Lems Chillum Casual Minimal Shoe

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

• Cork Footbed: with an ultra-thin 0.8mm cork top layer, your foot will be feeling the benefits of natural coolness and comfort, with or without socks.
• Ultra Lightweight: A men's 10 weighs only 8oz.
• Zero Drop*: The shoe itself is zero drop, but insoles have a 1.5mm drop as of June 2024
• 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.
• Upper: Suede, canvas + wool.
• Lining: 100% polyester.
• 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).
• Not at all suitable for vegans, but we're happy to recommend alternatives.

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.

New to Minimal Shoes?

Finally! A casual model that is totally suitable for your transition to minimal shoes!

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!

Sizing Info

Lems provides the following advice on sizing for the Chillum: The Chillum will fit similarly to the Boulder Boot (vegan version, Mid or original height), as well as the Chukka and Nine2Five.

Based on our experience with these similar models, we recommend going half a size up from your standard size.

The Chillum is a Lems unisex model, so the men's size 9 is the same pair of shoes as the women's size 10.5.

It is considered a 2E width, and narrows towards the heel area for a secure fit.

You can remove the cork insert for extra volume in the shoe, and in general Lems shoes tend to accommodate a variety of foot volumes quite well.

Both Lems and Cool East Market recommend about 1-1.5cm of room in front of your toes for an ideal fit that allows for full range of motion.