Leming (Stem) Primal Origins Review

[bf in az]

Ground Feel 4
Zero Drop 5
Flexibility 5
Toe Box 5
Weight 5
Comfort 5
Fit 5
Traction 3 (haven't had a problem yet)
Durability (too soon to tell)
Performance 4
Cross Training 4
Design 5
Aesthetics 5

This is a great casual minimalist sneaker. I wrote a full review here.

 

[NickW]

Great review bf in az. I tried these on a while back and I am kicking myself for not buying them. I was shocked at the comfort of them, which I guess is because of the air infused sole. Anyhow, I am hoping to get a pair this month if I get enough b-day cash. Thanks for the review which really just helped seal the deal for me. Mostly they will be my just bumming around kicks, but maybe occasionally I might wear them on a run if it gets cold enough.

 

[shaunmac]

They're very comfortable.....but.....the smell!! It gets overpowering. Mine developed a funk after wearing them some without socks.

 

[NickW]

I went and tried some on this weekend. When I tried them on last they were called Stems. They fit much better as Stems. These Lemings didn't fit right for me at all, so I guess I am back to the drawing board for some casual shoes. I read somewhere that they had made some "minor" changes with the fit along with some other minor chages. I guess these changes made it so the shoes don't fit me now. Now I'm really kicking myself for not buying them way back when...

 

[Zetti]

They're very comfortable.....but.....the smell!! It gets overpowering. Mine developed a funk after wearing them some without socks.

Never did understand this whole thing.....even with the 5 fingers.
Any of my shoes smell if I wear them without socks...
Of course I have real sweatty feet....sooooo

 

[bf in az]

They're very comfortable.....but.....the smell!! It gets overpowering. Mine developed a funk after wearing them some without socks.

The website for the Stem version said the shoes were machine washable (although the current Leming website doesn't--I don't know if that means anything).

 

[bf in az]

I went and tried some on this weekend. When I tried them on last they were called Stems. They fit much better as Stems. These Lemings didn't fit right for me at all, so I guess I am back to the drawing board for some casual shoes. I read somewhere that they had made some "minor" changes with the fit along with some other minor chages. I guess these changes made it so the shoes don't fit me now. Now I'm really kicking myself for not buying them way back when...

The Stem version seems to still be available on the Leming website: http://www.lemingfootwear.com/Natural-Origins-Men_p_31.html

 

[PatrickGSR94]

I've had my Stems since February of this year, and wear them to work every single week day. Sometimes with socks and sometimes without. I haven't really noticed them stinking much, but I do need to wash them as the footbed is a little dirty from wearing them with no socks after going barefoot.

Anyway, I've had them nearly 8 months with 45+ hours a week of use, and they have held up AWESOME! I usually just keep them loosely tied and slip them on/off. When I leave my office they come off as soon as I get to the car.

I purchased them in February of this year (just before they changed to that st00pid name!) from an "outdoors" type retailer in Nashville, TN. Nobody in Memphis had them, I needed to try them on first, and I was up there on business anyway so I went ahead and got them. Boy am I glad I did because they are far, FAR more comfortable than VFF's for everyday use. However I would not and have never run in them. Also mine did not come with any removable insole pieces.

I don't like shoes much, but as far as shoes go these are by far my most favorite. Nothing else I have tried even comes close in terms of comfort, and actually feeling like you're *almost* barefoot.

 

[Second Wind]

I've had a pair of stems since before release (was lucky enough to score a prototype) and I'm still wearing them! I Love them, definitely one of my favorite pairs of shoes (I honestly like the prototypes a little more than the final product... thinner, lighter, no insole). Very cool company too!

 

[bf in az]

Okay, so now the company's name is officially Lem. After I mop up the floor from where my head exploded, I'm going to go revise my review...