Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit review

Having thoroughly tested the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit, we can recommend it to athletes who:

• love a true zero-drop shoe and want a barefoot shoe experience
• who seek the most natural movement in a super flexible shoe
• who prefer a relaxed fit in a stretchy knit upper
• are willing to pay a premium price for a highly durable shoe

We can tell you that the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit is a high-quality shoe, but it is a bit overpriced for the minimalist kind. If you are just starting out in the barefoot world and want a more affordable option, you can check out the Topo ST-5 and the Xero Shoes HFS II. You might as well want to note that the Topo ST-5 is a lighter alternative to the Primus Lite Knit!

Also, if you've never worn a zero-drop shoe before, you might want to tread carefully, as your feet and body need to adjust to the new setup. To learn more, see our guide on the best barefoot shoes. 

Barefoot models like the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit have little midsole material, so cushioning should not be expected.

The shock absorption measurements we have taken in the lab show us a very low level of SA - 17 SA in the heel and forefoot. If this is your first time training in barefoot shoes, you might want to be very careful with this Vivobarefoot trainer.

As characteristic from a barefoot shoe, the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit provides little to no rebound other than what the user can generate from their own muscles and tendons.

The shoe's energy return is not equal to zero, contrary to what one might think. This minimalist trainer absorbs little energy and, as a result, has less energy to be lost. This explains the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit's energy return values of 32.1% in the heel and forefoot.

The Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit is a true barefoot shoe. Its heel thickness is just shy of 1 cm, measuring 8.5 mm as per our calliper measurement!

The forefoot stack measurement is the same as the one at the heel at 8.5 mm!

The drop of the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit is non-existent. A true zero-drop training shoe.

If you want to transition to this shoe from a traditional cross-trainer with a 6-8 mm drop, be sure to take it slow and allow your body to adapt to the new shoe's architecture.

The Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit features a generous toebox, a common characteristic of barefoot-style shoes. 

In the widest area, between the pinkie and the big toe, the shoe comes in at an above-average width of 99.3 mm. A bit more relaxed than your normal cross trainer!

With a measurement of 77.8 mm in the big toe area, the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit is one of the widest shoes recorded in our lab.

This shoe is a great choice for people with wide feet or bunions who are looking for a training shoe!

Not only is this shoe's toebox wide, but it is also very spacious vertically. There is no pressure on top of the toes, so if you have a black nail, this shoe would be good for you!

We tested the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit outsole's traction and found an above-average friction coefficient of 0.37. This is a good result for a cross-trainer, ensuring a good grip on rubber mats or hardwood floors.

This Vivot shoe's outsole features a subtle toe wrap that protects the toes from bumping into gym equipment and urban obstacles without limiting natural movement.

Its hexagonal tread pattern provides multidirectional flexibility and improves grip. Based on our tests, the grip may not be the best we have seen, but it will serve you in most environments, except for particularly slippery ones!

Barefoot shoes are typically associated with high degrees of flexibility and low levels of stiffness, and the Primus Lite Knit doesn't run away from that statement.

Measuring the amount of force required to bend the shoe by 30 degrees, we got the lowest value of all the training shoes we tested in our lab at 2.5N! If you want a shoe that follows the natural movement of the foot, the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite is the right choice!

Not only did Vivobarefoot present us with the most flexible shoe we've tested, but they also kept it very light.

The Primus Lite Knit is, to this date, the lightest shoe in the training shoe category at only 8.3 oz (235g) in a men's US size 9! 

The breathability on this shoe is absolutely impeccable, and the credit goes to the thin perforated mesh.

Particularly in the area of the forefoot, where the mesh appears to be more perforated, this shoe ventilates very well.

Looking into the microscope, we get a better understanding of the upper material.

It appears that this shoe is made out of a single layer of mesh, providing it with the extra breathability that we saw in the smoke-pumping test.

The Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit is a shoe built to work using the natural stability of the foot joints.

It has little to no rubber reinforcements in the midfoot or rearfoot that would help with lateral stability. 

The barefoot feel is real on this shoe. If you are looking for the same type of shoe but want a bit of support to counter lateral movements, maybe check out the Inov8 Bare-XF Pro.

If otherwise your foot stability is good and you are looking for a zero-drop construction for cross-training, then this is the shoe for you! 

Minimal support means the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit can be bent like a pretzel, as we did in our torsional rigidity test.

On a 1-5 stiffness scale, we gave it a 1.

The same can be said about the shoe's heel counter. 

1 out of 5 again.

After examining the midsole shape from the Vivobarefoot trainer, we can see it starts narrow at the heel and widens towards the foot, without narrowing in the midfoot like most cross-trainers.

The broad forefoot matches this shoe's spacious toebox, with a width of 110.1 mm at the ball of the foot area. It is on par with the average training shoe, ensuring a very decent landing area when jumping or pushing off the foot.

The shoe's minimalist design means that the heel will most likely be very narrow. We measured 81.8 mm in the Primus Lite Knit, which is below average, so don't expect any big support in the heel area

Despite its very perforated, breathable design, which could imply a less solid upper mesh, the Primus Lite Knit has proven to be a tough nut to crack. Even without thick synthetic layers, our Dremel tool only slightly damaged the upper layer, not even opening a hole in the shoe.

As a result, the toebox earned a score of 5 out of 5! You can scratch the shoe on all possible gym surfaces, and it will not let you down.

But it's not only in the toebox area that this shoe is resistant. Vivobarefoot made sure that it is equally unbreakable on the inside! Our Dremel didn't do much to the heel padding of this shoe, and for that reason, it earned another 5 out of 5!

Our Dremel left a 0.9 mm dent in the shoe's outsole rubber, indicating it is slightly above average in terms of durability. This was expected since the Primus Lite Knit can also be used as a running or walking shoe!

We measured the shoe's outsole thickness at 4 mm, which aligns with what Vivobarefoot reports!

The Primus Lite Knit's insole is very thin compared with the average training shoe insole. Our calliper measured its thickness at only 2.5 mm! Don't expect much underfoot padding here.

The Primus Lite Knit's insole is easily removable in case you want to use your own insole for added padding or arch support.

Don't expect to be seen in the dark because the Primus Lite Knit has no reflective elements.

This shoe's tongue padding follows the toebox mesh thickness and is very below average. Our calliper measured only 1.7 mm!

If you want to change into your gym shoes quickly , the Primus is the one to pick. By having a heel tab, you can be in a hurry and still be able to put them on in no time!

Despite fitting like a sock, the Primus lacks a fully gusseted tongue. This might lead to potential shifting inside the shoe during lateral movements such as lateral ski-jumps!

At a price of 170$, the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite Knit might be considered overpriced. 

Going toe-to-toe in price range with other non-barefoot cross-trainers such as the Nike Metcons and provide less features is clearly something that might scare athletes from entering the barefoot space!