VIVAIA Shoes Review: Are the Trendy Shoes Worth It?

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VIVAIA shoes are everywhere right now. Maybe you’ve seen an ad on your Instagram feed, or maybe your friends can’t stop raving about how comfortable the shoes are, especially if you have bunions. The popular brand is known for its fashion-forward shoes made from recycled materials including plastic bottles. Oh, and did we mention that you can machine wash most styles?

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, we wanted to see if these shoes lived up to the hype when it came to both comfort and sustainability. In the Lab, we’ve tested everything from the best flats for work to the most comfortable dress shoes. So far, we’ve tested eight VIVAIA styles including flats, heels and boots — five of which I tried out for myself. The Margot 2.0 flat also impressed our judges enough to earn a GH Sustainable Innovation Award.

The Best VIVAIA Shoes

Margot 2.0

$97.00

Not only did the Margot earn a GH Sustainable Innovation Award, but it’s also our pick for the best fashionable shoe for bunions thanks to its stretchy, knit fabric that’s available in over 50 colors and patterns.

“The insole has more cushion than most of my other flats, so they’re comfortable to wear all day long, even when I’m walking all over the city,” said Home & Apparel Reviews Analyst Amanda Constantine. Both Constantine and Textiles Lab Senior Analyst Emma Seymour enjoy adding VIVAIA’s removable bows to their flats for a two-in-one shoe. Textiles Lab Product Analyst Grace Wu loves these fun bows too, but she notes that they may shift as you wear them.

A tester adjusts the strap of her Margot Mary Jane flats.

I have a pair of the Margot Mary Janes, which are similar in style but with an added buckle strap. Like Constantine, I have worn these all around the city and find they lend more support than the typical flat. I can’t get enough of the stylish square toe and appreciate that the strap has infinite buckle hole options for a secure fit.

My feet are narrow at the ankle and wider towards the top, so these shoes run a little big on me. I can still wear my regular size without them falling off my heels. The extra space lets me slip in a pair of insoles for even more comfort. Wu and I agree that the arch support is great but note that the insoles can get sweaty after all-day use when worn sans socks or tights.

Regina Pro

$149.00

When I first heard of VIVAIA, I thought the brand only made flats, so I was excited to learn you can find boots, heels and more on its site. The Regina Pro is popular among GH staffers (including me). The square toe and angular block heel are effortlessly modern, and I can’t get enough of this versatile bootie that can go from day to night.

The style runs a bit large, so I sized down half-size to find a better fit. I found that my pinky toes rubbed against the side as I broke them in but the pinching has lessened over time as the material has expanded. My shins hurt less when walking around in these boots compared to other heeled styles I own.

A tester evaluates the Regina Pro.

Wu tested out the heeled boot too, and while she liked its stylish appearance, she found the style to run large and the heel portion and front to be a bit too stiff. Seymour owns the Regina Pro too and finds them easy to slip on and off thanks to the stretchy, knit upper. “I find them comfortable to wear. The footbed offers some arch support and the wide heel makes them feel more stable,” she said.

Melody 2.0

$119.00

I don’t know about you, but I find heels to be a tricky business. I don’t have bunions, but as someone who runs and used to do ballet, I find it nearly impossible to track down a heel that doesn’t make my shins hurt while walking around the city. With the Melody, my feet immediately felt cushioned, almost like I was on a very chic cloud.

A tester walks in VIVAIA Melody heels.

“I have the most problematic feet: Flat, bunions and just overworked from working in professional kitchens,” said reviews analyst Eva Bleyer. She often doesn’t wear heels because they are never comfortable on her feet, but she found a refreshing change in the Melody. “I have a large bunion on one of my feet and I found the material able to stretch and conform, instead of constricting my feet,” she says. Her favorite part is the cushiony bottom that lends enough comfort that she doesn’t have to wear extra inserts.

Bleyer says they are so stylish that she is considering wearing them to her upcoming wedding-related events. While she does think she could have gone up half a size, she said the shoes began to fit better after she wore them a few times. On the flip side, I sized down a half-size and experienced some blisters on my heel while breaking them in.

Tiana

$97.00

Bow flats are an irresistibly cute style I gravitate towards, but most seriously lack support. That’s not the case with the Tiana flats, which have arch support and a shock-absorbing midsole. I experienced no break-in period and appreciated the padding around the heel for extra comfort.

You can choose from a plethora of fun patterns and colors, from chocolate zebra (which I have) to pitaya gingham. You won’t be able to add accessories to this style like you can with the Margot, but an attached bow won’t fall off or shift like some of the clip-on accessories can. Note that I sized down a full size in this shoe.

A GH tester tries on the Tiana flats.

Madeline Pro

$199.00

I have been dreaming about over-the-knee boots ever since: “Are you wearing the —” “The Chanel boots? Yeah, I am.” But I almost gave up after far too many leather boots that were a pain to put on and felt too much like I was about to get on a horse. Not only did the Madeline Pro boots slip on and off with ease thanks to a stretchy upper, but the vertical ribbed texture is the type of subtle detail I love — plus it creates a slimming effect.

You can fold over the top of the boot to lower the height, which means you can get two (or maybe three!) styles for the price of one. The wool upper also isn’t itchy — a major pro for someone like me who is sensitive to wool.

A tester snaps a pose in VIVAIA over-the-knee boots.

The exterior material is water-resistant, and I appreciate the cushioned midsole and doubled arch support to keep you going from 9 to 5 (or longer). I also sized down half a size in these boots, but I may have been fine with my regular size. The boots feel a little snug but not so tight that I can’t wiggle my toes. Similar to the Margot 2.0 flats, these boots can feel pretty sweaty on a warmer day, but I like to roll them down a bit to cool down.

Sizing and Fit

In my experience, I found that VIVAIA’s shoes ran large. I ordered my first pair, the Margot Mary-Jane, in my regular size, but I have found that sizing down a half or full size is typically a better fit.

Wu has had similar experiences and found it difficult to find her size in the Regina Pros. “I went with a 37, [my true size], for these and found them just a hair too long, so my feet kept sliding forward and jamming in the front which didn’t have enough give. A size down would’ve been too small,” said Wu.

However, Seymour found VIVAIA to run true to size: “I have narrow feet and the flats stay on my feet decently well.” Constantine agrees that they run true-to-size, but that her pair of flats are a bit wider than other flats she owns. She appreciates that VIVAIA offers unique sizes in between full- and half-sizes. Bleyer reported she could have even gone up a half size, but notes that she is often between sizes and after wearing the heels a few times, they began to fit better.

Overall, VIVAIA’s sizing can be inconsistent depending on the style. Similar to finding the perfect jeans, your size in a pair of flats may be different than your size in heels or boots — even if you are buying from the same brand.

Return Policy

If you aren’t in love with your pair of shoes or want to exchange them for a different size, you have 30 days from the date you received your items to return them. Items must be unworn, unwashed, unaltered and have original tags and packaging. Note that final sale items and gifts cannot be returned, and the original shipping cost is non-refundable.

You can read more about VIVAIA’s return policy on the brand’s site and follow the listed steps to start a return or exchange.

Sustainable Practices

When evaluating VIVAIA for Good Housekeeping’s 2024 Sustainable Innovation Awards, we noted its use of sustainable materials and practices that make it stand out in the sustainability space.

VIVAIA claims to work with suppliers that meet its labor and social standards and make energy and emission reductions. One Sustainable Innovation Awards judge said, “I applaud their innovation and looking outside of the box for ways to be more sustainable. Their materials and manufacturing process are focused toward sustainability in the fashion market which is well needed.”

Members of our expert panel were impressed with VIVAIA’s use of recycled polyester and a 3D knitting process that eliminates leftover scraps. Other judges highlighted the brand’s use of plastic bottles, natural rubber and sugar cane and appreciated that the brand also uses recycled materials in its packaging. But these sustainable materials are not unique to VIVAIA. Rothy’s, for example, also sells washable shoes made from recycled plastic bottles.

VIVAIA insoles are made of artemisia and polyurethane foam (PU) to create an anti-bacterial design, and one panelist notes that PU is made of isocyanate monomers, which are known to have toxic characteristics.

As is true with any brand that markets itself as sustainable, it’s important to keep an eye out for verifications and certifications that back up marketing claims. Our panel wished there was more transparency and information online to substantiate some statements made on VIVAIA’s website, such as how the brand ensures suppliers meet its labor and social standards. Overall, though, our judges determined that VIVAIA’s overall efforts in the sustainability industry merit recognition.

The Bottom Line: Are VIVAIA shoes worth it?

Despite some room for improvement in sustainability transparency and sizing consistency, VIVAIA shoes balance comfort with style and are a more sustainable choice than many other shoe brands. The shoes are well-liked by consumer testers for their unique designs made from stretchy yet supportive materials.

I find VIVAIA flats, in particular, to be more comfortable than the average ballet or Mary Jane flat. Plus, VIVAIA is less expensive than competitors like Rothy’s, while still maintaining its focus on quality and sustainability.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Elizabeth Berry is the Updates Editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she collaborates with Lab analysts to optimize product guides across verticals. She has written on a variety of style categories, including our top-tested shoes from the best flats for work to the best HOKA shoes. Elizabeth loves her Square-Toe Margot Mary Janes and personally evaluated five shoes included in this story. She is excited to further test her VIVAIA flats, boots and heels as she continues to wear them throughout the seasons.

To write the review, she worked with our Textiles team to gain expert insight into the brand’s shoe selection and sustainability claims. Executive Director of Strategy & Operations at the GH Institute Lexie Sachs is a lead reviewer of products in the apparel, bedding and lifestyle spaces and has 15 years of experience in the industry. Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab Senior Analyst Emma Seymour; Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab Product Analyst Grace Wu and Home & Apparel Reviews Analyst Amanda Constantine provided testing notes on included styles.