Vivobarefoot make a splash with new Hydra ESC swim-run water shoe

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Natural footwear brand also launches Blue Health campaign to encourage people to enjoy a more aquatic life

Vivobarefoot Aquatic HYDRA ESC shoes
(Image credit: Vivobarefoot)

Vivobarefoot have launched a new water shoe designed for coastal trails, swim-run, wild swimming and other aquatic adventures.

The company says the Hydra ESC has been designed with the help of some of the world's best swim-run teams, but also performs as a trail running shoe, with grippy soles and a knitted upper to keep out debris and muck.

At the same time, the barefoot shoe brand is launching a Blue Health campaign aimed at encouraging more people to get on, in, or near water and reap the associated benefits.

The Hydra ESC has low wet weight and fast drainage, with a Michelin ESC sole to provide traction on uneven or slippery terrain. The shoe has a 2.5mm base and 7mm lug height, which Vivobarefoot says will give the wearer maximum grip without compromising ground feel. One of the colourways available - Obsidian, is designed to complement the colours of the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series, one of the best known events in the swim-run calendar.

Vivobarefoot Aquatic HYDRA ESC shoes

Grippy soles give the Vivobarefoot HYDRA ESC shoes traction on land when you need it (Image credit: Vivobarefoot)

Vivobarefoot co-founder, Galahad Clark said: “Around 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, yet there’s still so little we know about how much it can benefit our health and wellbeing. Simply being  near the sea or another body of water can have an amazing impact on our natural health, so we’ve designed the Hydra ESC to really encourage us all to get out and get our feet wet.”

The Hydra ESC will be available to buy in two colourways, Obsidian and Sea Green, from £165.

Find the men's version of the Hydra ESC here and the women's version of the Hydra ESC here, both available via the Vivobarefoot website.

Vivobarefoot Aquatic HYDRA ESC shoes

The HYDRA ESC shoes can be worn in the water but are also designed for trail walking and running  (Image credit: Vivobarefoot)
Rosee Woodland
Rosee Woodland
Editor

Rosee Woodland developed a taste for adventure at a young age, growing up in a home where camping was the default holiday, and good weather was a vacation bonus rather than a necessity. After bike-packing the length of France in her mid teens with her family, she started to undertake solo forays in her 20s, usually without the benefit of much technical gear at all. Happily, the years she later spent as a mountain biking journalist eventually gave her an appreciation of decent kit! These days she loves a water-based adventure, and is an outdoor swim coach, and a keen free diver. She has a soft spot for Northern Ireland's Mourne mountains, and can also be found hiking and kayaking in Pembrokeshire and the South West of the UK.