Lem’s Minimalist Boulder Boot

As kids we’d spend summers in bare feet, exploring through the woods and hopping along rocks, only groaning and complaining when we had to put shoes on… and then groaning and complaining again at toes that were squished into a small toe box. Our feet were dirty, but they were healthy and strong.

Ever since I started hiking, I’ve felt strongly about the importance of healthy, strong feet. traditional hiking boots have their place for heavy loads, but most of the time what we need is almost nothing. That’s what I like about Lem’s Boulder Boots.

Lem’s designs footwear around a simple philosophy:

shoes should be flat, and fit the natural shape of the foot, allowing movement without any constraint or restriction. – Andrew Rademacher Founder of Lems Shoes

The minimalist footwear movement has been popular for a while now. The idea is that modern footwear makes us run in an unnatural way, and that we would be healthier and less prone to injury if we retrained ourselves to run properly, building up muscles instead of relying on footwear to do all the support and cushioning.

Yes, the debate rages on, and you can find proponents for both sides (and critics as well). I’m just here to tell my story.

Lets talk about the features of the Boulder Boot

Features:

• Last LemsLast™ foot-shaped
• Upper 100% 1200D Nylon (100% Vegan-black boots only, the rest are part leather)
• Sole 9.0mm LemsRubber™ injection rubber
• Insole Removable 3.0mm MoistureWick
• Lining 100% Cotton
• Stack Height 9.0mm Drop 0.0mm
• Weight 9.9oz (Sz 43)

I’ve had these boots for about 4-5 months and have taken them out as formal footwear, to my day job and out hiking. Although I have fairly healthy feet, I followed the recommendation of slowly accustoming myself the shoes before taking them out on long walks and hikes.

What do I think?

I had forgotten how much most footwear compresses your toes. The Boulder boots give a huge amount of space in the toe box. it actually took me a week or two before my foot started to de-crumple (that’s a word, really) and my toes started to spread and give me more stability. Since that time, I’ve started to feel more stable and more in touch with where I’m walking.

No, I’m not being all hippy-like. As a kid, I would run around and climb boulders on creeks barefoot. I loved how I could curve my feet around uneven surfaces to get more traction and control. I feel like I’ve regained some of that with these shoes.

The sole is a very comfortable and flexible air injected rubber. It’s so soft the boot can be folded in half without any effort. It’s light, protects your feet from sharp objects, but still allows your foot to conform to surfaces, allowing better contact.

There’s also a removable insole that gives a bit more padding, and that you can remove when you get more comfortable with the shoe. I choose to keep mine in as it provides more breathability.

As far as the upper is concerned, there’s not much to it. It’s a 1200 denier nylon. It’s comfortable, breathable and… well it’s not much else, because there isn’t much there. The seams are very sturdy and show no signs of wear. NOTE: these shoes are not waterproof and mud can be challenging to remove from the fabric.

It really is a minimalist shoe. As they say on their site,

There’s absolutely nothing to this boot, no heel counter, no shank, and nothing stiff that would irritate the foot.

Oh, and the nylon is 100% vegan… so… ya… there’s that.

In the spirit of barefoot running, the zero-drop design encourages a more natural step where you land on your mid-foot instead of your heel. I was never much of a heel striker in the first place, so you may notice the difference more than I did.

The $115 price tag is on par with a lot of niche footwear brands, especially for a high-top boot. It may be steep for some, and I totally appreciate that. I can say that I tend to destroy footwear, and these have held up extremely well despite that. There’s no sign of excessive wear and I see them lasting me for another year or two.

Conclusion

The Boulder Boot is a great, lightweight alternative that suits for trails and town, and that contribute to a healthier, stronger foot.

 

Disclaimer: I received the Boulder Boots for review, free of charge. All opinions offered are my own, and what I’d recommend to family and friends.