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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alternatives

In terms of similar barefoot cross-training shoes…

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!