Live Easy & Minimal! Lems Boulder Boot Review!

Ah yes.... while I love my minimalist running shoes, there is something to be said for having great casual shoes as well.  About a year and a half ago I reviewed my first pair of minimalist casual shoes, which were from Leming Footwear (now just Lems). They are still one of the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn, and you can check out the review by clicking HERE. The same or very similar shoe is now called the Primal 2 and you can also see it on the Lems website HERE

.
So... since that time the Lems product line has grown, and I was really excited to give the new Boulder Boot a try. The great folks at Lems not only provided me the Boulder boot in black, but also set up Mrs. Barefoot Inclined in the cool pair in gray.  So, stick around for a 2 for 1 review!

After receiving the boots and giving them a try on, my first impression was that of the wonderful toe box room. Much like the Primal 2, the design of the Boulder boot is natural, like your foot, allowing plenty of room to wiggle and spread your toes.

I also expected them to be much heavier and less flexible compared to Primal 2, however I was surprised at the overall construction of the boot. These come in just a hair under 10 oz, compared to the 7 oz Primal. And, with a stack height of 9 mm, plus about 3mm for the removable insole still makes for a relatively thin, and very lightweight boot.

Speaking of the insole, I found it to be comfortable, and more importantly, a good additional insulator for the winter.  If you want to improve ground feel, or just get a little more foot room, the insole is easily removed.

With the insole removed, the interior construction and seams are pretty well made and comfortable. I'm not sure about straight barefoot in these boots (as I always wear socks), but with socks, they are comfy with or without the insole.

The soles are made of an air-infused rubber, which give them a little bit of a marshmallow feel, but not too bad.  Also, they are very light weight.  As you can see, the tread is not aggressive. Great for casual hiking and running around town.

As for flexibility? Well.. there you go :-) .    So, was there anything not to like about the Boulder boot? Not really! I will never go back to "traditional" shoes after going minimalist.  My feet and body are so much happier, so it is so great to have another option beyond a running shoe or huarache.  The only thing that took some adjusting to was having my ankles covered! It was kind of a weird feeling after not having worn a boot in a long time. But, the upper is flexible and comfortable like the rest of the boot, so I adjusted quickly.

Ok... enough of my blather... what did Mrs. BI think of her boots?  She let me know that she really does like these boots as well, and received many comments/compliments when wearing them.  I think I have her just about fully converted over to minimal footwear with these boots, several pairs of kigo's and Vivobarefoot!

She echoes much of what I noted above, however she did struggle a bit with a some toe rubbing on the seam in front. In retrospect, the real culprit is the size, and not the shoe.  We determined that going up to the next size would have been ideal. We kind of went off her foot measurement, and perhaps my construction tool skills are not the best, as she got a size 39, and a 40 would have been better.  So, measure carefully, and if it's close, I'd go up.

There you have it... follow Lems advice and live easy & minimal! Easy to do in these great boots.

As always, if I missed something or you have any questions, comments, leave them below! Thanks again for tuning in... stay tuned for more :-)

Happy trails!

Jeff
http://barefootinclined.com
barefootinclined@gmail.com