🌱.

I just ordered the lems last night 🏋️‍♂️🚴‍♂️

If you have problems with round laces coming undone, look up the turquoise turtle knot.

I would like to know how your thin sole shoes feel with the metal pins on your bike pedals. I’d also like to know if you find that the pedals damage the soft rubber on the lems. I will be bike commuting during the coming autumn \winter. Thanks

Great review as usual. I alson have problems tying vivo laces

I got elastic laces for my vivos now they’re perfect

only real problem with five-fingers, besides the staring that is ;), is that it can sometimes be a bit tricky to get the right toe in the right slot. Especially the pinky often wants to be real friendly with the next toe once over.

What size did you get on each one? I have the Lems and want to try vivo but their sizing is confusing! Thanks for the video two years late!

Hi. I recently switched over to minamalist shoes. I am wearing Xero prio. I know that this has nothing to do with the shoes your reviewing in the video or may not. I am have begun to experience pain under the heel . . . Dont know if this could be a heel spur especially on my left foot. It hurts to walk on it. I dont ever remember experiencing this any other show. I first tried to wear the shoes without the removable thinner cushioning soles for extra barefoot feeling but got pain. Eventually it came back even after I put the removable thinner soles back in the shoes. Also I have been experiencing foot issues especially in my ankles for years now. I often easily get sore or in pain after being active on my feet. In my ankle especially. Foot doctors haven't been much help. Any advice? particularly with the under the heel pain which has been happening more after switching to minimalist footwear especially on my left foot. Is this cause my feet hasn't fully adopted to the shoes as I suspect. Btw i walk or stand on concrete surfaces at work. Xero prio.

I have 3 pairs of Primal 2 and they are the best shoes I have owned. My Brooks Ghost 14 and New Balance 880 V11 are both now in storage !!! My Brooks and New Balance are 4E width so that illustrates the Primal 2 are fine for wide feet. They are also tops for narrower feet as they sort of wrap around. My only complaint (and this applies to most shoes) is when you take the insole out the stitching is exposed and I don't like that. I don't think the Vivobarefoot has that problem or do the Freet barefoot shoes.

Hi Matt, nice detailed review thanks and you seem to have a similar attention to detail as me (which seems quite rare as I notice things that most people seem to overlook or not mention). I agree that the heel on the Lems doesn't feel completely natural due to it being quite rigid and rounded, I think that Vivo have one of the most natural feeling soles amongst barefoot shoe manufacturers. I also found that the Primus Lite is too plasticky, I returned them because the plastic part of the upper (at the bottom of the lacing area) when flexed digs into the top of my foot near the big toe, especially as the mesh is so soft there. I had the same problem with the Primus Trail, I returned them for the same reason. I don't like how some of the Vivo shoes are cheap recycled plastic but the shoes cost a premium price. I much prefer their non-vegan leather shoes where the price justifies the quality and I'm not paying $$$ for plastic shoes. I prefer the Vivo Stealth II which has a much nicer mesh upper, the only plastic part is the toe bumper and the heel cage. The mesh is thicker than the Primus Lite so not quite as breathable. One other key difference I've found with Vivo vs Lems is that the Primal 2 works a lot better when wearing Correct Toes, because the forefoot is a bit wider and also stretches better (the plastic on the Vivo Primus doesn't stretch of course) and also the vertical height of the Lems is bigger. Since the Lems is designed to be worn with an insole then there's more height but I think that Vivo shoes have internal volume for wearing without insoles, so if you put the insoles in (for a more forgiving experience when walking on concrete) then the volume is way too snug and it feels cramped (toes have little to no room to wiggle a bit up and down inside the shoe). Without the insole it's not too bad, but still not quite enough to wear Correct Toes comfortably.

I've been wearing Vivobarefoot as a picker at Amazon which has been leaving my feet sore by the end of the week, so I was hoping to find something just like Vivobarefoot but thicker. I thought the primal 2 would do the trick, and I loved the way they look, so I pulled the trigger and bought some during the black Friday sale. I have to say I am extremely disappointed so far, they are a completely different walking experience from Vivobarefoot, which I can feel putting stress on my knees and different leg muscles. It also has annoying pressure points, ESPECIALLY that freaking heel cup you mentioned in the beginning of the video. However due to the extra thickness my feet aren't sore anymore, so that's a plus :/ Do all Lems feel the same way as the primal 2? If not I might give the chukka a try. I'm also considering trying topo athletic st-3 and Altra escalante 2.5.

regarding the lacing: ever thought of actually using your heel-/lace-lock?😅

Awesome review!

between the lems primal 2 and the primus lite, which one is wider in the toebox? visually it looks like the primus lite, but actual space inside the shoe may be different

would you recommend the Lems Primal 2 for lifting?(squatting, functional fitness)

Get yoursel a pair of Tesla's from Amazon, £25. I've been running all distances up to and including marathon for around 25 years and worn all sorts of expensive trainers. Nowadays I wear Tesla's and once or twice a week a pair of trainers I got from Decathlon for around £60, addmitedly I don't run more than 10k now but I don't get injured and running in the Teslas is fun, without getting ripped of by the big brands.

I wonder if the constricting issues with Vivo's laces has more to do with the thin upper material they're on. The thicker, cushier Lems upper probably gives their laces more slack.

Super Shu/shoe review! Want me some Lems!

My first barefoot shoes were Vivos. They held up ok but the top that was mesh got holes. I then bought a pair of Xero Prios which I liked. Lems Primal 2 were the third brand I bought and I definitely prefer them for work on hard flat surfaces. I like prios for more trails and uneven surfaces. I don’t think I’ll buy Vivos again.

Can you review moccasins? Owned a pair years ago, and they were light, soft, comfortable, no heel. Now I see several variations. Similar to the barefoot shoes.

Actually, 15 degrees Celsius is equivalent to 59 degrees Fahrenheit, which is quite pleasant weather. You seem to be under the mistaken impression that this relation between the two temperature scales is reversed.

Which shoe would be better for TaiChi indoor on gym floors or outdoors on concrete?

Do you feel the Lems are a lower quality coupled with the lower price?

Can u compare the insoles so we can see which shoe has a wider toe box

I always struggle with keeping my foot in position in these, coming from VFF, sizing is always tricky as well as shoes start to all feel big (or too small). Sweet spot on fit is harder to find :(

Hi what about toe box space for wide feet?

Which one is more wider? Lems or Vivo?

Living in New York the Lems look better in all black lol I when I bought my primal 2 it was a no brained when comparing the other colors

thanks a lot ..... awsome video

Would like the toe box width reviewed

Can you do a review of ANI shoes?

Lems are super underrated diggy

The lens don't look nearly as foot shaped as the vivobarefoot for some reason

Very detailed. Awesome.

Thanks, nice video and comparison, my 2 cents would be that these are 2 different pairs and that's mainly because of the thickness of the sole, lens is not really a barefoot shoe, note how you said you tend to slam your heel down harder n Lems, that's because of 10mm stack height, there isn't enough feedback and feel of the ground. That's why vivos don't make anything over 4 mm (plus the lugs sg and fg). So if the barefoot feel it's what one looks for it's vivos every time. If more a conventional trainer with spacious toe box - Lems.

I have wider feet than the average person. Do those shoes fit wide feet?

Mmm, won't the heel of the Primal 2 hurt your posture compared to the Primus? I wan't the shoes to help me with that when walking or running. Greetings from Peru

I like toe splay and I just purchased Lems. Typically, I go sockless. When it gets colder, what socks do you recommend to go with the Lems?

Do you find with the primals are more prone to heal striking because of the thicker heal? I’m having a hard time deciding because primals aren’t flat sole ;/ would feel not be as versatile?

Is it durable for several years?

What are the best shoes for a two-year-old?

Does anyone know which ones have the widest toe box?

Are both brand sizing the same? I don't have Lems here, but I can try vivobarefoot from the retail and order the same size for a Lems.

I've never had a pair of shoes with round laces that didn't come undone easily.

Regarding shoes I'd like to see a review on, could you try getting hold of some Leguano Active and also Freet Tanga. Those both look to be somewhere in between the Vivo Primus Lite and Lems Primal 2 in terms of minimal and breathable. They're both European though so maybe not as easy to get hold of.

And merrell vapor glove 6?

Lems for life!

What’s the pants he’s got on???

Which toe box is wider?

Nice review! I live in the beautiful, if crazy - Istanbul Turkey. It is a concrete paradise. I LOVE my 2 Vivobarefoot shoes - Vivobarefoot PRIMUS LITE II are my default. When it is wet, GOBI II MENS are my winter shoes. I use them both from day to day stuff and travel. But I don't run in them (true confessions)

I think Lems wins hands down because you can actually BUY them as opposed to Vivobarefoot which is always sold out.

Which minimalist shoe do you recommend for basic outdoor running 🏃?

Do you find the Primus lite to be true to size?

A company giving you a product for free is a kind of payment and absolutely does influence your beliefs. Don’t fool yourself but appreciate you being honest about the free goods.

Great Video! Ive been back and forth between vivo and merrell. What do you think about merrell vapor gloves and move glove?, If you're familiar. Also have you ran into issues with vivo fitting? I have a pair of primus lite, fit and feel great but order vivo stealth and was super uncomfortable.

Are all Lems outsoles 9mm? Do they make anything thinner?

I don't understand why Vivo changed their original model of the Primus Lux to have different sole, if they brought that back I'd have it over anything else I've ever had foe a shoe.

Hey mate, your laces come undone because you are tying an asymetrical "granny knot" instead of a proper squat or reef knot. It seems silly but i relearned how to tie my laces at 30 years old, 5 years ago and my laces never come undone. Look up the "Ian's secure knot" here on youtube. At first it may take slightly longer to tie but you will get quicker and is much easier to untie than a "double" knot.

How do the widths compare? I have 3 pairs of vivobarefoot and I cannot go back to wearing any other shoe less wide.

I am a new RN and thinking about going to barefoot shoes for my foot health. Idk if I am crazy to try it on hard floors for 12-13 hour shifts (I know I would have to transition to them slowly). Seems most nurses are wearing super thick shoes! It's difficult to find a water-resistant, hygienic shoe that is minimalist. Can anybody provide advice for my particular situation?

Great review man. They look so shit though don’t they, I think I’ll grab some Altra trainers (zero drop) with a shallow stack.