Nuestra conclusión

Las Lems Outlander están diseñadas pensando en la salud del pie, y la verdad es que nos han parecido unas botas muy cómodas. Sentimos que su perfil sencillo y básico se rebela contra el calzado de senderismo sobrediseñado que triunfa hoy en día, pero... encontramos alguna que otra discrepancia importante entre la altura de la suela y el drop. Incluso así, las Outlander siguen estando en el lado más minimalista. Ofrecen mucho espacio para los dedos y tienen una estructura flexible, así que nos dieron libertad de movimiento de sobra para disfrutar de nuestras aventuras al aire libre. Además, llueva, nieve, o haga sol, su agarre e impermeabilidad nunca nos defraudaron. Nosotros lo tenemos claro, ¡su relación calidad precio es fantástica!

Pros

  • El diseño minimalista hace que la pisada sea más natural
  • Ajuste amplio y con forma de pie
  • Las botas impermeables perfectas para cualquier estación del año
  • Agarre de primera en varios terrenos
  • Más resistentes de lo que parece
  • Más ligeras que la media
  • Plataforma muy estable
  • Plantilla ergonómica y cómoda
  • Diseño flexible

Contras

  • De drop cero nada (¡Su drop es de 8 mm!)
  • La altura de la suela no coincide con lo que dice la marca
  • Ponérselas podría ser más fácil

Veredicto de los usuarios

91
¡Estupendas!

Who should buy

The Lems Outlander should be on your radar if you are looking for the following:

  • minimalist hiking boots with a lower drop/stack and a more flexible build
  • outdoor footwear with plenty of toe space
  • an all-season waterproof boot
  • a stylish boot with an earthy design (not too athletic-looking)

Lems Outlander review

Who should NOT buy

People who specifically look for minimal boots with a 0 mm heel-to-toe drop will be disappointed with the 8-mm reading of our caliper.

We recommend considering the Altra Lone Peak Hiker 2 instead. Our measurements confirmed a 2.6 mm drop in that boot.

Lems Outlander lab test

Transpirabilidad

As a waterproof hiking boot, the Outlander doesn't feel particularly well-ventilated. Our smoke-pumping breathability test below is a pretty vivid illustration of the boot's airtightness.

Considering that not a single streak of smoke passed through the boot's nylon toebox, we easily rated its breathability with the lowest score of 1 out of 5.

In addition, the boot's nylon upper material is incredibly tightly woven. We couldn't see a single pore even through the microscope!

Lems Outlander Breathability microscope test

But on the upside, this dense fabric is perfect for keeping your feet dry and warm when challenging weather is innvolved.

Lems Outlander Breathability microscope

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 1
Promedio 1.5
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
1
Transpirabilidad
5

Waterproofing

The Outlander uses the same waterproofing liner as the brand's famous Boulder Boot. This membrane doesn't have a name but gets the job done beautifully.

Downpours, creeks, and slush - the Outlander can handle them all! Extreme weather conditions aside, it is also a pretty versatile four-season boot. We found that with proper sock choice, this Lems boot can keep us comfortable in temperatures between 30°F (-1°C) and 70°F (21°C).

Lems Outlander waterproof

Lems also reminds wearers that the boot's waterproofing capacity can be extended as long as you:

  • clean it regularly
  • reapply waterproofing treatment
  • store it properly (cool dry place)
  • inspect seams and stitches every once in a while

Durabilidad

Durabilidad de la parte delantera

The Outlander's upper design is fairly minimal compared to most hiking boots on the market. There is a solid forefoot reinforcement for bumping into rocks and roots but the top portion of the toebox has nothing but exposed nylon.

Let's see if that material is ready for slashes and brushes against trail debris.

Lems Outlander toebox

Equipped with a Dremel, we drilled the boot's toebox with sandpaper at 5K RPM speed and 3.2N pressure. After torturing the fabric for 12 seconds, we were happy to see that the nylon resisted the tool but the protective layer on top of it was completely gone. Thus, we had to lower the score slightly.

Earning 4 out of 5 for toebox durability, we can confirm that the Outlander's upper durability is on par with most hiking boots we've tested (and even better than some of them!).

Lems Outlander Toebox durability comparison
Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 4
Promedio 4.3
En comparación con 27 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
1
Durabilidad de la parte delantera
5

Durabilidad del acolchado del talón

Inside, the Outlander's collar is lined with a rather standard polyester fabric.

Giving it a 4-second sandpaper drill at 5K RPM speed, we nodded in approval once again. The textile got away from the Dremel without any major damage, earning this Lems boot another high durability score - 4 out of 5 for the heel padding longevity.

Lems Outlander Heel padding durability comparison
Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 4
Promedio 3.9
En comparación con 27 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
1
Durabilidad del acolchado del talón
5

Dureza de la suela

The Outlander uses a proprietary rubber compound for the outsole. It didn't seem particularly firm to us but it wasn't the soft and tacky kind either.

Lems Outlander Outsole hardness

Our Shore C durometer confirmed our initial impression with a reading of 85.1 HC. It is just about the same hardness as the average.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 85.1 HC
Promedio 87.5 HC
Utilizamos una media de cuatro pruebas. La foto muestra una de esas pruebas.
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
81.0 HC
Dureza de la suela
92.1 HC

Durabilidad de la suela

Even though it looks like gum rubber, the boot's outsole compound stood up to our durability challenge with flying colors.

After being exposed to the Dremel for 22 seconds at a relentless speed of 10K RPM, the boot's outsole rubber showed an average amount of damage for a hiking boot. Our tread gauge showed a mere 1.0 mm of dent depth.

Lems Outlander Outsole durability test
Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 1.0 mm
Promedio 0.8 mm
En comparación con 24 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
0.0 mm
Desgaste de la suela
2.0 mm

Grosor de la suela

Our only concern was the thickness of that rubber compound. At only 2.0 mm, it is notably thinner than the average.

Lems Outlander Outsole thickness

All three tests considered, we believe that the Outlander boasts solid outsole longevity. Even though it is not the toughest outsoles we've seen on hiking boots, it is quite dependable.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 2.0 mm
Promedio 3.0 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
1.8 mm
Grosor de la suela
5.6 mm

Peso

As a rather minimal hiking boot, the Lems Outlander keeps its weight on the lower side of the hiking footwear spectrum.

It checked in at a moderate 15.3 oz (434g) which is about 3.5 oz lighter than the average.

Lems Outlander Weight

Surprisingly, it didn't make it to the lightest boots on our roster but it feels lighter than the scale suggests.

Lems Outlander lightweight

In our experience, the Outlander never dragged our feet down or made us crave to lose boots mid-hike.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 15.31 oz (434g)
Promedio 18.91 oz (536g)
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
11.71 oz (332g)
Peso
28.29 oz (802g)

Amortiguación

Altura de la suela en la zona del talón

Lems is dedicated to making footwear that feels as natural as possible on foot. That's why you will find thinner, more grounded soles on the brand's hiking boots. And on paper, the Outlander is supposed to have only 16 mm of stack height.

But we found it to be far from the truth in our own measurements!

Lems Outlander Heel stack

Checking the boot's heel stack, our caliper showed a whopping 28.9 mm! Even if we subtract the insole (7.2 mm) and the lugs (3.6 mm), it still leaves us with 18.1 mm. That's why we are not really sure what Lems implies by stack height considering that it is supposed to be the amount of material between the foot and the ground. 

What is true, however, is the fact that the Outlander has some of the thinnest soles in our catalog. It is only second to the Altra Lone Peak Hiker 2 (26.4 mm).

But even though the ground feedback is on the sensitive side, we received enough underfoot protection to feel surefooted in this Lems boot.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 28.9 mm
Promedio 36.4 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
26.2 mm
Altura de la suela en la zona del talón
46.9 mm

Altura de la suela en el antepié

As for the boot's forefoot stack height, our caliper returned 20.8 mm. This is again thicker than the officially stated 16 mm and is on par with the hiking boot average.

Lems Outlander Forefoot stack

The balls of our feet felt safeguarded from all the sticks and stones while enjoying the benefit of natural foot flexibility. The higher-stacked boots are much harder to bend in the forefoot in return for enhanced protection.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 20.8 mm
Promedio 22.4 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
17.0 mm
Altura de la suela en el antepié
30.7 mm

Drop

Warning: This is NOT a Zero-Drop boot!

The biggest discrepancy we discovered about the Lems Outlander is in its stated vs. measured heel-to-toe drop. According to the brand's product specs, there should be a 0-mm difference in height between the heel and the toes.

However, our caliper measurements revealed that the offset is MUCH greater than that - it is a whole 8 mm higher!

Lems Outlander Drop
The autopsy showed that the heel portion of the boot has more material compared to the forefoot.

For some people, it can be a real deal-breaker while others may not even notice the difference between a 0-mm and 8-mm drop. But we are here to point out such inconsistencies.

We should also emphasise that even the boot's higher-than-expected drop of 8 mm is still lower than the industry average of 14 mm.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 8.1 mm
Promedio 14.0 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
2.6 mm
Drop
20.9 mm

Suavidad de la mediasuela

Lems' approach to footwear doesn't involve plush cushioning either. There should be as little distortion in the foot's contact with the ground as possible. And the Outlander kept our underfoot experience pretty firm.

Using a Shore A durometer, we measured the boot's midsole foam at 30.0 HA. It is not the firmest midsole we've come across in a hiking boot (hello, Danner!) but it is in the firmest range for sure.

Lems Outlander Midsole softness

Less cushioning translates to better balance and a more "raw" contact with the hiking surface.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 30.0 HA
Promedio 27.9 HA
Utilizamos una media de cuatro pruebas. La foto muestra una de esas pruebas.
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
15.4 HA
Suavidad de la mediasuela (de blanda a firme)
53.3 HA

Diferencia de la suavidad de la mediasuela en frío

Having a firm sole from the off means that it's going to feel consistent in both warm and cold temperatures.

Lems Outlander Difference in midsole softness in cold

After keeping the Outlander in the freezer for 20 minutes, we discovered that its midsole firmness only changed by 8%. Meanwhile, some plush foams firmed up by a whopping 40-50%!

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 7.9%
Promedio 17.9%
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
0%
Diferencia de la suavidad de la mediasuela en frío
100%

Grosor de la plantilla

The boot's insole is quite generously padded at 7.2 mm in the heel. Surprisingly, the brand's specs say only 5.5 mm. But that's not all we have to say about this curious insert.

Lems Outlander Insole thickness

Lems takes foot care to the next level by adding the Adventure Poly Insole to the Outlander. It is softer at the top, firmer at the bottom, and is ergonomically contoured to the foot.

Lems Outlander Removable insole

We thoroughly enjoyed the comfort that this insole added to the otherwise firm sole and found that it can even be purchased separately on the brand's website (€20).

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 7.2 mm
Promedio 6.1 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
3.7 mm
Grosor de la plantilla
10.7 mm

Estabilidad

Prueba de estabilidad lateral

The way Lems Outlander made us feel stable without any rigid stability components or bulky structure was quite impressive.

We never felt wobbly or tippy in the boot, even when the terrain got hilly and tricky. We assume that the boot's grounded and firm platform is the main source of stability in the Outlander.

Lems Outlander medial support

Rigidez torsional

The Outlander's simple design doesn't include any stiff shanks or other stabilizing elements to prevent the foot from buckling. And yet, we never felt like the boot needed those!

It took very little effort to twist this Lems boot in our manual test. Thus, we rated its torsional rigidity with a lower score of 3 out of 5. This is considered flexible in the realm of hiking boots.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 3
Promedio 4.3
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
1
Rigidez torsional
5

Rigidez del contrafuerte del talón

We felt no rigid clutch around our heels and ankles either.

A push-and-squeeze test also revealed the flexibility of the Outlander's heel counter. On a 1-5 stiffness scale, we also gave it a moderate score of 3.

Lems Outlander ankle collar

Here we should note that such flexibility never resulted in our heels sliding inside or slipping outside of the boot. The backs of our feet remained securely in place while we enjoyed a less restrictive foothold of the Outlander.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 3
Promedio 3.6
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
1
Rigidez del contrafuerte del talón
5

Anchura de la mediasuela en el antepié

It seems like Lems' embodies the concept of not adding more than necessary to its products.

We found that the sole dimensions of the Outlander do not exceed the average of hiking boots but we never lacked platform width to feel stable.

Lems Outlander Midsole width in the forefoot

Measuring the widest area of the boot's sole, our caliper returned a slightly narrower-than-average width of 109.5 mm.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 109.5 mm
Promedio 111.8 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
96.3 mm
Anchura de la mediasuela en el antepié
124.6 mm

Anchura de la mediasuela en la zona del talón

The heel of the Outlander is notably narrower than the average at 82.4 mm. But, once again, this did not result in any wobbling or instability in the boot.

Lems Outlander Midsole width in the heel
Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 82.4 mm
Promedio 87.4 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
71.7 mm
Anchura de la mediasuela en la zona del talón
106.1 mm

Flexibilidad

Rigidez

Its minimalist design made the Outlander one of the most flexible hiking boots we've tested.

It took as little as 22.8N to bend this Lems boot to a 90-degree angle, according to our gauge. 95% less than the average!

We loved the maneuverability it provided on technical terrain as the freedom of movement helped us be more precise with our foot placement on tricky patches. We even felt as if the extra flexibility improved the grip on rocks and boulders as we were able to "hug" the surface with our feet better which would not be possible in thick rigid boots.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 22.8N
Promedio 44.0N
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
16.6N
Rigidez
84.7N

Diferencia de rigidez en frío

But here is the caveat... Expect to lose some of this flexibility in low temperatures!

Lems Outlander Difference in stiffness in cold

Having kept the Outlander in the freezer for 20 minutes, we were disappointed to see that the boot got 32.2% harder to bend.

On the bright side, even in its "frozen" condition, it remained more flexible than most hiking boots in normal conditions.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 32.2%
Promedio 24.2%
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
0%
Diferencia de rigidez en frío
100%

Agarre / Tracción

Profundidad del dibujo de la suela

Lems refers to the lugs of the Outlander as "serious tread" and states them to be 4 mm deep. Our own lab measurements showed 3.5 mm which is only half a millimeter off.

Lems Outlander Lug depth

While these are not some of the deepest lugs we've recorded in our lab (those come in at 5-6 mm), we can confirm their effectiveness on muddy and snowy patches. However, if your primary hiking terrain is soft, you may want to go for the deeper lugs.

Lems Outlander outsole

But for varied terrain which includes some boulder-hopping, some wet log climbing, and occasional encounters with moss, puddles, and slush, the Outlander's zig-zag treading is a reliable companion.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 3.5 mm
Promedio 4.2 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
3.0 mm
Profundidad del dibujo de la suela
5.8 mm

Tallaje y ajuste

Longitud interna

Getting the Lems Outlander in our regular men's size 9, we were surprised that it ran somewhat short for our feet (263 mm).

According to Lems' shoe size chart, there should be 268 mm of insole length in their US size 9 boots but our own measurement showed a smaller reading of 261.7 mm.

Lems Outlander Internal length

Adding to the confusion, the brand recommends getting "your normal US size" for the Outlander on their website.

We would have to disagree with that and advise going at least half a size up in this Lems boot. Or even a full US size up if you're planning to wear thicker woolen socks.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 261.7 mm

Anchura de la parte delantera en la parte más ancha

Even though the Outlander runs a bit small length-wise, it certainly doesn't lack space in the toebox. Lems preaches foot health by designing foot-shaped footwear that never squeezes toes and leaves plenty of room for comfortable toe-splay.

Lems offers three types of fit (Medium, Wide, and Widest) and the Outlander features a middle-of-the-road Wide Natural-Shape Fit.

Lems Outlander Toebox width at the widest part

Measuring its widest area with a caliper, we got a bigger-than-average reading of 105.4 mm. We can recommend this hiking boot to folks with wide feet without hesitation.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 105.4 mm
Promedio 101.9 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
95.5 mm
Anchura de la parte delantera en la parte más ancha
110.2 mm

Anchura de la parte delantera en la zona del dedo gordo

But there's more! The Outlander's toebox remains wide and square even at the tip of the boot. Measuring the area near the big toe, our caliper showed 86.4 mm which is about 8(!) mm wider than average!

Lems Outlander Toebox width at the big toe

In addition to the toe freedom, we also experienced the benefit of achieving better balance by splaying our toes as much as we needed on rocky terrain.

Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 86.4 mm
Promedio 78.3 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
67.6 mm
Anchura de la parte delantera en la zona del dedo gordo
91.1 mm

Lengüeta: tipo de refuerzo

A fully gusseted tongue is a must for waterproof hiking boots. We have nothing but praise here as the gussets helped to keep debris and moisture away from the interiors.

Lems Outlander Tongue: gusset type
Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander Ambos lados (completo)

Comodidad

Acolchado de la lengüeta

Despite the Outlander's minimal design, it still packs enough padding where it's most needed. There was enough foam in the boot's tongue (10.1 mm) which protected our insteps from lace pressure quite nicely.

Lems Outlander Tongue padding
Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander 10.1 mm
Promedio 11.0 mm
En comparación con 31 botas de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
5.9 mm
Acolchado de la lengüeta
22.3 mm

Tirador del talón

A finger loop proved to be handy every time we slipped into this Lems boot. Compared to the frail fabric loops on most shoes/boots we've tested, this sturdy leather design looks quite tear-resistant.

Lems Outlander Heel tab
Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander Tirador de dedo

Plantilla extraíble

The Outlander's insole is easily removable. You can swap it for a custom orthotic of your own or just take it out for even more in-boot space.

Lems Outlander shoe parts
Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander

Varios

Elementos reflectantes

This Lems boot is not very helpful in low-light conditions as it has no reflective elements on it.

Lems Outlander Reflective elements
Resultados de las pruebas
Outlander No