The Designer Who Raced His Own Creation

The road to the Sahara started in a sketchbook. At Vivobarefoot, product design goes far beyond the drawing board. It's about creating footwear that performs in the real world, shaped by a deep connection to people, movement and the natural environment. In this Research & Design film, Vivobarefoot Product Designer Val takes on the Ultra4Charity Tunisian Desert Race wearing the very shoe he helped create: the Primus Trail Flow, our pinnacle barefoot trail shoe. With 50km of relentless Sahara Desert terrain ahead, this wasn't a controlled wear test or laboratory trial. It was an opportunity to put every design decision to the ultimate test in one of the world's most demanding environments. What followed was more than product validation. It was a rare moment where the designer became the athlete, experiencing firsthand how the Primus Trail Flow performs under extreme conditions of heat, sand, endurance and adventure. Watch as design, performance and human resilience come together in the Sahara. Big thanks to our partner https://ultra4charity.com/ founded by Jason Fox (Foxy), Brian Wood (Woody) and Richard French (Frenchy). Discover the Primus Trail Collection: https://www.vivobarefoot.com/uk/collections/trail-running