retail therapy

How to Get the Vivo Barefoot Shoes

Top, the men’s Lion; bottom, the women’s Liu.Photo: Courtesy of Terra Plana

After Adam Sternbergh expressed his affection for the Vivo Barefoot shoes in New York’s “You Walk Wrong” article in April, the kicks have been impossible to get ahold of. They’re made by Terra Plana, a small U.K.-based company with a store on Elizabeth Street in Nolita, and are designed to simulate barefoot walking — which is healthier than walking in shoes. The store is the only one in North America, and its stock of Barefoots sold out three days after the article hit newsstands. Subsequent pairs have been flying out the door just as quickly. But tomorrow the final shipments of the spring Vivo Barefoot collection will start trickling onto shelves, starting with the men’s Lion style in red. By next week the store will roll out the Dharma for men in black and green canvas, the Odettes in white leather for ladies, the Dharma in black and green canvas for ladies, and the Liu in red leather and white satin for ladies. The store expects 60 pairs of each style.

If you can’t make it to the Nolita store, you can snag a pair online starting tomorrow. The store estimates only about 50 pairs of each style will be available online. But once they’re gone, they’re gone. And come September, the fall line hits. For up-to-the-minute alerts of when each style hits the store and e-shelves, sign up for Terra Plana’s VIP e-mail list here.

You Walk Wrong [NYM]
Vivo Barefoot [Terra Plana]

How to Get the Vivo Barefoot Shoes