Vivobarefoot Asana: Wool Leather Shoes For Casual Training

July 28, 2024Barefoot shoe with a wide wool/leather upper and minimal sole for casual cross-training.

Hello, my name’s Andrew, and these are the Vivobarefoot Asana, a lightweight barefoot shoe with a slip-on wool blend upper, leather panels, and minimal sole for casual cross-training.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review By Andrew Folts

Features

Back in 2017 I started my barefoot journey with the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite, which a great option for hardcore workouts, then I tried the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit, which was like 50% casual, 50% training.

But they did still look a bit technical, so this year I asked Vivobarefoot for a pair of Asana to test, and with a sleek design that’s more around two-thirds casual, one-third training…

They’re like a comfy leather sofa for your feet with a sophisticated sole for lightweight training.

Vivovivobarefoot Asana Features Showcase Desk

Upper/Lining

Because the Asana has a wide toebox with a perforated wool blend upper for breathability and temperature regulation, as well as leather panels, and soft organic cotton laces for natural movement.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Des Toebox

Inside there’s a stretchy slip-on collar, plus a leather-lined heel to prevent rubbing, cotton footbed for traction, and removable cork insole for extra padding and insulation.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Desk Slip On Upper

FYI, the Asana runs true to size, but for reference my feet are 10.5 in (26.67 cm) and the 11/44 fit with about a half inch of space at the end.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Cork Insole Desk

Sole/Tread

Underneath you’ve got a thin 4mm zero-drop sole with excellent flexibility in all directions and a minimal hex tread that’s denser at the forefoot and edges to prevent abrasion on concrete and pavement.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Tread Desk

Testing

Generally, the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit and Asana are quite similar, so I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to even tell the difference with my eyes closed.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Asana Vs Primus Lite Knit Pov Front Door

Walking

But going out for a walk, I did notice some subtle distinctions with the Asana’s being slightly softer and more natural feeling due to the wool and leather vs synthetic fabric on the Knit’s.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Walk Away Road Heel
Vivobarefoot Asana Review Toebox Upper Trail

Road Running

Gearing up for some road running, the two were still close, both having a great balance of breathability and temperature regulation for cold and hot weather, although the moisture wicking Asana’s wool upper was a bit better, while the Primus Lite Knit had a more secure lockdown.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Running Road Wide Curve

Which is to say that, because of the smoother leather heel, I found the Asana’s to be more ideal for long runs than sprinting at the track.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Run Front Road Crossing

Cross-Training

Doing squats, pushups, and yoga poses, though, the leather panels and tightly woven wool provided plenty of structure for casual training, and bent more fluidly without crimping due to the front/side cutaway.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Pistol Squat
Vivobarefoot Asana Review Pushup Closeup

Casual

Driving around for errands, the wool/leather blend upper was also perfect for handling wild temperature swings, as I went from an air conditioned car to the eighty-degree parking lot to the air conditioned grocery store.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Pov Feet Car Driving

Similarly, the more natural materials made it feel, both aesthetically and comfort wise, like something I could leave on all day, from biking to grabbing a drink to hanging out on the roof of my van.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Biking
Vivobarefoot Asana Review Side Style Front Door
Vivobarefoot Asana Review Pov Van Life Roof

Conclusion

Overall the Vivobarefoot Asana is an excellent pick for anyone who wants a well-designed casual barefoot shoe that can also handle some lightweight training in all seasons.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Balance Beam

Pros/Cons

Because the Asana’s wool upper is wide and temperature regulating for multiple climates, the leather panels offers some minimal support without feeling stiff, and the thin 4mm sole provides a high level of ground feel for running and working out in urban environments.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Run Concrete Gravel

However, the thicker fabric doesn’t create as much airflow as open mesh for intense training or hot days, the smooth heel can slip more than rougher fabrics when sprinting, and the tread will get chewed up faster on off-road terrain, like rocks and gravel.

Vivobarefoot Asana Review Heel Slip Trail

Alternatives

In terms of similar barefoot cross-training shoes…

  • Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit: wide toebox, slip-on synthetic vegan upper, thin 4mm zero-drop sole with excellent flexibility, and minimal tread for road running, cross-training, and casual.
  • Lono Flow: wide toebox, slip-on synthetic vegan upper, 2mm of light padding, thin 4mm zero-drop sole with great flexibility, and minimal tread for road running, cross-training, and casual.
  • Vibram KSO: extra-wide separate toes, wool or help upper, ultra thin 3mm zero-drop sole with superb flexibility, and minimal tread for walking, running, hiking, and training on roads and trails.
  • Vivobarefoot Asana Review Walking Road Side

    Resources

    If you’d like to support you can shop with the referral links above/below, browse and filter more products with the barefoot shoe finder tool at my website barefootwear.org, or watch my Zero-Drop Transition video to learn more about going minimal.

    Finally, if you have a question about the Vivobarefoot Asana, or about barefoot shoes in general, let me know in the comments.

    Thanks for reading, catch ya next time. Peace!

    Andrew Folts

    Andrew is a writer/filmmaker who creates video guides and reviews for a community of 25K+ creative rebels on YouTube.