Lems recently released a new chukka boot that caught my eye, so I decided to try them out on my husband to see how they stacked up!
The suede chukka is a great style for both men and women, and it’s not commonly found in barefoot brands (Hoss Handmade has the closest thing), so it’s always exciting when new styles are added to the barefoot repertoire.
Lems Chukka is built on the same outsole as the Boulder, Nine2Five and Mariner, and available for both men and women in two colors (tan and taupe).
We went with the tan (Lion’s Mane) color and it turned out to be a lovely rich tan, with a subtler tone than the pictures on the website suggest.
We’ve never tried Lems before, so I wasn’t sure what size my husband (who’d like to be known as J) would need. After reading the reviews on the website I decided to ignore Lems’ advice to size up 1/2 size and instead went with J’s normal size (a 12.5). This turned out to be a mistake, they are definitely too small, so we will need to send these back and order a new pair in a 13 (Lem’s doesn’t have an exchange policy, only a return policy).
J wears a 12.5 in Vivobarefoot’s Scott boot, so it looks like sizing up a half a size is appropriate.
I was able to use a 10% off coupon after signing up for their e-mails, since this was my first purchase from them, and I’m hoping that customer service will allow me to transfer that coupon to the second pair. My total cost for these was $108.
The outsole is thick and squishy (13 mm stack height with insole), which appeals to my husband whose feet hurt in thin soled shoes. In boots especially, a thicker sole is nice because it keeps your feet warmer, but don’t expect a lot of ground feel in these.
Because the soles in Lems are air-injected these are still really lightweight despite the hefty look. The interior is lined with fabric, and the leather is nice and flexible. Altogether they look and feel like a really comfortable shoe, and my husband is anxious to get the next size up!
If you’re in the market for boots, Lems Boulder boot is a popular winter boot that loads of people rave about! I’ve had my eye on it for a while now and noticed they’re releasing a waterproof version of it soon.
European residents can purchase Lems at Mugavik Barefoot and use code ANYASREVIEWS for 5% off
Let me know if any of you try these Chukkas and have additional thoughts!
8 thoughts on “Lems Shoes Chukka Boots Review”
I have tried several LEMS before and like them. However, the ground feel is certainly more padded than than the like of Belenka and some Vivos. I also don’t like the visual toespring in most of their models.
Does this model have a pronounced toe spring? I could not tell from the photos.
These are the first Lems we’ve tried, so I don’t have others to compare them too, but there was no toe spring that I noticed. They were flat toe to heel.
Was your husband happy with the bigger size? I’m wondering if they stretched out or not. Thank you!
He was, the bigger size fit. But he ended up returning even the bigger size and getting the Primal 2s instead, and he hopes to get some Boulder boots next. So I don’t know if they stretch over time, but based on how they felt and how the other Lems shoes we own fit over time I wouldn’t expect them to do a lot of stretching. Better to choose the size that fits from the beginnings.
Loved the boulder boot! Most comfortable boot I have ever worn. Sizing with lems can be a bit confusing but its well worth it. These where my forst pair of “bare foot” shoes. Like you in had a lot of problems with my feet and after doing a lot of reaserch I came to the conclution that my shoes where to blame. Not only was I wearing the wrong sizes which caused me to yave hammer toes, I was wearing too narrow of a shoe for my natually wide feet. Im happy with my lems and i think I can finnaly venture out and try more brands.
Hey Jonathon! Glad you’ve found some healing through natural footwear. Since this post I have tried several other Lems shoes and think the Boulders are great boots too!
Hacen envíos a Chile. Y si es así, como???
I believe Lems ships worldwide, but that would be a question for them.