Welcome to Swimrun Gear Talk, co-hosted by our friends Annie and Brooke from the Swimrun Labs.

In this episode, we break down the Vivobarefoot ESC Tempest Swimrun Shoe. Chris and Chipper have trained in the swimrun shoes for several weeks and they are ready to share their thoughts on the Tempest and get peppered with questions by the Swimrun Labs.

(Note: Vivobarefoot was kind enough to send us a couple of pairs of shoes to demo and they have not asked us for an endorsement or paid us for this review.)

(Second Note: if you want to learn more about Vivobarefoot and the genesis of the ESC Tempest, check out episode 23 of the podcast for our interview with Asher Clark, Co-founder of Vivobarefoot.)

Previous Show Review Updates

Salomon Amphib Shoe Mini Review

In the “Shoedown” episode we chatted about the Salomon Amphib shoe (not the S-Lab version) and Chris has recently have been using these shoes for urban Swimrun practices in San Francisco for several weeks and really liked them. In the Shoedown episode, it was brought up that traction was an issue with these shoes on trails but they have been working extremely well on pavement. Chris would definitely recommend these for more urban adventures.

These shoes aren’t in production anymore in the current iteration but the new version is called the Amphib Bold Water Shoe and looks very similar to the version that Chris used.

Ark Sports ORNÖ 02 Swimrun Wetsuit

In our previous review about the Ark Sports ORNÖ 02 wetsuit, we chatted about durability being an issue since the suit is so thin. Recently Annie noticed that she was getting yet another hole in the armpit of the suit and had to fix it with Aquaseal + Neo Neoprene Contact Cement. At this point, she’s thinking that the armpit wear might be a problem if this suit is used too often.

Gear Talk First Impressions Reports

Arc’teryx Norvan SL Shoe Review

Annie recently picked up a pair of the Arc’teryx Norvan SL shoe at a rock-climbing store and loved them. The upper material is very similar to the Amphib uppers and allows for maximum drainage. The Norvan SL is a trail shoe so the tread had a great grip coming out the water and on trails. Annie now thinks that this shoe is a contender to become her everyday Swimrun shoe. 

Ark Sports VIGG Swimrun Wetsuit Review

As mentioned previously, Chris made an ill-advised late-night purchase and ordered the Ark Sports VIGG Swimrun Wetsuit. He used it for one Swimrun practice and it’s safe to say that he’s hooked. The suit is very light and uses the Running++ material in the legs, back and arms. Running in the suit was amazing. It felt more like running in swim skin than a wetsuit. Even though the suit is thin, the neckline kept water out and the suit was comfortable in relatively cold water (around 56-58 degrees Fahrenheit/13-15 Celsius) even without using arm sleeves. Note: the VIGG does not include removable arm sleeves. The Running++ material repelled/shed water as soon as he came out of the water. 

After observing the ORNÖ O2 and the VIGG closely, the Running++ material appeared to be a tighter weave that the Running+ and felt thinner. The seams on the VIGG look a bit sturdier than those on the ORNÖ as well. This might be due to all the Running++ material used. The jury is still out on durability but it looks like it might last with proper care.

Overall, the suit was amazing and Chris now understands why Annie and Chipper want to use their Ark Sports suits in training despite the durability issues. The VIGG is a joy to Swimrun in and Chris plans to use it in training as long as the water temperature allows.

The Main Event: The Vivobarefoot ECS Tempest Swimrun Shoe Review

The Tempest is the first style to launch as part of the “Extreme Survival Collection,” and is touted as “the best Swim Run shoe on the planet, for the amphibious athlete” on the Vivobarefoot website. The description of the shoe states that it was “[i]nspired by nature's aquatic animals and blended with modern technology, we created a lightweight organic cage to provide flexibility, drainage, and protection.” The sole was developed in collaboration with Michelin using a proprietary compound that provides grip on every surface. The shoe retails for $220.

The shoe looks pretty revolutionary from top to bottom and has the following features:

• Sticky rubber outsole developed in collaboration with Michelin

• Speed toggle for easy fastening

• Quick draining mesh and recycled plastic PET ankle sock construction

• Bio-based Bloom EVA midsole gives additional flotation reduces heavy feet in the water

There’s a lot to unpack here so let’s jump right into the review of the shoe.

Swim Review

The shoe performed excellently on the swim. It was definitely a non-issue and didn’t require any mental energy while swimming. A great shoe for swimming. Period.

Swimrun Transitions Review

In transition, the shoe performed well. The ankle sock construction isn’t tight around the ankle so some debris can enter the shoe but it wasn’t very noticeable. The shoe drains exceptionally well since the entire upper part of the shoe is basically all mesh. 

Chipper got scientific with the shoe and did the Swimrun Labs-prescribed water bucket test. He took the shoes and weighed them while dry, then he immersed them in water to soak for 20 minutes, weighed them afterward, waited two minutes, and then re-weighed them. (Note we had to two different measurements because Chipper used one black and one orange shoe for the test.) Here are his results for the Men’s size 11 shoe:

Dry Weight:

Orange shoe (342 grams per shoe)

Black shoe (337 grams per shoe)

Weight after the 20-minute soak:

Orange shoe (426 grams)

Black shoe (423 grams)

Weight after 2-minute dry time:

Orange shoe (415 grams)

Black shoe (394 grams)

Interestingly, the Black color version of the shoe appears to be slightly lighter than the coral color. We didn’t notice any performance impact but it was worth noting.

The special Michelin compound of the sole lived up to the hype for us. We exited and entered water on sand, dirt, and slippery rocks and grip was never an issue. Same was true while running on pavement, sand, dirt, grass, train tracks and wood planks.

Run Review

A caveat to the run review is that this shoe is super minimal and it does take some getting used to. Chris didn’t do any of the recommended exposure to get accustomed to minimal shoes but Chipper went through the protocol as described by Vivobarefoot. All that being said, neither Chipper nor Chris were ready to totally commit to minimal-style running. Chipper could see himself racing a short Swimrun event in the shoe but Chris wasn’t into it. Training in these shoes will definitely happen. (Annie, Brooke and “science” recommend using a variety of shoes regularly of different types since this is the easiest way to prevent common running injuries.)

One issue that both Chipper and Chris experienced on the run was that they got a blister on the pinky toe on the black shoe. The hot spot was probably due to where the top of front part of the shoe was creasing while running. Interestingly, there weren’t hot spots on the orange shoe.

It’s too early to tell about the durability of the shoe. The shoe is really well crafted but there is a potential for some ripping on the mesh of the shoe because the materials are so specific. The material used in the upper to create some structure might also start peeling off after long-term use.

Overall, the shoe performed really well on the run (blisters aside) and it was an ideal shoe…if you can run in them.

Pull Buoy Rankings

Chipper

While Chipper thought that the shoe wasn’t necessarily for him, he thought that the Tempest was the best Swimrun shoe that he’s been exposed to. Yes, the shoe might be a bit more fragile and a bit expensive but the shoe is next level. If swimrunners are looking for the top of the line when it comes to Swimrun shoes, then this is the shoe for them.

Chris

Despite his personal concerns with the shoe, Chris thought that the shoe was amazing and really appreciated the tech that was used to create a shoe that is specifically for swimrun. Vivobarefoot has set a high bar for shoes. He took some Buoy points away for the cost and for the break-in period required to really be able to race long distances in the shoe.

Overall Impressions

The Vivobarefoot ESC Tempest is the most advanced Swimrun shoe in the world. It’s amazing to see the technology that was put into this shoe and how they executed something that is a game-changer for the sport. It is literally the best Swimrun shoe out there.

That’s it for this week’s Swimrun Gear Talk show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram and on Twitter. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback, suggestions and/or meme suggestions. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.