Lems Boulder Boots
On January 11, 2021 by Noelia
My first pair of barefoot shoes was a pair of Lems Leather Boulder Boots. I received them on December 24, 2019 and wore them the rest of that winter and all spring. By the next fall, they were too small for me… I ended up selling them and buying a second-hand pair, but this time, they are nylon, not leather. I have tried both models and I want to share my experience with you.
I bought both pairs myself. I also bought two extra pairs, one for my daughter and one for my husband.
Buy Lems here.
Design
Lems is a company based in Boulder Colorado focused on creating a shoe designed with the natural shape of the foot.
- Wide toe box: One of the widest on the barefoot market and squared-shaped, which means it provides enough space for all foot shapes (Greek, Roman, and Egyptian).
- Zero drop: There is no heel drop but there is a toe spring.
- Flexible: Even though this is a heavy-duty boot, they are pretty flexible.
- Heel caps – They can feel a little restrictive.
- Lightweight: 9 oz for a Women’s size 8.5.
- All models are gender neutral.
- Insole: 100% polyester and 3.5 mm thick.
- Stack height: 10 mm + 3.5 mm insole.
Outsole
Lems sole is pretty unique, they use it for the Boulder Boots, Chukka, and Nine2Five models. It is made of Injection Blown Rubber (IBR), which is what makes them so light.
It is 9 mm thick + 1 mm lining + 3.5 mm of removable insole.
They are heavy duty (for barefoot standards) but they do NOT have great traction, therefore, they do NOT do great on slippery surfaces.
By removing the insoles, you can have a more barefoot experience.
Models
| Leather | Nylon | |
| Upper | Full-grain leather | 1200-denier nylon |
| Trim | Full-grain leather | Leather |
| Lining | 100% polyester | 100% polyester |
| Water resistant | No, but I applied Rain & Snow Waterproof Oil and worked ok with some rain. I did get water through the seams when they got too wet. | No, I haven’t waterproofed them. The nylon is pretty breathable, therefore, does better in dry weather. |
| Windproof | Yes | No |
| Vegan | No | No |
| Break-in period | Yes. They start by feeling very stiff. They bothered my ankles, but once the leather soften up, they became very comfortable. | No. The nylon is more flexible and they were comfortable from the beginning. |
Old vs. New
Lems has changed their logo four times! They have also changed their sizing chart. My first pair of boots (leather) where the new model, size 9, and the ones I have now (nylon) are the previous model, size 42.
The change in Lems’ sizing chart can be very confusing for buyers. It was difficult for me when I bought my second-hand pair of boulder boots as I was looking for size 10 (new models) but all the boots I found second-hand had European sizing.
My feet are 24.8 cm long. According to Lems old sizing chart, I should wear size women’s 10 or 41. Nevertheless, when I received the 41’s, my toes touched the front of the shoe, so I ended up buying a second pair, size 42, which works better for me (my daughter kept the 41’s!).
I know… confusing. I wish Lems would give us the internal length of the shoe instead of choosing the extra space for us. I prefer having 1 cm or more of extra space, but other people prefer less! I always choose shoes that have around 26 cm of internal length.
Sizing and Fit
Lems has its own sizing and it can be confusing. Here are things to know:
- Lems has different sizing charts for different models.
- Their sizing charts do NOT provide internal length nor width.
- Lems shoes run small, don’t be surprised if they recommend one or more sizes bigger that what you wear in other brands.
How to find your size:
- Measure your foot against a wall using centimeters (Lems provides a helpful video to teach how to do it).
- Once you have the length of your foot, find it on their sizing chart (make sure you are using the right one for the model you want to buy).
- When looking at their sizing chart, use your foot measurements without adding any mm to your foot length.
- If you are between sizes, you will have to decide if you want to go up to the next size, where you will have a few extra mm of internal length or go down, and have a smaller space in front of your toes.
- Lems will recommend a size that has about a thumbs width of room in front of your toes (they do the math for us).
- Each half size goes up/down 4 mm in length and 1 mm in width.
If you are unsure on what size to order, you can always contact Lems customer service.
Fit:
- Lems toe box is wide and might feel too big if you are not used to barefoot shoes.
- I have skinny ankles and they feel very loose (check my troubleshooting to see what I do).
- The leather might feel stiff to start with, but will soften up with use.
Troubleshooting
- Too loose around your ankles: You can fix it two different ways, the first one involves changing the lacing of the boots (pictures on the left). You can unlace the top 2 eyelets, which will allow you to tighten around the ankle. You can either wrap the extra lace around your ankle (this is what I prefer) or keep the lace on the same side for one eyelet and then tie as normal. The second way to fix it is by adding thicker socks to take some of the extra space (this works when it’s cold outside).
- Too stiff: You can manually move the leather around to soften it up. It will get better with use!
- Too big: You need around 1 cm of extra space in front of your toes. You can take out the insole, put your foot with all your weight on it, and check how much extra space you have… if it is more than 1 cm, it might be too big for you. If you have around 1 cm and you are not used to barefoot shoes, you can try adding an extra insole to take some of the extra space.
- Too tight: Try taking the insole out, this will provide more space all around your foot.
- Too slippery: You can add shoe grips. I personally have not tried this, but was sent this suggestion via Instagram when I shared how they were not working for me when walking on ice.
Buying from Lems
I know buying shoes without trying them on is very nerve wracking. That is why I always buy using PayPal. If you have an account, you can sign up for a “Return Shipping Refund” program and they will reimburse you for return shipping if you end up returning your shoes.
Lems accepts returns but the customer pays for the return label. They do not do exchanges. If you want to try a different size, you will have to return the pair that doesn’t work, pay for return shipping, and buy the size you want. Many people choose to buy two different sizes at once, try them out, and return the pair that doesn’t work (this is where PayPal comes in handy).
Lems has a very customer friendly website where you can explore their different models and read about their story.
One thing to know is that, even though they have Women and Men’s shoes, the models are the same! The only thing that changes is choosing between men’s sizes or women’s sizes, but the shoes are the same.
Pros
- Lems has one of the widest toe boxes in the barefoot world.
- All terrain (except slippery surfaces).
- Heavy duty work boot (in the barefoot world).
- Versatile.
- They have different models: leather, nylon, waterproof, or vegan.
- Easy to clean.
Cons
- Break-in period for the leather models.
- Thicker sole (but this is what makes them heavy duty!).
- Insole (I always remove it from my boots).
- Not a lot of traction, therefore, not great on slippery surfaces (ice, mud).
Opinion
I have bought two pairs of boulder boots for myself, one for my teenage daughter (actually, she kept the size 41 that didn’t work for me), and one for my husband.
I really like these Lems Boulder boots overall. It took me a while to get used to all that extra space… they were my first pair of barefoot shoes after all! Now that I am used to and NEED the extra space, I appreciate the wide toe box, the all terrain versatility, and the flexibility of their thick soles.
I wear my boulder boots all the time. They are perfect for hiking, walking my dogs, going to work, etc. I wear them when it’s raining or snowing. They are definitely not waterproof (nylon model), but they do ok with some rain. I have worn them during winter, but are super slippery on ice. I will have to update you if I end up trying the ice grips!
If I could change one thing, it would be their sizing chart. I wish they would let me decide how much extra space I want instead of choosing for me. I would like to know the internal space of the shoe!
Nevertheless, my family and I will keep wearing Boulder Boots!
Check my instagram account to see us wearing our boots: barefoot_maestra
Here are other reviews for boots I own: