Hello, my name’s Andrew, and these are the Vivobarefoot Tracker Winter SG, a waterproof hiking boot with warm wool insulation and an aggressive tread for hardcore trekking.

Features

Last winter I was hiking in some lightweight barefoot boots when I stepped too close to this steep snowy ravine and I seriously thought I was going to die, because the minimal soles didn’t have enough grip for me to move without falling.

Luckily, I was able to crawl back up on my hands and knees, but, yea, this year I learned my lesson and asked Vivobarefoot for a pair of Tracker Winter SG’s to test, and, suffice it to say, these things make raging blizzard feel like a tropical beach.

Upper/Inner

Because the Tracker Winter’s have a wide toebox and a waterproof leather upper that’s double-sealed with a wraparound rubber strip, plus padded lace locks, a fully gusseted tongue, slanted ankle cuff for mobility, and large pull tab for quickly taking the boot on and off.

Inside the ankle’s cushioned for all-day trekking and micro-perforated for breathability, while the tongue and footbed are lined with a warm wool felt that’s balanced out by mesh panels for airflow and a removable heat-reflective insole to keep your feet toasty in arctic weather.

Sole/Tread

Underneath you’ve got a rugged 7.5mm sole with great flexibility in all directions and an aggressive set of chevron lugs that are angled in the front and back to give you maximum traction going up and down wet, slippery hills.

Testing

Judging by my Xero Alpines, which are super grippy but a little stiff, I thought I might have to sacrifice some ground feel and flexibility with the Vivobarefoot Tracker Winter SG’s, but, frankly, they’ve even more agile than my Tracker FG’s.

Walking

So going out for a walk I had a good sense of the changing terrain under my feet and the open back made it easy to stride naturally without feeling like I was trapped inside of a clunky foot prison, like traditional trekking boots.

Obviously the Tracker SG’s are meant for soft ground use, but the lugs were spaced evenly enough that I didn’t notice them on short stretches of pavement.

Hiking

Tromping up steep hills the aggressive tread did an excellent job of biting down into the snow, so I could pull myself forward, and coming` down the back lugs worked like mini spikes, keeping my heels from sliding out from under me.

Picking my way through brush the Tracker Winter’s soft, padded ankle gave me a great range of motion, although I could feel a little pressure down lower near the wraparound rubber guard, and while the wool lining was all I needed for most days, adding a thin wool felt insole and layering Injinji merino wool toe socks got me down below zero.

Also, the waterproofing for real, and I was able to stand in a frozen stream with out any leakage, however, as with any boot, avoiding water when possible and using a waterproofing product like what Vivobarefoot sells on their website will help protect the adhesive from deteriorating over time.

Conclusion

Overall the Vivobarefoot Tracker Winter SG is an extremely tough hiking boot for hardcore trekking that’s still lightweight and flexible enough to satisfy veteran barefooters, like myself.

Pros/Cons

Because the waterproof leather upper and wraparound guard can handle even the nastiest winter conditions, the wool and mesh lining provide a great balance of warmth and breathability, and the aggressive 7.5mm tread can chew its way through any kind of soft ground terrain.

However, Tracker Winter isn’t roomy enough for extra-wide feet, the wraparound guard does make the boot more snug around the lower ankle, and the aggressive tread provides very little traction on hard, slippery surfaces like black ice and wet boardwalks.

Alternatives

In terms of similar winter barefoot hiking boots…

Resources

If you’d like to support the channel, you can use FOLTSY20 for 20% off Vivobarefoot in December and FOLTSY10 for 10% off anytime, browse and filter products on my website barefootwear.org, or watch my Zero-Drop Transition video to learn more about barefooting.

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

Thanks for reading, catch ya next time. Peace!