VIVOBAREFOOT Magna Trail II FG, Mens Vegan Hiking Trainers with Barefoot Sole

Product Information

I find the Magna Forest ESC are really designed for pushing the limits and achieving optimal performance in places where conditions are not so great. The eyelets seem to have worn down on them a lot and while they still work, after 4 months of frequent use I can’t help but think that’s a weak point. The sole is fairly thin, and on rocky/gravelly trails I can feel the ground a little too much for my liking. Definitely go a size bigger if you want to have some room for your toes to splay, and possibly 2 sizes if you want to wear toe separators, and/or a metatarsal pad.

The FirmGround outsole gives you sensational grip thanks to its sticky rubber compound and durability on rocky terrain as well as on firm and compact paths.

I initially felt like my feet moved around lots inside the boots, and my feet had to work extra hard to grip. Because the sole is so thin, your heel and ankle are as close to the ground as they could possibly be, short of wearing no shoes at all. On dry rocks, however, they are super grippy making me feel really confident hopping from one rock to another. I am exceptionally pleased with this purchase from Legend Footwear Pikolinos Blue and Brown Ankle Boots. So, whilst we believe the shoes are vegan, we’re not yet able to guarantee it and want to be fully transparent.

I wouldn’t use them in races, but I absolutely would use them for summiting some difficult, scrambly mountain peaks. The only reason these get a 4 is because ultimately, they’re really comfortable and my heel pain has gone. Besides the rugged, serious look, the Magna Trail are lightweight with a moldable, flex design that’s friendly towards your carry-on or luggage allowance. With that in mind, this amount of extra sole does reduce the barefoot feeling of feeling cracks, rocks, and similar terrain. Please Note – Depending on availability, components such as soles, eyelets and laces may be different than those in product images.

They use sustainable and eco-friendly materials in their shoe production, such as recycled plastics and natural fibers. Vivobarefoot has always made high-quality shoes in my experience and the Magna Forest ESC are no different. I’d say they’re fairly rugged and will last a couple years with casual/regular use – save for the laces.

I’ve stopped delaying my review of the Vivobarefoot Magna Trail, finally putting pen to paper on how these have fared after usage over the one and a half years I’ve since had these. Compared to the Magna FG and other Vivo shoes with that sort of tread pattern, the Magna Forest ESC have quite a bit more rubber and traction when it comes to loose mud, snow, or scree. I’ve done some free climbing, bouldering, mountaineering, and more stuff which required a level of grip.

Plus, they’re so far from what I’m used to wearing to hike in that I was worried they’d leave me limping my way back to the trailhead never wanting to hike again.