Horrible quality
Horrible quality, wrong size and they admit it that their size is not standard!

Lems Shoes is a footwear company specializing in minimalist and barefoot shoes designed to provide comfort and promote natural movement. Established in 2011, the company focuses on creating shoes that feature a zero-drop design and a wide toe box, allowing for natural toe splay. Their product lineup includes shoes and boots suitable for various activities, including walking, running, hiking, and everyday work. The target market for Lems Shoes includes individuals seeking comfortable, lightweight footwear that aligns with a more natural way of walking. By prioritizing simplicity and functionality, Lems Shoes aims to redefine the way consumers think about footwear, appealing to those who value both comfort and health in their daily activities. Customers can explore a range of styles on their website, www.lemsshoes.com, where free returns and exchanges are available to U.S. customers.
Lems Shoes receives a mixed response from consumers, with many praising the comfort and fit of their footwear, particularly the Chelsea Boots and Primal Zen shoes. Reviewers express love for the shoes, noting their lightweight design and overall quality when the right size is obtained.
However, a significant number of customers report serious issues with sizing, claiming the shoes are often too narrow and not true to size. Additionally, complaints about poor customer service are prevalent, with many stating that their inquiries go unanswered or that they face difficulties with refunds and shipping. High shipping costs and concerns about product quality further contribute to the dissatisfaction. Overall, while some customers enjoy their Lems shoes, the negative experiences regarding service and sizing overshadow the positives.
Summary generated with AI from recent reviews
Each source counts by its number of reviews. Only reviews written by people are scored.
| Source | Rating | Reviews | Weight | 6-mo | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trustpilot Imported Trustpilot reviews | 2.5 | 37 | 100% | ● Low |
Monthly average rating from reviews written by people · latest review Apr 2025.
| Month | Average | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| May 24 | 1.0 | 1 |
| Jun 24 | — | 0 |
| Jul 24 | 1.0 | 1 |
| Aug 24 | 1.0 | 1 |
| Sep 24 | 2.0 | 1 |
| Oct 24 | — | 0 |
| Nov 24 | 1.0 | 3 |
| Dec 24 | 5.0 | 1 |
| Jan 25 | 5.0 | 1 |
| Feb 25 | — | 0 |
| Mar 25 | 5.0 | 1 |
| Apr 25 | 5.0 | 1 |
Share of positive (4–5★) and negative (1–2★) reviews mentioning each topic · based on the 37 most recent reviews.
“I had originally given a 1-star review because I had such a negative time with getting an order shipped to the UK and...”
“The customer service representative was incredibly unhelpful”
Same method for every company: overall rating, legitimacy checks, the average rating of reviews mentioning each area and the 6-month trend · Shoes & Accessories.
| Company | Overall | Legit | Service | Quality | Delivery | Trend | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 out of 5 (poor) | 100 out of 100 | 2.2 out of 5 (poor) | 1.9 out of 5 (poor) | 2.4 out of 5 (poor) | — | 37 | |
| 1.3 out of 5 (poor) | 100 out of 100 | 1.2 out of 5 (poor) | 1.2 out of 5 (poor) | 1.2 out of 5 (poor) | — | 1,000 | |
| 2.9 out of 5 (fair) | 100 out of 100 | 2.5 out of 5 (poor) | 1.9 out of 5 (poor) | 1.3 out of 5 (poor) | +4% | 1,000 | |
| 4.9 out of 5 (good) | 100 out of 100 | 5.0 out of 5 (good) | 4.9 out of 5 (good) | 4.9 out of 5 (good) | +2% | 397 | |
| 2.6 out of 5 (poor) | 100 out of 100 | 2.2 out of 5 (poor) | 3.0 out of 5 (fair) | 2.7 out of 5 (poor) | +12% | 368 |
Bottom line: Lems Shoes is #4 of 5 on overall rating in this group. On quality, Red Run scores higher (4.9 vs 1.9).
37 reviews of Lems Shoes. Filter by what matters to you.
Horrible quality, wrong size and they admit it that their size is not standard!
I bought two pairs of boots through their website and only received one. When I asked for a refund, I was told they couldn't help me because I didn't purchase additional insurance at checkout. So they don't actually guarantee that your order will get to you unless you pay more money. The customer service representative was incredibly unhelpful. I've lost over $300 and have no other choice than to request a chargeback through my credit card company.
DO NOT BUY HERE!!!!! My husband did not look at trustpilot before this purchase, bad for him. They took the money, but the shoes have even not get sent yet. The purchase was in midt september, the promise was 30 days, and when we asked for the money back, they will only give back 40%, for what, they haven't even sent they shoes. This is against the law for purching in europe, they should know. Based on this on trustpilot i think they did give a damn. I have made a objection and turn them for danish authority. order: 1JF-JJ36028-VCK39
Anyone can write a CrowdTrust review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they'll be displayed as long as an account is active.
Polarized pattern: few middle ratings. 30% of recent reviews are 4–5★ and 62% are 1–2★.
Their only international shipping option is 125% more expensive than the shoes I wanted to buy. Their excuse is it covers customs fees but there are no customs fees to cover so tell me again why? They had no answer, just sarcastic replies. I've been a customer for 8 years and will never go back.
My colleague Ben Rogers wears these to work most days. Initially we thought he was expecting snow and they would assist him across wintery conditions but the weather recently has been scorching. We then thought he might use them for water skiing due to their obscene width. A passer by recently asked him if he had binned the trainers and was in fact wearing the shoe boxes on his feet?! Lems - for those who have more bunion than toe. 👎🏼
I dislike leaving negative reviews for any company, and I gave Lems numerous chances to resolve the situation by covering the return postage cost, but they declined. My problem isn't with the product or any damage during transit. It's simply that I was handed the shoes outside of any packaging, without a box or bag. Although the shoes weren't damaged, I believe other customers might also consider this poor packaging. Lems failed to acknowledge the issue and showed no interest in investigating or addressing it. As an update to my previous review, I also submitted a similar review on the company's website, which was never published. I believe it's crucial that reviews about a product and company accurately reflect what is being offered. Manipulating reviews to attain a higher overall score likely reveals more about a company than anything I could articulate here.
Lem's shoes could be the most comfortable shoe I have worn, but the build quality is poor and the customer service is poor as well. They just don't seem to care
Poor quality shoes, I've had 3 pair and they all wear out far before the shoe should. The rubber sole in my latest pair turned rock hard into plastic basically, and the company said they're aware of the problem, and advised I get them re-soled by a shoe smith or buy another pair. They quit returning my emails. Terrible customer service, and even worse of a company to knowingly sell bad product. They also don't allow for anything but 4 or 5 star reviews to be published on their website. That in itself sais a lot...
Skip Lems, between poor quality products and mostly poor customer service, it's actually cheaper to buy a pair of Vivos if something goes wrong, which it did in my case. I'm downgrading my review to 1 Star from 2. I ordered a pair of Boulder Boots in leather during the Black Friday sale in 2022. Due to a technical error, two orders were billed and sent. I'm a house sitter and was just across the border waiting for the shoes to arrive on the US side of where I was staying in Canada. Lems waited a week to ship the order and by the time they arrived I had already gone onto my next assignment, leaving them trapped at the border. I wrote my 2 Star review and several more because they claimed the system didn't make an error and refused to help me. Shortly after the reviews were up I got a response to my original support ticket after it going unanswered. During my back and forth with Lems it took a couple of weeks to get them to agree to fix the double order error, which is a point in their favor and I had planned on updating this review with a positive experience because Kim, the support person helped me deal with all the issues and I felt good as I got a partial refund. However, after only a handful of times wearing the shoes, turns out the pair I have is faulty so I contacted support again to see what my options were. I was told by Connor that they would refund the remaining amount and I can keep or donate the defective boots. That's fine, except I had to pay $20 in receiver fees, then another $30 to reship the pair I got, and another $50 for customs. Now I'm stuck with crappy made boots that cost me $90 and I still have to find a cobbler that can repair them and pay that person, bringing the price up to at least the original price I paid for the boots anyway. Which I could accept if I wasn't concerned that they're just going to fall apart again anyway and I'll need to pay more again to fix them. And lastly, I wish I had read all the other bad reviews about these shoes and the customer service. I will be telling my barefoot friends to avoid Lems.
The boulder boots are complete trash. Stay away from them. They are made out of terribly stiff leather and run way bigger than the advertised size. You also have to pay for return shipping.
On Sept 8/22 I placed an order with Lems Shoes for Men's Boulder Mid Size 12.5 On Sept 9/22 I requested a change for a size 11.5 Response received from Kim, Lems Support Hero, indicating that SHE WILL SEND A CANCELLATION REQUEST TO THE WAREHOUSE (see below). NOTE: I did NOT cancel the order ! Original charge on my VISA USD$ 129.95 / CAD$ 175.98 Refund received on my VISA USD$ 129.95 / CAD$ 164.44 I will not place another order and loose out on the exchange rate. Furthermore, I will still be uncertain if the boot will fit since Lems sizing is problematical; it dose not follow typical US size charts. Most customer reviews indicated that Lems boot sizes are smaller than normal US shoe charts. I am not at all happy dealing with Lems. Sincerely, Toma Diamantstein Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Kim (Lems Shoes) Sep 9, 2022, 10:54 MDT Hi Tom, Unfortunately we cannot make changes to an order once it has been submitted. I will send a cancellation request to our warehouse and let you know what they say! If they can cancel your order, you will be refunded and can place a new order for the correct size. Kim Support Hero Lems Shoes ======================================== Kim (Lems Shoes) Sep 12, 2022, 09:51 MDT Hi Tom, Just reaching out to follow up on YOUR cancellation request - our warehouse was able to cancel your order. You will receive a refund within the next couple of business days. In the meantime, feel free to place an order for the correct size. Thanks! Kim Support Hero Lems Shoes On Monday, September 12, 2022 at 10:16:24 a.m. EDT, Lems Shoes wrote: Lems Shoes ORDER #496655 Your order has been canceled Order #496655 was canceled at your request and your payment has been refunded . Refunded Items Men's Boulder Boot Mid Vegan Jet Black / 12.5 US Refunded $100.00 Subtotal $100.00 Shipping $29.95 Taxes $0.00 Total $129.95 USD Visa $129.95 Refund Visa
Awful customer service. Received a pair of defective shoes and 8 days after the returned shoes arrived at Lems, I have not received a refund. After inquiring about my refund, I was told it was processed, two days later I was told Paypal was down, four days later Paypal is still down, and now today I am told Paypal is blocking their account until the tax audit is completed. Customer Service agent Caileigh is the the worst - unprofessional, dishonest and totally disengaged. Avoid this company.
Lems Shoes Company touts comfortable wide, toe box shoes and states they provide free returns. They Do Not tell you that they charge you $8 for the return label. On their website, they encourage you to buy a few pairs of the same shoe style at different sizes (they state their shoes run small, so order 1/2 size larger). So essentially, if you buy as they suggest you have to pay their $8 charge for the return label or else keep a pair of shoes that don’t fit! Very disturbing business model. Plus the shoes just don’t fit as marketed. I strongly encourage buyers beware when dealing with Lems Shoes.
The shoes are absolute trash. They use glue rather than stitching, and the shoes just fall apart. Their customer service is as trash as the shoes are. Here's the email I sent and the response I got... "Hello, Last August, I purchased two pairs of boots from your company for my sons. The one who actually wears his came home today and showed me his... Both are coming apart in the same place, all of a sudden. The adhesive holding the sole onto the leather has failed. These boots have been worn for about 3-4 hours a day, mostly indoors (and when outdoors on concrete), and have been taken care of. That's pretty shoddy work for $165. The Mary Jane shoes I bought from you years ago did the same thing. I had hoped your build quality had improved, but it would seem not. My son has been happy with the boots, until today. I can't tell you how disappointing it is to spend that kind of money, trying to safeguard your kid's health, and have this be the outcome. I am a medical LMT, working with patients who have chronic pain, often caused by postural issues. I have recommended your footwear to many... but no longer. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend a product that is guaranteed to fail under such a light work load. I've attached some photos for your edification. Three to four hours of wear daily over a year's time should not result in this kind of failure. He works in a convenience store for Heaven's sake. Utterly Disgusted, CW" Their response.... "Hey Chandra, Thanks for reaching out and sorry to hear about your experience! While the boot would be outside of our warranty window, I will be sure to pass your complaint along regarding the durability of our footwear. If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to let us know. Thank you, Tim Support Hero Lems Shoes // Discover more with less" Buy your shoes elsewhere, people.
Worst customer service ever: just hope that your package get to you, 'cause if anything goes wrong, you'll have to deal with rude, totally unkind, completely unhelpful and even mocking at you customer service.. So, nothing to say about the shoes, as I never received them, and I never felt that it concerned, event slightly, the customer service.
i purchased some boulder boots around a year ago. now they are completely ruined. the glue fails to hold them together and they've basically fallen apart. They cost a lot of money (for me) so i'm quite disappointed. Very poor response from Customer service as well. Poor show, poor product... I would not recommend at all...
Lems Shoes is a footwear company specializing in minimalist and barefoot shoes designed to provide comfort and promote natural movement. Established in 2011, the company focuses on creating shoes that feature a zero-drop design and a wide toe box, allowing for natural toe splay. Their product lineup includes shoes and boots suitable for various activities, including walking, running, hiking, and everyday work. The target market for Lems Shoes includes individuals seeking comfortable, lightweight footwear that aligns with a more natural way of walking. By prioritizing simplicity and functionality, Lems Shoes aims to redefine the way consumers think about footwear, appealing to those who value both comfort and health in their daily activities. Customers can explore a range of styles on their website, www.lemsshoes.com, where free returns and exchanges are available to U.S. customers.
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