A few years ago I started getting back pain in my lower back – too many years coding on the couch interspersed with downhill running had finally caught up with me. I looked into all kinds of solutions, and aside from regular sit-ups the only thing that helped was getting better shoes. Specifically, getting Vivo Barefoots.

They’re by far the most comfortable shoes I’ve had, and feel more like slippers than tennis shoes. With more room in the footbox your toes can spread out, and with their ultrathin soles it often feels like you really are walking barefoot.

That’s not what sold me, though. To be honest the whole “barefoot running” phenomenon seemed kind of crazy to me. But when I first went in a TerraPlana store (their parent brand) and tried them on I walked around for a few moments – and my back pain completely disappeared, for the first time in months. I bought my first pair on the spot and have never gone back – and neither has my back pain.