Calver

I got these for my 25 K trail race and they are awesome! Light while still protecting my toes from medium sided loose rocks, hidden roots and good traction in soft gravel and sand sections. Perfect shoe for the race, spending as many miles on these in training now with a 50K coming up in the falls.

My son loves them! He’s 16, has very wide feet (hard to find cleats that fit width wise that aren’t too long), and an avid ultimate frisbee player. He says they really make him feel like his feet grip the ground. He feels very stable and agile. His only suggestion is that the top of the shoe doesn’t offer much protection from the other players who are using regular cleats. If he gets cleated, he definitely feels it more, and the tops of his feet feel a little unprotected. He says they are still his favorite ultimate frisbee shoes though.

Super comfortable shoes but the mesh easily ripped when I kicked a stick that poked out on the trail after 4 weeks of owning them. The inner layer is still in tact at least.

I've had these 1 year. I live in the Scottish highlands so they've had lots of mountain use and got me through my first ultramarathon. I've recorded over 500miles of mostly trail/hill running in them (and plenty more unrecorded days out)
The grip was fantastic at the beginning though wearing down a bit now. They are light and flexible and I thought I'd found my favourite shoe until recently I noticed a hole in the soles.
It turns out the lugs on the mountain grip are hollow (I've found the same thing on the Impala boots) so once you wear off the top of the lug you have a hole that lets water through to your feet. The rest of the shoe is holding up really well and there is enough grip left that I'm still using them regularly but the constant wet feet is really annoying. (Note the hill grip soles don't have this issue and can be worn smooth, so I'll be going back to the Feldoms for my next pair)

As a long time VFF wearer I'd been using studded fell shoes for winter running. I wanted something that was as flexible as the leading minimalist shoes but as grippy as a fell running shoe. So far on some muddy UK clifftop runs the freet Calver have been very near to the best of both worlds. They don't quite have the stud mud penetration of some leading fell shoes, but the flatter studs on the calver make running on firmer surfaces much more comfortable than feeling the studs. The calver also don't hold mud like many other trail shoes. They are more of a fell runner. Super comfy and excellent ground feel and flexibility. Now they need to get to 500 miles without much going wrong and they might get that fifth star.

I did just that and I think one size bigger is actually slightly too big.

Great grip for on grass, dirt and gravel. I am an 11.5-12 mens US and the Calver in 12 is a perfect fit for me

Very confortable and light ! My husband is getting the same ones.

Love these! The trend is perfect for more aggressive trails.

Not my finest idea, but having never worn this brand I tested them on a 15 mile night trail race on October in Scotland. Superb grip, loads of wiggle room, ability to lace up tighter around the ankle to prevent my toe stubbing on the downhill and not a single blister or hotspot. I sized up as per the fit guide. I will definitely be buying from this brand again.

Je suis très contente du confort et de l'accroche dans la boue, par contre il faut faire très attention aux roches et aux racines humides, mais comme je les ai achetées pour marcher et pas pour courir elles me conviennent très bien.
J'ai retiré la semelle intérieure.

I love these so much! Great grip. Excellent fit.

I have freakish, wide feet that erupt out of pretty much every shoe that I try. Even brands like Vivo are still quite tight. Trail shoes have been the worst as trying to find a good wide set with proper grip / cushioning has been an expensive journey...

These feel perfect though, roomy but not too spacious in height, the grip is surprisingly good, only a few slips and skids on some downhill wet rocks. Also these are a smashing price compared to others.

Only small negatives, it's not an ugly shoe, it's not pretty, it doesn't really bother me. I'm not sure how long the grip will hold up? It feels good, but maybe not as high quality as big brands.

Will totally buy these again.

I've had my Calvers for about 150 miles (~250km) now, and both the uppers and outsoles are holding up great. The durability is refreshing after a pair of Altras essentially disintegrated within a few months.

The grip is solid in a variety of conditions, but especially in the mud. It's some of the most versatile grip I've found. However, I have had some slippage on algae-covered bridges/rocks like you might find where I primarily hike in southern Appalachia, though just about any other shoe would struggle on those surfaces. A softer rubber compound might have more grip in these areas, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice for the added durability.

I find the shoes comfortable while also providing great ground feel. For longer hikes, I did find my feet getting beat up, especially on descents littered with small, sharp rocks. Adding the OrthoLite insole was enough to fix this for me, and I assume a rock plate would be a good solution as well.

Overall, I love these shoes, and unless I need a warmer, water-resistant/proof option, they're my first choice when heading outside!

Amazing shoes, high quality and very comfortable!

I normally buy size 41. I got these in 42 and they are nice and roomy. They are a replacement for vivo barefoot shoes that were rubbing a couple of my toes. These are a much better shape for me, a bit squarer across the toes. I can let my feet spread in toesocks with no rubbing, I haven't tried them with correct toes but I wouldn't expect them to fit in comfortably. They also have a more normal lacing system which I prefer. The colour maybe isn't what I would choose, it reminds me of a poison frog. They show up well at dawn and dusk. The grip is really good, I've had a chance to run on soft slippy ground and felt confident in my footing. Also the treads didn't get clogged with mud. I like the spongy free draining insoles.They are very flexible but the thickness of the treads means you don't feel every little stone you land on.

I run frequently in the Welsh hills, so conditions are general very muddy and wet, but these shoes handle it great. The lugs are solid, but most importantly don’t sacrifice the ground feel I love. They are solid and the lacing never lets me down.

250 Miles in and hardly any wear.
Tackles very greasy clay soil, deep mud, hard stony tracks, wet grass, claggy mud & road. (not tried rocky yet) Works well on off-camber mud. The soft studs toe space and lightness makes my Lone peaks seem very heavy (but those are my very cushioned option - same size). The studs give me protection from small sharp stones and I lose some proprioception. However this is worth it for the grip. Only criticism - deep heel counter is stiff. Makes getting shoes on/off challenging ie tongue lost inside shoe (prefer collapsible). We all have different shaped feet. However, you will not lose these in deep mud. Once on, they are staying on. I love the leopard stud design.
Well done Freet.

The shoes themselves are beautiful. Lots of tread which is what I wanted. You can absolutely tell that the build quality is top notch. However, I did some significant research, and before ordering my new shoes from Freet, I had even emailed Freet customer service my foot measurements I had taken on paper, and had told them I am typically size US 11 in other manufacturers shoes. They advised based on my information, to order the calver in size EU 44, and if I had ordered a Feldom (my other consideration), to order an EU 45. So, I took a chance on a promising barefoot shoes company, ordered my new Freet Calver in size EU 44. I was impressed by the shipping time from the US from USPS. The shoes arrived last week, the look, the build quality are excellent. I am rating my experience as 2 stars. Because I asked advice from Freet customer service prior to ordering. They ran too small, I am out total after everything $210CDN, Stated online CDN customers no Returns. I can't afford to order more hope that they will fit.

I cam back to add a long-term review for the Calver. I use these shoes for hiking, running and backpacking. I can say they are simply the best shoe for all three. I used to wear Altra Lone Peaks, but the Calver has supplanted them. My Altra's have some life left in them, but I don't wear them because I don't like the "feel" of them now that I have the Calvers. The latest test was a long and rigorous backpacking trip over all types of terrain. The Calver handled everything I threw at it. My partners on the trip were envious of the grip of my shoes on the different terrain. When I got them wet the dried very quickly. The shoes are so comfortable I don't even bother with camp shoes. Lastly the durability of the shoe is great. For sizing, I purchases my usual size 43 and they are perfect. Very fair price for what you get. Thanks Freet.

I wanted a new zero drop (minimal preferred) shoe for long distance backpacking. I've been a barefoot/minimalist shoe wearer for nearly 15 years trying a few different brands. I found this brand after a lot of searching online. This brand apparently stands out from the rest for having excellent traction and durability on the soles plus great foot design. And not overpriced! I bought size 40 even though I'm usually 39 (which is usually US size 8, foot length 9.75") and they have same length and toe box volume as Altura Lone Peak's size 8 (also oversized by about US 1/2). I have the Feldoms in size 39 and these compare in length but with wider toe box. They have great foot space for cushioned socks and swelling feet. The foot shape is much better than LP's ... I don't trip on the toes of these shoes with my pigeon feet! But I inserted Oboz's trail insoles because they reduce toe friction. The provided insoles in these shoes result in my toes sliding because my arches are very elastic. P.S. the laces are awesome ..durable with firm hold and good heel lock. Best of all, these shoes are incredibly lightweight, very breathable and made with sustainability in mind!

These are the closest shoes yet to perfect. Super comfortable and roomy with another width for foot to spread. Really light weight, lovely and flexible, enough sole to take the sharp stuff out but still feel the shape of the ground, and look great.
Love the toe protection, a lot of my previous shoes have given way there so hope these will have a long life.
Like others needed to go a size up from my usual.
Have worn these round the Lake District running and hiking, but also use round town and love them for both.
The grip is great for nearly everything, mud, dirt, gravel, only gripe was found not quite as good on wet rock as could be.
But overall best shoe I’ve had yet

Really enjoy wearing the Calvers. Extremely comfortable, wide at the forefoot, durable, flexible for a shoe of this stack height, and excellent grip on dirt, grass, and gravel. When purchasing based on the size chart, I found I needed to size up once to accommodate my bare feet, and then again to accommodate hiking socks. So, though I am a 42 in most shoes, I found that a 44 worked best for me. These are my go-to hiking shoes because they have the weight and flexibility of running shoes, yet provide the all-terrain traction and durability that running shoes generally lack. The fit is also snug enough around the ankle that debris never collects in the shoe, despite it being a low-top. The one issue that I did have is with the insoles. The included AirMax insole is very similar, if not identical, to the insoles found in many Xero shoe models. It has a perforated pattern to allow for increased airflow (ostensibly). However, similar to issues I had with Xero shoes, I found that the perforated insoles caused increased friction, particularly at the ball of my foot, which resulted in blistering when walking for long periods of time. To address the issue, I've replaced the AirMax insoles with the Flexile insoles that ship with most of Freet's other shoe models, though in this case I had to purchase it as a separate accessory. I haven't had any blisters since. All in all, I highly recommend these shoes for hiking or trail running.

Raced in my Freet Calver's today, a 10k with 1800' (550m) climb and descent - and an absolute mud-slide on insanely rooty rocky trail. These shoes did everything I needed them to. Best, I didn't have to smash my toes together with every foot strike. I'm mid-pack in the 50+male division. A small loop in the course put me right with the 1st place Female. My Freet and I hung with her elite pace for a solid 7 minutes. The twists and turns in the mud and web of forest was absolutely exhilarating. The Calvers were fantastic throughout. Can't say enough good things about these shoes!

I love the Freet Calver shoe. I have the Feldom and was excited when they came out with a shoe with a more aggressive tread even though the Feldom handles everything I throw at it. I love the new aggressive "mountain grip" sole. The Calver strikes the perfect balance between being more aggressive while still maintaining the ground feel that comes with Freet shoes. The shoe has just enough reinforcement around the sole for durability but does not sacrifice comfort. The mesh upper is super breathable and conforms to the foot in way that makes it fit like a glove while allowing for freedom of movement. The "sizing & fit" guide says it's a roomier shoe. I wear a 43 in all my Freet shoes and I ordered the Calver in a 43 after consulting customer support at Freet and it fits perfectly. I think the toe box is slightly roomier than the Feldom. It's a good looking shoe as well. Just enough orange color to be distinctive without going overboard. If you are looking for an aggressive running/hiking shoe and max comfort then the Calver is your shoe. I look forward to putting them on and going out!