Lems’s proprietary ultra-thin cork insole provides a natural cooling sensation and can be worn with or without socks, or without the insole entirely.
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.
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
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!
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.
The Chillum is a minimalist lace-up, kicking-around-town, and enjoying-a-drink-with-good-friends kind of shoe!
We’ll process Canadian orders within 2 business days (Tuesday - Saturday). International
orders ship weekly.
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Specializing in Minimal Footwear since 2015 and Tabi Footwear since 1999
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