Be Lenka Barefoot Winter Boots Review – Polar, Nord, Sierra, and Winter

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Be Lenka Barefoot Winter boots shown in a collage: The Be Lenka Polar, The Be Lenka Winter, The Be Lenka Nord, and the Be Lenka Sierra

It’s no secret that I love Be Lenka Barefoot Shoes. Be Lenka combines all of my favorite things into one package: barefoot feel, good style, AND functionality. I live in a cold climate, so the functionality part is key, and Be Lenka winter boots check all the boxes. In this post we are reviewing 4 of Be Lenka’s barefoot winter boot styles that have been super popular this fall. Read on for the full review!

*The code ANYASREVIEWS works for 5% off Be Lenka directly (returns are only accepted from within the EU and USA). US/Canadian customers can sign up for shop e-mails to get a 10% off code from Anya’s Shop.*

The Be Lenka Sierra – A Fleece Lined Riding Boot

$255 | Leather | Fleece Lined | EU 36-43

Let’s start with my personal favorite. The Sierra model is a tall riding boot that is lined entirely with fleece. Hello WARM barefoot style! It comes in black, brown, and red. All Be Lenka shoes are equally wide and flexible, so rest assured that this is a fully barefoot boot.

Sizing

The Sierra is lined with fleece so fits a little cozier than Be Lenka’s unlined shoes. I am still wearing my normal size EU 37 (Approx US 7) and have space for medium weight socks. You might size up if you know that your regular Be Lenka size fits closely or you have higher volume feet. They are low-medium volume over the instep, fit an Egyptian foot shape, and are extra wide in the toe box.

Click Here For More on Barefoot Shoe Brands for your Foot Type

Another thing of note is the calf opening does not get significantly bigger as the sizes go up. I wear a smallish size and have a good amount of extra space around my narrow calves. But women who wear larger shoe sizes are finding that the calf fits quite snuggly. While this can make for a stylish fitted look, it also is limiting to wide calves. A product like the Boot Band works well to solve this problem!

Style

I love me some boot style! Because I have narrow calves I almost always wear boot socks to help fill in extra space. Otherwise I wear these just like any riding boot! Limitless styling possibilities.

The Be Lenka Nord – A Fleece Lined Zip-Up Boot

$195 | Leather | Fleece Lined | EU 36-46

The Nord is a combat style boot that is also lined with fleece and has a side zip for easy on and off. It comes in 4 neutral colors (grey, dark grey, blue, and brown) and is a perfect cold weather boot that can double as a functional walking/hiking shoe and still can be dressed up.

Sizing

Like the Sierra, the Nord runs true to size, but might fit a little snug because of the fleece lining. If you plan to wear thick warm socks consider sizing up. The Nord fits a high volume foot, so low volume feet should plan to wear the laces tight and/or use an insole. Be Lenka fits an Egyptian shaped foot and is extra wide.

I found the Nord to be extremely comfortable right out of the box and I love being able to set the laces where I want them and then use the zipper for daily wear.

Styling

The Nord is easy to style as a casual or slightly dressy fashion shoe. They are unisex and look great on men and women alike!

The Be Lenka Polar – A Wool Lined Zip-Up boot

$205 | Leather | Wool Lined | EU 36-43

The Be Lenka Polar has been my most worn boot of the season. They are so soft and warm, do not rub my sensitive heels at all, and go on and off so easily. I also like that they are very simple with no distracting laces, so they blend into my outfits seamlessly.

Sizing

The Be Lenka Polar is wool lined, so they fit cozier than the fleece lined boots. Most people are sizing up one in them. I have low volume feet and I still wear my usual size 37. At first they were snug enough that I could only wear thin socks, but as they have stretched out a little I now wear medium weight wool socks. The Polar fits a low-medium volume foot (not recommended for high volume feet unless you size up), and just like all Be Lenka shoes, Egyptian shaped and extra wide!

Style

I’ve been styling my Polars with socks peeking out of them, or directly over my leggings. They seem to go with just about anything!

The Be Lenka Winter – A Wool Lined Lace-Up Boots

$215 | Leather | Wool Lined | Water Resistant | EU 36-46

The Be Lenka Winter boot is also lined with wool like the Polar but has laces instead of a side zip. These are actually the very first Be Lenka shoes I ever tried! I have been wearing mine for over a year and love them. They are so comfortable, lightweight, and warm. This season I ended up wearing my Polars a lot more because of the easy zipper, but I still use these for hiking (when I want a more secure fit with laces). You can read my original review of this shoe here!

Belenka winter boots review black barefoot

Sizing

Like the Polar, the Winter is lined with wool and fits snugly, so most people are sizing up one. I got my usual size and they do indeed fit close. After a long time of wearing them I can now wear medium thickness wool socks, but for the entire first year I could only wear thin socks. They definitely fit a lower volume foot, but could be stretched to fit medium volume. As always, extra wide with a prominent big toe space!

Styling

Belenka winter boots review black barefoot

The Be Lenka Winter has an edgy combat boot look with many options for styling. They can be dressed up with the right outfit, but I am wearing mine casually most of the time.

Conclusion

Be Lenka leads the pack in the barefoot shoe world, and is making a significant contribution to the market with their extra wide, barefoot friendly shoes. I also appreciate that Be Lenka barefoot winter boots are high quality, responsibly made by people earning real wages, and to top it all the shoes are actually good looking! Oh, and my UK friends! Happy Little Soles carries all of these Be Lenka models and ships super quickly!

Want to See More Barefoot Winter Boot Options? Check out the posts below!

Special thank you to Eye of Shay Photo for helping out with some of the photos in this post!

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Comments

16 thoughts on “Be Lenka Barefoot Winter Boots Review – Polar, Nord, Sierra, and Winter”

  1. I found Belenka because of your blog and love my Winter boots! Bit bummed that the calves are the same size throughout the range in the Sierra’s. Do you know what the circumference is on those?

    1. They’re not the exact same size throughout, but it doesn’t go up as much as you would expect. I still have quite a few in anya’s shop, if you e-mail in I can measure the circumference in the size you’re looking at. shop@anyas-shop.com

  2. Hey! I got the Sierras in a size 39 and my foot is about 24.6cm long…I have tried the shoes but I am not sure they give enough room?! I am new to barefoot shoes. I thought the 40s at 25.7cm would be too big? The champs in a size 39 were definitely too small! Do you have any advice?

    1. Hey! So, with that measurement I would guess you would be a 40, but it can depend on how you measure. You can find more info in this article:
      https://anyasreviews.com/best-barefoot-shoes-foot-type/
      Ideally, you want 1-1.5cm in front of your toes, and that includes whatever socks you’re wearing. But ultimately, there is no exact science to fit and you have to feel out for yourself how you like your shoes to fit. Just make sure that your toes aren’t running into anything when you walk and you aren’t scrunching or gripping the shoe.

  3. Hi, recently found your blog and its really super helpful! I’ve been a barefoot wearer for a while but recently moved from Australia to Sweden and struggle to find barefoot winter shoes that stay dry and look nice. I have a pair of xero hiking boots that are great for adventure and work. But the daily nice shoes is lacking. These all look great! I’m just curious how they hold up in wet/snow conditions?

    1. My Winter model saw quite a bit of snow and slush show over the past 2 winter, those would be my pick. But the Polar also would do great, I just would treat the leather beforehand with a protectant.

  4. great reviews! i am starting the search for winter boots! questions! I’ve been looking at the Winter Boot model
    (1) for the Winter Boot model, you note it has a lower insole and might be snug with high volume feet. i have what i think are medium volume. I am wearing a size 40 in the sneaker prime and do well with those. sometimes, i need to loosen the laces on top. I love that they are wool lined – would definitely size up to a 41 but may need a 42 (I’ll email the shop with specific questions.
    (2) Polar – wool lined with zip – you note that it’s better for low to medium volume – if i size up one size from what i think i need to be, that would give me more space re volume? Is the fit without laces such that the foot doesn’t slide around too much if get the proper size?

    1. Hey! If you need to loosen the laces on the Prime’s occasionally I’d venture to say you have high volume feet. Sizing up should be enough to get you the space you need in the wool lined one, but they might even still feel snug over the top at first. They do loosen, and if you find that they fit everywhere else but are tight over the top then you can stuff the shoe overnight with socks or newspaper to stretch it out a bit. And yes, the Polar’s fit snuggly even without laces.

  5. Love your site – so much valuable information for someone like me who’s struggled throughout my life finding comfortable shoes for my wide feet. And switching to minimalist shoes have helped me so much in my recovery from lower back pain and plantar fasciitis. You’re an invaluable guide in this journey. Thanks again!

    Would love to offer my experience to others who are searching for their shoes. Bought Be Lenka’s Entice Neo. They are so stylish. They really looks great, and kept my feet dry. However, they fit snug even after a 1/2-sizeup. Could only accommodate thin socks. And in the cold, my feet were frozen. I replaced the insole with Softstar sheepskin insoles and wore thin woollen socks; my feet were still numbed with cold in near 0C. So, for those who do not have low volume feet, size up I’d say by at least 1.5 sizes to have room for thicker warmer socks.

  6. Hi 🙂 just found your site and so, so grateful for the info! I’m relatively new to barefoot shoes and live in Australia so trying on is limited — I have wider calves (16 inches). Do you think the Sierras would accommodate them? Thank you!

    1. The Sierra’s have a wide calf fit in the small sizes, but then don’t increase in girth on the opposite side of the size range as much so end up fitting narrow in size 40 and up. We have sold them for a few years at Anya’s Shop and the general consensus is that if you have a wide calf in the larger shoe size range they will likely be too slim. I do love BootBand, but that company is in the US so it could be pretty costly to add that to the Sierra cost. Peerko Regina has in Regular width (as opposed to Narrow) has a wide calf size.

      1. Thank you so much, I so appreciate the time you took to give some advice 🙂 Will check out the Reginas!

  7. Hi Annya,

    Thank you for your reviews. I am new to barefoot shoes and sizing feels a bit daunting. I would be lost without your posts. My foot measurements are 23 & 22.8 cm and I am interested in the belenka winter 3.0 as I need a waterproof warm pair. I think about size 38 but I am not sure if it is too big. I think I have medium volume feet and width around 9 cm on the wider part below the toes.
    I have a few questions:
    1. Do you have any other brands for boots to recommend that they have fleece and they are waterproof but the toe box is less wider than belenka winter ?
    Are the peerko less wider on the front?
    I think I haven’t used the shape yet and they feel weird on me.
    I wear size 37 on groundies and 38 on the laboo leather.
    Even though my foot isn’t that big even before my transition to barefoot i would wear different sizes to different brands. So I always struggled with sizing. Any insights welcome. Thanks a million

    1. Peerko are not quite as wide as Be Lenka, that’s correct. A size 38 sounds like the right size for winter boots for you, but you might just have the wrong shape with Be Lenka. Also since you’re new, the extra width/space does take some getting used to. I recommend checking out these other winter resources for some more ideas.

      Warmest Winter

      Best Everyday Boots

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Hi. I'm Anya.

Hi. I'm Anya.

I first discovered barefoot shoes after a long history of foot issues. By changing my footwear and strengthening my body I was able to completely transform my life. Anya’s Reviews is my way of sharing with the world that healthy feet are happy feet!

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