Review: Lems Outlander
This is not a barefoot/minimal shoe in any way. But it suits the needs for a comfortable shoe in cold and wet conditions.
They are heavy. Not extremely heavy, my previous boots where hell, but very heavy after wearing real minimal shoes before.
Also they are expensive, a lot. I got them anyways, but the price is not for everyone. As they are from the US, resellers take up to 220€ for them, which still is below the regular 50€ tax. USA, whats going on?
But as you can see, the material is really sturdy. Not vegan for some weird reason, the small stripe on the sides is leather, the rest the standard outdoor plastic stuff.
Thats the reason I got them, I just dont trust Winter shoes from wool, or even vegan stuff like cotton, dont want to imagine the wet mess.
But they are pretty comfortable. Their shape is pretty good, could even be a bit wider at the toebox, but nothing to complain really.
I tie them very loose at the ankle, that way they are way better and still fit very securely.
Why does your heel rub, your ankles hurt and your shoes get holes in the back? Its because of stiff soles!
You see how in the last pic, the heel is moving upward, while the stiff sole doesnt really move and pull the heel of the shoe down?
I blame the stiffness of the sole for the slight ankle pain I got after walking around in these shoes all day.
If you want to DIY fix this, just cutting some small slits where there already are some (see sole pic), orthogonally to the movement of your foot. Disadvantage (common among many minimal shoes) is that sharp objects can penetrate through more easily, so I guess this is well known and already done, keeping a compromise between durability and flexibility.
The shoes arent that tall, so they dont limit normal movement a lot. Through the stiff sole I tend to heel-walk though, and I recognized that I was very wobbly on rough terrain, easy to twist my ankle.
Statement here, that barefoot shoes are worlds better for rough terrain, as by actively walking with the ball of your foot your muscles protect your ankles from twisting.
Conclusion
I bought them to be
- water-resistant (not tested but positive)
- long lasting (upper material and sole are promising)
- warm (they are)
- spacious for my toes (they are 90% perfect)
- good looking (100%)
And with these criteria, looking towards using them for 5+ years, I think they are a really good buy.