I’m really surprised at the amount of people who don’t like the look of these. I’m about to order them in the black leather option and think they look great for many different occasions.
It's the ridge around the top edge of the toe for me. Looks like grandpa's boating shoes (not in a good way). And yes I know this comment is a year old but I'm just looking into lightweight boots now so *shrug*
Great review! I got myself the exact same type and I’m so happy with my purchase! Honestly for me they were the only shoe straight out of the box that didn’t hurt my feet or needed a week or so to break in. I plan to buy the primal 2 soon.
I have these and love these, but one time dredged on a wet, muddy hike and they took over 12 hours to dry. Now if there's any chance of rain, I wear my waterproofed Otz boots instead. I still love and wear my Lems though, going strong for a few years!
That's great info Kristen, thank you. We've certainly had some people very cautious about the weatherproofing. Glad you're digging them though, we've enjoyed testing them. - Nathan
These are more urban boots. Not durable for work or serious hiking especially since they're not waterproof, I had a pair but were destroyed due to actual normal hiking. No grip but they do look pretty cool for casual gatherings
Hey Marco - thanks for sharing your experience with us! Lems now has the Waterproof Boulder Boot that we're currently testing out packhacker.com/travel-gear/lems/waterproof-boulder-boot/ - we'll keep you updated on this page as we continue to use them. 😊 - Rebecca
TBF, if you're seriously hiking, your feet are going to get wet anyway... better to have non-water"proof", fast drying shoes than basically a plastic bag around your foot, which is going to sweat and get wet on the inside anyway. Breathability is bullshit if paired with water"proof". If wet AND cold is a concern, then you won't be using just something lightweight like this anyway. My black, cotton-nylon, vegan Boulder boots serve me well when "seriously" hiking as well as my literal daily driver, and they have for the past four years. I'm on my third pair, because the bottom goes flat from wear, obviously, but it's not like I've ever gotten hypothermia because I didn't use something entirely rubber or made of GTX or whatever. Blisters? Nope. Sock liners and letting your feet air out. I plan on using them on a thruhike of the AT this coming March actually. People have done it barefoot, with sandals, trail runners, 5-fingers, or just pieces of tire strung up on their feet. Do we really need something water"proof" to seriously hike? Do we really need rigid bricks encasing our ankles for support? What are feet good for naturally if they can't handle getting wet? Hell, my Marine Corps jungle boots from my heinous days had drainage holes near the bottom. Step in a puddle with those and they filled up, but drained, eventually. They knew your feet were gonna get wet anyway. They'd get soaked, but we'd humped on. A lot of good the leather upper and gussets did then. All they did was make for a heavy ass, clunky boot. Good for kicking in doors though. Using animal skins to protect your own skin is disgusting these days. We have the ability to make things in other ways now. If you really need a second skin, make it synthetically. It works better and is better for everyone, including the planet.
Really like the look of it and have been considering buying - but I would never buy boots with a sole like that. Looks like it would be hell in wet & snowy & muddy conditions.
Has anyone gotten a shoe repair shop to glue on another sole onto the existing Lem's sole? Seems like an easy fix, when the treads wear off. And, for some of us, we like a bit more padding on the bottom of the boot (i.e. bunions or other kinds of arthritis in feet joints). I love my Lem's Primal II's for the gym or the wooded trails. Hurt my feet, generally, if hoofing around on pavement all day. I got some Boulder Boots on order, should arrive next week; and I plan on wearing Neo's overboots on top of them, which will give me extra sole padding as well as added warmth and dryness for the winters, which are significant as I live in the Ol' Rocky Mountains. :-) J
@@PackHacker I hope so too! I went for the waterproof kind; they should last longer than other kinds, I hope. Just need to use good breathable socks with them. I've been on a whole new journey with my feet since I had ankle surgery this spring; I've got into CorrectToes, the toe spreader devices, and I've really, really improved the strength of my feet after being on crutches for a month or so. I got rid of the old orthotics I've had for over twenty years (which also have a small heel lift in them (as if we need more of that). I've straightened out a bunion, a tiny bit, on my right foot, and working on the left one which is worse, but getting better! It can be done! BTW, I have no affiliation with CorrectToes and I'm not getting paid to write anything for them. I just am very happy with my new life on better feet and hoping to find others with similar stories. When the tread wears off on my Lems boots, or if they are not sturdy enough for my feet, I'll talk to a shoe repair person and perhaps get another sole glued onto the existing one. Seems like it should be easy since Lems are already zero drop. I used to get hiking boots resoled, but the shoe place would glue on a bit of extra heel. Argh! It took me a long time to get my muscles used to zero drop shoes; it's totally different but it's also totally the best! Shorter steps and more foot contact with the ground. Interesting.... it's the way we've been walking for thousands of years! But, for some, and maybe for many on flat concrete, we need extra padding.
They look pretty cool. But I wish Lems would figure out a way to make find some waterproofing. Perhaps I could spray them with some water repellant? Do you have any reviews on the Lems Trailhead?
Hey Preston - we currently have no reviews in the immediate pipeline for the Lems Trailhead. When it comes to waterproofing Lems have said: "Our shoes are not waterproof, but you can use water-repellant products such as Otter Wax or Nikwax to preserve the leather condition of your shoes in wet conditions. As for our nylon Boulder Boots, you can use a Nikwax spray to help increase their weather resistance. Unfortunately, since our Primas 2s have a mesh upper, there is no way to help make them more water resistance." Hope this helps! - Rebecca
Hey Michael - great question! The nylon certainly seems to change color in different lights. We actually found it to be more of a dark brown with a green tinge, so it's pretty much a combination of both brown and green. Hope this helps! 😊👍 - Rebecca
Hi Sam, nylon is somewhat weather-resistant so you should be fine in most scenarios, but there's no additional weatherproofing so water will find a way through if you stand outside in the rain for too long (just like most other shoes on the market). - Nathan
I own a pair of the waterproof version, it is very poor quality, not waterproof for long, I am rough on my shoes, but they barely lasted thru this winter, it is unacceptable.
Easy to collapse cos there is no support - can you say Superfeet up one size and install Superfeet orange when the waterproof version comes out then you might have something.
I bought a pair of boulder boots all leather, only walked my dog along normal roads no hill walking or in water, within a week,the sole started to come away at the toes sent them back, two weeks later, they sent me them back they had been repaired, they super glued were it was coming away, and said it was cosmetic? Probably the worst service I've ever had, and the worst foot wear I've ever bought, be warned
Hey m Dascoota - we get where you're coming from, that wide toe box can look a little odd to begin with, but we're happy to make that trade-off for unsquashed toes. 😄👍 - Rebecca
How come every single review I've seen of these boots, when the people show video of them wearing them, they're all heel striking? That's not what these are for, they're barefoot shoes. You're supposed to foxwalk, no?
Because when someone is WALKING, heel contact is completely normal. So makes complete sense that you dont see mid/ forefoot strike examples. These are not running shoes Running is a different story...
Thanks for sharing your experience with the community, Mike! We haven't had any issues with the sole on our Boulder Boots yet, but we'll make sure we update the timeline on the written review if anything changes as we continue to test them. 😊👍 - Rebecca
Good overview. Cotton lined is a downer. These seem to be a marketing ploy to appeal to those who want to feel hip or relevant in some outward way. If you want boots, get real boots - that means leather. These sissy slippers are not boots. WC Russell Moccasin in Berlin WI custom makes a minimalist barefoot style boot. Expensive, but worth it, really built to last beyond a hip trend.
Zero foot support makes these a poor choice if you suffer from plantar fasciitis. Also there is no shank at all, making them terrible if your job requires you to be on ladders. It’s too bad really, as I like the roomy toe box and how light they are.
