With Covid-19 and the lockdown for the past year, I’ve been 99.99% barefoot and never had to wear my LEMs Nine2Five or LEMs Boulder Boot leather or Carets Wingtip – my three go-to shoes for my workplace. The only shoes I wore instead are running shoes when I go out for weekend runs.
Now that the majority of the US population have been vaccinated, I’m ready to slowly go places and have limited social interactions. Besides the LEMs Chukka as my casual shoe, I’m delighted to learn that LEMs is launching many new models starting with the CHILLUM and jumped at the chance to wear test them for my future ventures – getting outdoor (besides running or cycling)!
Built on the same last and outsole as the Boulder Boot, the Chillum is a “lace-up kicking-around-town and enjoying-a-drink-with-good-friends kind of shoe” according to LEMs Shoes.
In a nutshell, business in the front, party in the back. Canvas in the front, wool in the back, and suede accent in the outer portion lining the outsole. There is also a cork layer foot bed (removable) that you can take out for extra room.
Wide toe box allows my toes to splay naturally with sockless wear. If it is too tight wearing socks like the Injinji toe socks, you can remove the cork insole. I never wear socks with running or casual shoes – exception is when wearing a suit with my Carets Wingtip… or in the freezing weather of Wisconsin when I ran in the streets.
Since the uppers are canvas/wool/suede, it is not waterproof. However, I use Scotchgard on my canvas shoes to make them water-repellant and/or waterproof.
Comparing the Chillum to the Nine2Five (my favorite LEMs shoe), the Chillum easily replaced them. Chillum is a lot lighter with a visually better looking toe box. But it’s not a direct comparison as the Nine2Five is a business casual leather shoe. And I wore them from 7am to 7pm when I was required to be physically in the corporate office. In the new normal, LEMs Chillum is now my favorite shoe.
Super lightweight, breathable, and lightly cushioned, the Chillum won’t slow you down. Since I wear all my shoes barefoot, I did notice that the cork keeps your feet cool in warm weather and warm in colder weather. Additionally, the cork is ultra comfortable!
One thing I learned about using cork in some of the shoes I have tested in the last decade: moisture wicking, odor absorbing, fast drying and anti-bacterial. These properties are naturally in cork material so I’ll take all of them. Cork will also mold to the shape of your foot over time – think memory foam.
Honestly, I can run in the Chillum for short distances without any issues – something to think about when you have to rush to catch a train or going after your runaway dog!
Note that the Chillum is lighter than most non-minimalist running shoes in the market today!
With most of the LEMs shoes that I have tested thus far, it’s normally just the men’s version. Starting with the Chillum, one of my female wear tester was impressed by the design and look that she wanted to try them out. And since all the current models are available for both men and women, albeit with a modified last, there aren’t any women’s only models yet (like Vivobarefoot) – maybe this will change in the future but we will be watching out for them and I have two female wear testers ready to pounce on that.
My female wear tester is a fan of zero drop shoes with minimal cushioning and especially those from Vivobarefoot, Topo Athletic and Altra Running. She also has narrow feet so wide toe boxes are sometimes an issue for her if the laces are not tight. With the Chillum, no issues with the fit and comfort. With regular lacing tightness, her narrow feet didn’t create an issue like she had with other wide toe box shoes – affects her walking gait as she adjusts to the extra space and sometimes slippage. Nothing like that with the Chillum – nice 🙂
In summary, if you’re a fan of LEMs shoes and loved the same last and outsole as Nine2Five or Boulder Boot or Chukka, you’ll feel right at home with the Chillum. If you’re new to LEMs shoes or looking for a business casual or casual shoe (functional and good looking), go with the Chillum.
Technical Specifications
- Outsole: 9.0mm LemsRubber™ (air-injection rubber)
- Insole: Ultra-thin 0.8mm cork top layer with 3.0mm PU under layer
- Stack Height: 10.0mm (not including 3.8mm insole)
- Drop: 0.0mm (Zero-Drop)
- Weight: 8oz (Men’s 10)
Where To Buy
Available now on LEMs Shoes online in two colorways for both Men & Women: Varsity Blue (white outsole), Spruce (brown outsole). Black Jack (black outsole) will be available later (uses microfiber instead of suede for the accent).
