Raise your hand if you grew up wearing canvas Keds or a similar model. I know I did, and I was delighted to see that I could get the same casual look in a more foot-healthy option with the Bohempia Kolda. Bonus 1: Color! Bonus 2: they come in two width options (THANK YOU!), giving you some of the widest shoes available.
Before I dig in below, I want a couple of things about Bohempia shoes.
First, if you’re buying from either the official Bohempia site or the US store you can save you 10% with the codes OWBSHOES (USA) and OWB (EU). Discounts are always nice, right?
Second, Bohempia has both barefoot and non-barefoot shoes. Make sure when you browse their collections that you are on the correct models, which are Kolda, Vikla, Hoska, Orik, Rola, Zavid, and Zelek at the time of this review.
Lastly: Bohempia produces vegan shoes that are made by hand in the EU with ethical standards and ecologically-friendly methods, giving you confidence that the shoes you’re wearing support your values.
Sections
Technical specifications
- Upper: 100% hemp canvas
- Insole: molded PU
- Outsole: natural rubber
- Hemp canvas is “durable, breathable, antimicrobial and wicks moisture”
- Available in 9 different color combinations
Appearance
The Bohempia Kolda model has a walled sole, giving it a thick, bold look. It’s a little bit deceptive in appearance because your feet are partially inside it. You get the clean looks you want but with a thinner, more foot-friendly sole.
I like wearing these shoes with bold colors. You can see above that there are softer colored options, like pink with a gum sole, but black and white just says ‘statement!’ and I try to live up to that when I wear them.
I promise that I don’t go around wearing wings on a regular basis. But my Koldas made the perfect addition to my first Halloween costume in a long, long time. 🐝🐝🐝
Fit
These shoes are very wide and have lots of space for high volume feet. If you are low-volume and wide, you can get great use out of these, but expect to need an extra insole and/or some felt pads to take up space. Options for either here. I have room for Correct Toes in mine, have no extra insole in, and have them laced closer to ‘tight’ than I do in any other pair of shoes.
Sizing
Earlier in 2020, Bohempia undertook an effort to improve their size chart to not only show you the insole width, but truly try to show you the available space inside the shoe by calculating the additional space beyond the insole measurements. I think they’ve done a good job. My shoes are size 43W and my feet are 11 cm without Correct Toes. I have the extra space you see indicated below, with the 43W coming in at 11.5 cm wide.
In the past, Bohempia has had an issue with people automatically ordering wide and then finding out they are too wide. *Most* people will find the standard width quite generous. Only those of us with extra-wide feet need the W next to our shoe numbers with Bohempia, and even then I have a little bit of extra space.
If in doubt, send your measurements to them. I have worked primarily with the US representative up until now, who is very nice and helpful and will assist you with determining which width you need.
Breaking in
There was no break-in period for these shoes. I’m sure the upper has softened a little, as that’s what any canvas does, but there were no rough spots, pokey bits, or hard parts of the upper pushing on any part of my foot.
If you’ve been around my Instagram for awhile, you may know that I originally had this shoe in blue, and that I had to return it. It wasn’t because of the width, but rather because the base of the tongue was quite thick and pushed into the muscles behind my big toes. They redesigned the model and are pushing that out across all the colors as they replace stock. The black and white I have now was a new colorway, so has always been in the new design. If you’re low-volume you’d never know the difference between the designs and can order without any concern. If you’re high-volume like me, you can message and ask if your desired color is in the new design. Here are the updated First Look videos from when I received the Black and White version.
How do they feel?
With the insole in, they have a bit of cushion, which I like. With it out, I don’t find the stitches to be a problem, but don’t think they’re optimal candidates for no-insole wear. The colorways with the older design also have a thicker hemp insole than the newer design.
I find that the width of these makes them extremely comfortable shoes, and they fit the shape of my feet well. They slop gently, which gives them the widest range of usability for different feet, but if you have a pronounced angle (commonly called Egyptian but I have concerns about using ethnic names for any body characteristic) to your toes then you will find that you have extra space on the outer edge of the toebox.
Cleaning
In the absence of cleaning directions, it’s best to wash your shoes by hand. Brush off dry stains, spot clean deeper ones with a wet cloth, and never use a washer unless a company says they are safe for that. Never put your shoes in a clothes dryer.
It’s often a good idea to spray shoes as well. The walled sole is thick enough to give you a lot of protection, but if you’d like to take it further you can pick a fabric of all-purpose spray (plenty of options here) to improve the water repellency of the upper.
Purchasing, Shipping, and Returns
BohempiaUSA offers free shipping and returns, though you are responsible for the cost of return shipping. Their full policies are here for the US (where I bought mine) and you can reach out to them in advance with sizing questions to help prevent costly exchanges. You can purchase Kolda for $118 minus a 10% discount with the OWBSHOES code for US or OWB for EU customers.
Company Information
Bohempia is a 5-year-old company that produces shoes, and more. They are focused on sustainability and promoting the use of hemp in mainstream applications. Everything they sell is made in the EU even down to spinning the raw hemp fibers.
Final Thoughts
When I want cute shoes, or a bit of cushion, or to wear my Correct Toes, these shoes instantly come to mine. You can see that I wore them for Halloween and will enjoy wearing them for a long time to come.
Want more reviews?
Check out All the Barefoot Shoe Reviews for more in-depth looks.
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