“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world – Marilyn Monroe”
Now, I’m pretty sure that Marilyn was referring to a kick ass pair of sexy heels. But, Male or Female, if you want to conquer the travel world, you’re going to need something seriously comfy and practical on your feet.
When we left Australia 2 years ago to travel full time, we knew that a decent pair of shoes was going to make or break our trip. There is nothing worse than being on the road with bulging blisters and ravaged toes – you need something comfortable.
It was actually from meeting a guy at the pub, (as so many of our stories begin) that we learnt about barefoot shoes, and their benefits.
What are barefoot shoes?
Barefoot shoes take away all of the bells and whistles of the modern running shoe. Cushioned soles and supported arches are thrown out the window, and a minimalist shoe is created, that simulates the feeling of running barefoot – without the fear of getting a bunch of sharp ouchies imbedded in your feet.
Independent researchers (Here are a couple to check out: Sportsmedicine & Web MD) report that barefoot shoes have many additional benefits including:
- Helping correct posture
- Lower back relief
- Healthy foot arches
- Alleviates knee pressure
- Increases achilles tendon flexibility
- Increased threshold of standing fatigue
and more….
Now, there are arguments either side for this style of shoes. But all I know is that the minute I put on a pair of barefoot shoes over 2 years ago, it was like putting on a glove. They didn’t rub, they fit like a dream and have been the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned.
The first pair of barefoot shoes I owned were a pair of Merrell Women’s Pace Glove 2
– and I loved them. Until they got a massive hole in them from 2 years of solid travel and use.
I honestly thought I would just get another pair. That Merrell, the juggernaut brand, must be the best. Then I heard of Lems Primal 2 minimalist shoes.
What’s so great about Lems?
These shoes had everything Tommo and I were looking for:
- Fashionable – nothing worse than walking around in hideous shoes just cause they’re comfy
- Lightweight – the Primal’s weigh in at 6.9 ounces, which is around 196 grams
- Breathability – we needed shoes that were airy, and could cope with our hectic travelling schedule, without our feet stinking like a boys gym bag at the end of the day. The insole is made of Moisture Wick which is a fabric that pulls moisture from the body to the exterior where it can evaporate more easily. Which means no wet stinky feet from being in your shoes all day.
- Flexibility – sometimes we need to shove our shoes into wherever there’s space in our backpacks. The flexibility of the Lems shoes was impressive.
- Finally – this one isn’t as important to us, but I know many will be happy to know that the upper sole is made of materials which are completely 100% vegan.
How’s that for flexible…..
Lems philosophy states: “our goal was to design a shoe that considers the foot above all else, a shoe that is flat, flexible and fits the natural shape of the foot, and that will never change!”
The thing that makes Lems shoes stand out from other barefoot shoes is that they really aren’t barefoot at all – they are minimalist shoes. Some other barefoot we tried on we felt that the sole was too thin. With Lems barefoots, they took away all the bells and whistles in order to provide a comfortable, light weight shoe, that is designed especially to fit feet. Everyone’s feet.
Tommo suffers from terrible blisters – and they can cause him pain for days on end. He also has a hard time finding shoes that fit him well as he has quite a wide foot. Honestly, when we were first wearing in these shoes we never once had blisters. We hit the ground running – well walking. With us, these shoes will most likely get more heavy use walking all over a new town finding tasty bites to eat and new beers to try. With that said, we haven’t had a single issue arise in the 2 and a half months we’ve had them.
And another thing…
Lems are a team of four.
Yep that’s right, 4 guys who are kicking ass in the barefoot shoe world. This means that customer service means everything to them. If you have a question or concern, you know you’re talking to the people who have the answers. We like that.
So drop by their website www.lemsshoes.com have a look around, see what you think.
But be careful, all you need is to try them on once and you’ll be hooked for life. Merrell would have to seriously up their game for me to consider going back after trying Lems.
What are your favourite travelling shoes? Let us know in the comments below.
—
Note: we did receive a complimentary pair of Lems to try out. And we LOVE them! All opinions remain our own – and that opinion is that these shoes are kickass.
