If you’ve been around barefoot shoes for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about Lems. They make boots, trail shoes, and tennis shoes that are great for the person who isn’t sure they’re ready for an entire reshaping of their feet, but knows they need to make the first foray into minimalist shoes.
Lems sent me the leather version of their Mid Boot for review, so read on to see if the lower-cut, padded collar version of their popular Boulder Boot might be just the barefoot boots you’re looking for.
Disclaimer: I am an affiliate and if you use links on this page to purchase, a small portion will be returned to me, but this will cost you nothing. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Since posting this review, Lems has come out with the Chillum model on the same sole. Check out my First Look here.
Technical specifications:
- Upper: Full-grain oiled leather + polyester mesh
- Lining: 100% polyester
- Outsole: Air-injected rubber
- Insole: 0.8mm Cork on top of 3 mm PU
- Stack Height (with insole): 13.8 mm
- Zero Drop
Company:
Lems is a barefoot shoes brand that’s been around a long time – nearly a full decade of giving us foot-shaped shoes. They started with the Primal and have continued to impress us with their wide, zero-drop models: Primal 2, Boulder Boot, Mid, Chukka, and Nine2Five. (Other models are more narrow, especially in women’s, and have a drop.)
Appearance:
The immediate thought on these boots is Work Boots, but they are far more versatile than that. Both men and women can enjoy styling these boots with many different approaches. You can go casual workboot:
A more put-together casual for work, or an informal gathering:
Or go full extra and rock your boots however you like.
This is the beauty of a fairly thick leather and well-thought-out design. Do it your way.
I have no problem with a nice wide toe box that looks like a nice, wide toe box. They look like feet! But these are designed expressly to not look so wide. The centerpiece on the top is offset so the eye is drawn to a more narrow shape, even as the boots themselves are quite wide. This can be an especially helpful feature if you’re trying to get a guy who doesn’t necessarily buy into the barefoot shoes ‘hype’ to give them a try. The styling of the Boulder Boot (any model) has been known to work precisely that magic before. 😁
Note: Pics on this post were taken at a variety of times. All the outfit pics were taken within the few days prior to publishing this blog post and are definitely post-waxing, which darkens the color. If the picture shows a lighter color, it’s probably pre-waxing, and visa verse. Here’s a direct comparison of waxed at unwaxed:
Fit:
The Boulder Boots are Lem’s 2nd-most generously lasted shoes with a 2E width and have plenty of width for most people. Some have said they aren’t wide enough, however, and I’d suspect that in at least some of those cases the wearers are undersized, which ties into sizing below. Make sure you have ample extra space (read here for some research and a minimum that will support healthy toe movement) and most people will be good.
They have plenty of room over the instep and should fit a variety of instep heights. The laces are easily adjustable, and the look is engineered well to look good at the different heights of low, medium, and high volume feet.
The toebox has great height and with the flexibility of the leather in this model that has no membrane, I have never felt any pressure there. Great for the toes!
For comparison with a traditional workboot, see the picture below for a side-by-side with my husband’s boots. His appear wider, but there are two things to consider there: 1, his boots are a couple of sizes larger. And 2, the upper on those boots is FAR thicker, with a steel toe included, so the usable space inside is less. Plus, check out that taper!
Sizing:
Buckle up, y’all. We’re going to get deep here.
Whatever Boulder Boot you’re looking for, make sure you get the correct sizing Lems chart, which you can find linked under “Click here for additional sizing information” on any of the product pages and the Measurements link. I would include it here, but it’s SO long. Once you get the correct Casual Soles chart, get ready to measure, and forget whatever your normal size is. Just…do. The Waterproof model generally leads to people making the highest jump up the sizing chart, but the Mid boot is not immune to this. You will almost certainly go up. I definitely did.
I’m usually a 10 or 10.5 in mens’ closed shoes, 11.5 or 12 in womens’. My feet are 26.8 cm long and I aim for 28 cm in internal length, in general, inside my shoes, with up to 28.5 or so if it’s a boot.
Lems tells you the longest foot length for the shoes. I’m not a fan of this, because you don’t know how much allowance they are giving, whether it’s a good cm+ or just half a cm. They say at the top that it’s a thumbs’ width, but that varies a lot.
I like data, so I measured mine and I get exactly 1 cm longer than their longest foot length for my 11.5 men’s Mid boot. 27.6 recommended by Lems, 28.6 in actual length. A couple of mms longer than my target, but I’d rather be a few mms high than low. There were a few extra steps to me realizing in advance that this would be the right size, but I hope this advice helps de-mistify it for you.
Be aware: the Waterproof boots use a different sizing chart from the Mid/non-waterproof Boulder Boots.
How do they feel?
The leather on these Lems Mid Boots is a good thickness, and this may give you some pressure points at the start, but if so they won’t last. My favorite part of these verses the higher-cut and membraned Waterproof model is that the mid has a padded collar that I find very comfortable. I’ve never had any kind of ankle soreness with these.
The shoes are extremely light and flexible, which makes them both easy to pack as an extra shoe and great on your feet.
The sole is quite cushy, which makes it great for long periods in harsh environments (natural or all-concrete). This will reduce the ground feel, however, so bear that in mind. I like them expressly for this cushy feeling if I know I’m in for an uncomfortable time, especially on concrete. There’s a pendulum swing for most of us, where we want more and more ground feel, but some environments will just wear out your feet. And, face it, long hours on concrete are not high on ground feel to begin with.
Last 2 notes:
The cork addition to the insoles is new with this Mid boot and may or may not appear on future models. At the time I received mine, no other model had this particular insole. I don’t have a particularly positive or negative thought about this. It does it’s job? There.
The laces on these, however, make me crazy. They are really easy to adjust, but I find them impossible to keep tied without a double knot. Bring out those lacing/knotting skills, y’all!
Uses?
I use mine a lot as around-the-house workboots, and they’ve been great. They give me protection against limbs and other issues, and the cushion of the sole helps a lot with the foot fatigue of being on concrete. They also look right at home in the normal places you see workboots, like the hardware store, so someone who wants to fit in with the others looking for nails, lumber, and garden accessories won’t feel out of place. Great for a low-key entry-level offering to barefoot shoes.
Some people use these as yard boots as well, and others wear them to work. Still others hike in them, but there’s a wide latitude in what a hike entails. These are not technical boots, but may still serve you well on nature jaunts. I would generally look for something with a deeper, grippier tread for anything strenuous.
Cleaning and Care:
The Mid Boulder Boot is not a waterproof option but is made of leather, so you’re not entirely out of luck there. Smooth leather like this is easy to treat with a waterproofing agent, and you should do that regularly even if you’re not expressly looking for waterproofing. Leather dries out and quickly and as it does, more and more water is absorbed.
My favorite way to treat these is with Otterwax. I bought mine on Amazon here, but you can get a tin at the same time you get your boots from Lems, as Otterwax is their recommended treatment. There are lots of videos on applying this. I even made an Instagram Reel here. Whatever method you choose, you will want to redo it regularly to maintain the waterproofing. Otterwax is great because you can apply it easily by hand, but you do need extra heat to get good penetration.
Purchasing and Returns:
There are several retailers that sell Lems, but you can order them directly from Lems with free shipping domestically for US customers. There is no restocking fee for returns, but you will be responsible for shipping. If you have a regular (non-business) Paypal account, you can sign up in advance for their return shipping program and get it covered.
At the time of this post, the Mid Leather boot is $135, the Vegan version is $120, the Waterproof (tall boot) is $165, and the other tall Boulder Boots range from $125-$150.
Final thoughts:
Everyone needs a good work boot, and Lems is a great option that will work great for the actual dirty jobs, or if you just want to look like you *could* handle the dirty jobs any time. Men and women can both enjoy them in either height, but I personally favor this Mid Boot for the styling and the comfort.
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Gosh I wish I could find gardening boots just like this for half the price! It’s a lot to pay for working around the cabin.