Hello, my name’s Andrew, and these are the Vivobarefoot Tracker FG Textile, the best waterproof Vivo’s for firm ground hiking.

Features

Back in 2017 I bought my first pair of zero-drop hiking boots with the Vivobarefoot Primus Trek and six years later they’re still going, but they’re not 100% waterproof and the upper’s a bit low for nasty conditions.

So I asked Vivobarefoot for a pair of their Tracker FG Textile to test and they’re like a bad weather juggernaut, while only being HALF the weight of a traditional hiking boot (434g vs 860g).

Upper/Lining

Because the Tracker Textile has a wide, foot-shaped toebox with a waterproof vegan upper, wraparound toe guard, gusseted tongue, lace hooks for quick release, sealed seams, and slanted ankle cuff for mobility.

Inside the whole boot is lined with a warm, breathable membrane, along with a removable heat-reflective insole for extra insulation.

Sole/Tread

Underneath you’ve got a medium-thin 7mm sole that’s flexible in all directions and an aggressive tread with hexagonal lugs that are spaced to handle muddy hills but still flat enough to work on rocks and roads.

Testing

Putting on the Vivobarefoot Tracker Textile the first thing I noticed was how flexible the upper was compared to my old leather hiking boots.

Hiking

So going out for a hike they felt a lot more natural than I expected and the slanted back gave me a good range of motion for picking up the pace.

At one point I got a little stone under my sock, but the lace hooks made it really easy to take the Tracker off and dump it out and put it back on without freezing my toes off, and even dunking it into a stream my feet stayed completely dry.

Backpacking

For rocky terrain the zero-drop 7mm sole gave me a good balance of ground feel and protection, which is especially useful for backpacking, because it keeps your feet from getting beat up by the extra weight.

Also, while the tread on the Tracker Textile isn’t quite as aggressive as something like the Vivobarefoot Tracker SG (Soft Ground), the traction was solid enough to handle muddy hills and the flatter lugs actually felt pretty good walking on pavement.

Lastly, despite the lighter weight, the Tracker’s sturdy upper was like wearing outdoor armor and bashing into roots I was more worried about the tree than my foot!

Conclusion

Overall the Vivobarefoot Tracker FG Textile is a workhorse for tough terrain and nasty conditions, while still being flexible enough for natural movement.

Pros/Cons

Because the vegan upper is wide and waterproof, the tread is flat yet open for handling rocks and mud, and with the breathable insulation you can layer socks up or down to keep hiking all year around.

However, the toebox may be too slanted for some foot shapes, the semi-aggressive lugs aren’t as grippy on wet hills, and the protection can feel like overkill for casual walks.

Alternatives

In terms of similar barefoot hiking boots…

Resources

If you want to support the channel, you can shop with the referral links above/below, browse stats and reviews at barefootwear.org, or watch my Zero-Drop Transition video to learn more about barefooting.

If you have questions about the Vivobarefoot Tracker Textile FG, or about winter barefoot boots in general, let me know in the comments.

Thanks for watching, catch ya next time. Peace!