Lems Chillum Casual Shoe
- Price
- $187
Note: we will not be able to restock these until 2025 as Lems is sold out of most sizes and colours.
Lems incorporated several different materials to provide texture, breathability, durability and maximum comfort. The detailed design can be styled with a classic skate culture look, a contemporary dadcore or normcore aesthetic, or a lean towards a retro preppy vibe.
Features
- The Chillum is not Vegan friendly and and consists of a mix of suede, polyester/cotton canvas and wool (Blackjack colorway uses vegan microfiber instead of suede)
- The Chillum has no water resistant or waterproof properties and so would not serve well in any wet conditions
- The Chillum has a cork insole with anti-bacterial properties preventing bad odors
- Zero drop if worn without the optional insole
- The Chillum has a stack height if 13.8 mm
- Wide Toe Box: made on the the Lems Natural-Shape™ Last, these have the same toebox width as the other Lems models we carry, which is enough room to accommodate toe spreaders for most of our customers.
While this shoe itself is zero drop, as of June 2024 the optional insoles have a small drop (1.5mm for the Minimal Cork insole or 3.5mm for Adventure Poly insole). You can see their breakdown of which models have which insoles here.
- Lems suggests that the insoles compress over time, so you may not notice a drop after the shoes are broken in.
- If you prefer not to use an insole that has a drop, you can wear these without any insoles, or try a zero drop insole such as our Alpaca Insoles.
Sizing
Based on Lem's website, the Chillum is expected to fit true to size, so it is recommended to choose your regular size. However, it is worth considering the possibility of stretching since the upper is primarily made of leather.
The Chillum is a unisex shoe but uses gender-specific sizing; thus, a men's size 9 is equivalent to a women's size 10.5.
Being a mostly canvas shoe, the Chillum's aren't expected to stretch out the same way leather does but the material will soften over time
As with most Lems shoes, the foot shape best suited for the Chillum is a triangle shape
The Chillum is expected to fit a range of foot volumes with a removable insole that allows for the possibility of more room
The laces allow for the size of the Chillum to be adjustable
Ground feel
Due to the thick (for minimal) stack height (everything between you and the ground) of almost 14mm including the removable inserts, and the bouncy lightweight outsole material, these will be very forgiving on unnaturally hard surfaces. We always recommend starting with a shoe that is forgiving so that you can get used to zero drop, a wide toe box, and the amount of movement that's possible in minimal shoes before wearing shoes that feel like walking in bare feet (shoes with very thin or thin feeling soles). After all, you may be relearning how to walk, so it's nice to make that process smoother and more enjoyable!
Customers who are looking for the maximum amount of connection and feedback from the ground may want to pass on these and we're happy to suggest alternatives. That said, sometimes when you know you'll be spending a long day on concrete, asphalt, and other unnaturally hard surfaces these could come in handy!
Care
In regards to care, feel free to have a look at our recommendations for various sorts of materials.
Here are also two products, Otter Wax leather kit and Nikwax leather spray, recommended by Lems to use when treating the leather parts of the shoes.
Best uses
The Chillum is a minimalist lace-up, kicking-around-town, and enjoying-a-drink-with-good-friends kind of shoe!
Shipping Information
We’ll process Canadian orders within 2 business days (Tuesday - Saturday). International
orders ship weekly.
Discounted shipping is automatically applied to orders over $100 within Canada.
Free Local Pickup can be selected to save on shipping costs.
Pickup available at 1390 Danforth Ave.
Usually ready in 24 hours