Vivobarefoot - Trail Freak Trail-Running Shoe (Fall 2014)

I got some Vivo Barefoot trail shoes and I've been loving them. If you're not used to wearing minimalist shoes then it won't be fun at first, but they do help strengthen foot muscles that don't get used with normal shoes.

5 fingers are good but bear in mind they have no stubtoe protection, so a stray rock in the path can really mess up your day (ask me how I know). I’d favor a shoe with a toe box, like vivos.

Vivos are amazing, I have the trail and training shoes and they’ve both held up well to disc. Before I went to Vivos I was using New Balance barefoot trail shoes and they struggled to last more than a season or two. The fit and grip was excellent though.

I am hypermobile and am also in the process of figuring out if I have EDS and what type. I didn't make the switch, but rather since I began hiking/backpacking/trail running I have worn Vivobarefoot and Altra shoes. My ankles became pretty strong and never roll, even compared to other regular-mobile people. I also have the frontal knee pain, but as you mentioned, it turned out that's about the imbalance of too strong quads-too weak hammies. TLDR: Yes it's possible

I wear minimalist/barefoot/zero drop shoes day to day. I also hiked 1300 miles of PCT including all of JMT (well, the large part that overlaps) wearing a mix of Altras and Topos. I much prefer the Topos as simply much more durable and a bit more supportive, well worth the small weight penalty. Currently rocking the Traverse model. The year after my big hike, I attempted to hike a pretty tough 120-mile section "off the couch" using Vivo barefoot shoes instead of tried-and-true Topos. It was a total disaster. By mile 13, the soles of my feet were two giant blister cushions. I hobbled out the next day nearly crying from pain and hitched home, utterly defeated. Turns out padding and isolation from scorching hot jagged/sloped black basalt surfaces is important. So yeah, as u/_m2thet says, barefoot is good for maintenance of foot strength and gentle tread in normal, less demanding life conditions. Then when you put your feet to a hard test, you still want all the protection you can get.

I wear barefoot shoes in regular life, and I used to wear Vivos on the trail. I do think I’m able to go farther and without sore feet with some cushion. I personally hike in Altra Timp 4s. I view my wearing minimalist shoes most of the time as strengthening my feet and then the cushion on my hiking shoes allows me to take the most advantage of that built up strength. 

I’ve climbed mountains in vivos. Not like actual hardcore high altitude climbing of course, but grassland to snow back to grassland over kilometres of elevation type of climbs, and it’s so much better than thick stiff hiking boots. You have to have the ankles for it, which is why I think so many people avoid barefoot for hard activity, but nothing beats underfoot feedback when it comes to feeling secure on scree and wild rock

I've been liking the new Inov-8 Trailfly Zeros in wide. Vivo shoes fit me decently well and these seem similar fitwise.

I exclusively wear Vivobarefoot, and will never go back to thicker shoes.