Ancestral Footwear: Leming Footwear Review

Things have been so busy lately, so I've got a number of reviews of some great products backed up.  Today I'm finally getting to a review of a really great shoe.  And to quote my wife.."Wow... you actually have some minimalist shoes that don't look goofy!!"

http://www.lemingfootwear.com/

The shoes she was talking about?  The shoe from Leming Footwear (formerly Stem Footwear). And I have to say, these are some of the most comfortable minimalist shoes I've worn.  Leming (which is short for Level & Flat, Extra wide toe box, and Minimal design), has created a super comfortable, casual shoe for those of us that can never return to a lifted heel, over cushioned shoe.

While these shoes weren't specifically designed as a running shoe, I did take a short run in them just to get a feel.  They performed well, and were really comfortable... BUT.. the whole time I was worried about getting them too dirty... lol.  Since that time, these have become my "go to" shoe for every day wear.  They look great, and I love the wide toe box, light weight, and great proprioception that comes from a super flexible shoe.

From a specifications standpoint, the Leming's weigh in at 6.3 oz and have a total stack height of 8.5mm, but that includes the insole which I would estimate is around 3mm.  The insole is used as a sizing tool (similar to the GoLite Dart Lite), so that if you leave it in, it fits better for a narrow to medium width foot, and remove it for a medium to wide foot.  I tried it both ways, and preferred the shoe without the insole. Fit was great, and I generally wear socks with them.  However, if you wanted to wear these barefoot, you certainly could as the stitching inside is very smooth, and the shoe is machine washable.

The obligatory flexibility test photo...

So... if you are looking for a really comfortable, and truly minimalist casual shoe, I think the Leming's are a great choice.  They function as a great casual shoe (and I've worn them bike riding as well).  Currently, Leming offers just the one style (for men and women), but I am hoping that sometime in the future they may put out other styles, and perhaps some running specific shoes. 

For you minimalist shoe folks out there... what is your favorite casual shoe? Besides barefoot of course :-) Let me know!

Happy trails!

Jeff
http://barefootinclined.blogspot.com/