Lems Trail Blazer Shoe

Review by Erin Trail

The Lems Trail Blazer Shoe is a low profile, zero drop hiking shoe that’s designed to offer a natural foot feel and a strong grip underfoot.  These shoes are equally great on the trail and in more casual settings.

Details

• Fit: Lems WIDE Natural-Shape™
• Upper: Microfiber & Air Mesh
• Lining: Polyester
• Midsole: EVA
• Outsole: Full rubber Trail Traction Outsole with 3mm lugs
• Insole: Minimal Poly Insole
• Stack Height: 14mm
• Drop: Zero-Drop

Detailed Review

The Trail Blazer Shoe is Lems’ newest offering in their hiking line.  The shoe is very rugged while remaining lightweight and offering a great feel of the ground beneath the user.

I have a narrow women’s foot and found that the Lems Trail Blazer Shoe fit true to size.  The shoe fits very well around the ankle and Achilles area, allowing a full range of movement without any rubbing.  The interior of the shoe around the ankle is a soft mesh, so if you want to wear no-show socks, the contact points are still soft and comfortable.  My toes have room to move but my heels remain locked in place.

I’ve been wearing the Lems Trail Blazer Shoe for approximately six weeks.  Out of the box, the shoes were very comfortable and had a broken-in feeling to them. The look of the shoes definitely trend towards “hiking shoe” but can also fit into casual, social, and some work environments as well.

Three of the Lems Trail Blazer Shoe colorways are fully vegan (Juniper, Kodiak, and Thunder).

I loved the feel of the Lems Trail Blazer Shoe underfoot.  The soles are flexible, but also provide a pretty sturdy platform.  The grip of the Trail Traction Outsole is also fantastic.  I forgot my flat pedal compatible shoes on a mountain bike ride and all I had with me were my Lems Trail Blazer Shoe.  I wasn’t sure how they would do in this test situation, but they were actually fantastic.  The outsole provided plenty of grip – with no pedal slips – and the platform was plenty stiff enough for pedaling and technical descending.

For hiking, these shoes really shine.  They’re lightweight (women’s size 11.5 weighs 11.9 oz) and extremely comfortable. The outsole grips extremely well, handling everything from dirt to roots to rocks. The shoe is designed to be flexible and natural feeling.  The wide toe box and the zero drop design means the wearer has a more natural foot alignment as they’re in the shoes.  I found that the shoe handling on technical terrain was really great – I had support and protection but I could also feel my feet articulate in accordance to what was underfoot.

The shoes also clean up really well, even after dusty hiking.  Just a quick dry brush and they look as good as new.

Closing Thoughts

The Lems Trail Blazer Shoe is a hiking shoe that promotes a natural foot alignment while offering excellent traction and stability.  These shoes are equally at home on the trail and on paved surfaces, both in terms of styling and comfort.

The Lems Trail Blazer Shoe is available in both men’s and women’s sizing.  They offer 4 colorways and a wide range of sizes.

Erin Trail

Trail Boss of Stoke