Joanna Ebsworth tries the new Vivobarefoot Motus Strength – perfect for weight training and other functional workouts
L ove functional fitness workouts? Then you’ll love the new Vivobarefoot Motus Strength Women’s Shoes (£170; vivobarefoot.com). Billed as the first-ever zero-drop barefoot strength-training shoe, the Motus Strength is designed for people who want to build their natural strength and balance from the ground up, without sacrificing stability or durability. The incredibly thin, highly flexible and completely flat 2mm rubber soles deliver amazing sensory feedback and full ground contact to help improve your natural balance as you squat, deadlift and lunge, and this rooted feeling is enhanced even more by the wide toe box that lets your toes naturally splay for a stable base, along with the raised 1.5mm lugs on the outsoles for incredible grip across a variety of surfaces from gym floors and floorboards to tarmac and concrete.
Made for moving naturally during high-impact workouts such as CrossFit, Hyrox and powerlifting, the lightweight shoes have high midfoot sidewalls for extra durability and stability during rope climbs and multi-directional movements, while the specially engineered outsoles give excellent traction during explosive movements such as box jumps, wall balls and sled pushes. Roomy in the toes but snug in the heel, the Motus Strength provides an impressive balance between comfort and security, with a spacious yet locked-in feel during heavy lifting moves. This comfort factor is further boosted by the knitted collar around the ankle and the mesh upper, which are both soft and extremely breathable –
