Unlike most people, packing is a great joy for me.  I love the challenge of optimizing my wardrobe to fit everything into a small bag, with room to spare.  While researching footwear options for my most recent trip to Italy and Israel, I came across the Lems Boulder Boot.  This boot is billed as an “ultra minimalist boot… for travelers looking to save space and weight on the go.”  With a description like that, I had to take these babies for a test run!  

I reached out to Lems, and they graciously provided me a sample pair of the Men’s Boulder Boots in black leather to test thoroughly and review for you!

Full Leather Upper

This leather variant of the Boulder Boot is an upgrade to their original design.  The original version features uppers made from 1200-denier nylon and nu-buk leather.  This update added a full-grain leather upper to enhance water resistance and durability!

I definitely appreciated the water resistance, because it rained steadily during our first two days in Venice and our day in Rome.  These boots kept my feet dry, despite consistent rainfall and me stepping in quite a few puddles.  While Lems advertises these boots as water-resistant, not waterproof, I can confidently say your feet should stay dry in the full leather version.  This is a huge benefit for travelers, because weather is impossible to predict when booking a trip.

Lightweight Minimalist Build

Calling the Boulder Boot the “world’s most pack-able boot” seems like a pretty big claim.  However, I’ve never seen anything quite like this.  My size 44 boots weight in at a mere 12oz each, with the laces.  Compare that to 21oz each for my Blundstone 062’s, and the difference is pretty clear.  When you’re carrying everything in a single bag, every ounce matters, and these boots saved me over a pound!

Try this with your current pair of boots!

In addition to being super-lightweight, the Boulder Boots also fold up and pack down very small.  In the past, when I brought boots along, I had to wear them on travel days.  This can be annoying, because it means I would have to wear pants to avoid looking goofy.  (Yeah guys, boots with shorts isn’t a good look at the airport…)  With the Boulder Boots, I can simply fold them up and toss them in my bag.  This allows me to wear shorts and flip flops or sneakers for travel days, if I choose.

Super Packable

Design

As I mentioned above, the Boulder Boot Leather edition features a full-grain leather upper.  This gives it a more polished appearance that can dress up well for nicer occasions.  I wouldn’t feel out of place wearing my Boulder Boots to a nice restaurant.

The toe box design is wider to conform to the natural shape of a foot, and it has a moccasin-like ridge running across the top.   While I prefer the look of a smooth toe or cap toe boot, the moccasin design did not bother me.  Looking down at the wide toe box took some getting used to, though.  However, the comfort trade-off is definitely worth it for a slightly wider look.

Mosaic Walkway in Jerusalem – The wide toe box looks different but feels great

The Boulder Boots ship with two sets of laces – one red and one black.  I’m not snazzy enough to pull off the red-laces look, so I quickly swapped out for the more subdued black-on-black.  Lems sells these boots in two colorways, and I’m a big fan of both.  I chose the Raven color, because it fit well with my travel wardrobe of black and gray pants, but the Russet color is a very handsome look as well.  I’d love to grab a pair of Russets to wear with jeans or navy pants.

Comfort

My initial concern with these boots was that I had a bad experience with minimalist, zero-drop shoes in the past.  I did not give my feet the opportunity to adjust to those shoes, and I ended up with a lingering foot injury.  That incident was mostly my fault, but I will caution you to give yourself time to adjust to zero-drop shoes, before running or walking significant distances in them.

Zero Drop

If you’re unfamiliar with the term zero-drop, it describes the amount of heel elevation.  Most shoes elevate the heel to some degree, while zero-drop (as the name suggests) keep the heel and toes on the same plane.  This can initially feel odd, because it stretches your Achilles tendon slightly.  However, zero-drop enthusiasts describe all sorts of health benefits to this more natural design, which mimics barefoot walking.  Potential benefits include healthy foot development, better balance, and increased mobility in the feet, legs, and back.

These boots are definitely minimalist, with only a relatively thin base.  You can actually feel the bumps and dips in ground beneath your feet.  They work well for city streets, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend them for significant hiking or difficult trails.  The lightweight build and flexible leather also let my feet behave naturally.  A wide toe box is great for allowing your toes to spread out while walking.  This may not seem like a big deal, but after walking all over Jerusalem in a day, I appreciated it!

Final Thoughts

The Lems Boulder Boots definitely live up to their slogan as the world’s most pack-able boot.  I really appreciated the full-grain leather construction, for the looks and for water resistance.  The lightweight, zero-drop design allowed my feet to move freely.  At only 1.5lbs for the pair, you will hardly notice these boots on your feet or in your bag, especially since they pack down so well.  After 237,000 steps and 100 miles of walking, over a couple weeks in Italy and Israel, I can confidently say that the Lems Boulder Boots passed the test.  If you’re looking for a great boot option for your next trip, go grab a pair now!