Lems Primal 2 Review – after 5 years of wear!

I’ve clocked five years wearing three pairs of  Lems Primal 2s (and 12 years as a barefoot runner).   I came to Lems after ordering and sending back dozens of other barefoot running shoes.

I wear my Lems Primal 2s nearly year-round (summer is Earthrunner’s season!)

And after five years plugging my piggies into Lems nearly every day, I’ve got plenty to say!

My Lems Primal 2 Review contains:

– – – Pros
– – – Cons
– – – Sizing – Lems Primal 2
– – – Running Review – Lems Primal 2
– – – What Makes Them Vegan Minimalist Running Shoes
– – – Lems Discount Code Explained

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Lems Primal 2 Pros – Running Shoes Review

• • Great Ground Feel – Lems Primal 2 Review
    I chose the Primal 2s specifically because of the thin sole.  In all my barefoot running shoes I like to get maximum ground feel, minus being traumatically stabbed in the foot by rocks.  I feel the difference between gravel and woodland trail with my Primal2s, but I don’t hate the difference.
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  • Sexy! – Lems Primal 2 Review
    People love to tell me how much they love these shoes!  As more of the world wakes up to the glory of having healthy feet because of wide-toe boxes, I get ever-more compliments.  I keep a pair pristine for important meetings and social events, and use the others to tear up trails.
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• • Lightweight – Lems Primal 2 Review
    I love how freaking light these shoes are.  They are like clouds on my feet.  I adore running in them.  You might ask, “But aren’t your other favorite minimalist, barefoot running shoes light also?”  Yes.  They are.  But outside of EarthRunners season, in addtion to Primal 2s, I wear my Xero Alpines (heavier than Primal 2s) and the only traditional footwear I own – rainboots.  So I regularly get to feel the amazing difference.
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  • Wide Toe Box – Lems Primal 2 Review
    Some minimalist/barefoot shoes miss out on this feature – which is critical to foot health.  The reason why is a whole dissertation that I leave to your capable googling!.

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    Zero-Drop – a.k.a Joint Love– Lems Primal 2 Review
    If you’re shopping for minimalist shoes, you probably already know how good zero-drop is for your skeleton, posture, joints, et.al.  I feel the difference in my lower back on the rare occasion I’m not wearing zero-drop shoes.
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  • Breathable– Lems Primal 2 Review
    It’s been a long time since I made my poor piggies cram into traditional shoes, but I still remember the desperation to get my feet out of the hot, sweaty bricks on my feet.  That never happens with my Primal 2s, and they still keep my feet warm on winter runs.
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  • Traction Despite Tread Wear– Lems Primal 2 Review
    Admittedly, I don’t care gently for my shoes like some responsible humans out there.  Did you know some people give a pair of shoes a whole day’s break (or more!) between wearings?!  I, on the other hand, make every attempt to run my footwear straight into the ground by wearing it non-stop.  I wear my Primal 2s every day outside of  EarthRunners and Xero Alpine seasons.  (I’m wearing them right now!) The great groundfeel I talked about earlier is achieved with a minimal sole, which, yes, does eventually wear thin.  But despite the wear, the shoes still perform on slippery trails.
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  • Easy to Replace Insoles– Lems Primal 2
    I am tempted to put this in the cons section, since I have so few.  I reinvigorated a pair of Lems Primal 2s that had gotten too dirty and worn for fancy things, but still had plenty of trail life left.  I just ordered new insoles when I ordered my next pair of Primal 2s!  But is it a con that the insoles were worn out in the first place?  And what about the aggressively barefoot people who beg you to removed the insoles the moment you unbox the shoes?  Jury. is. out!
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Lems Primal 2 Cons – Running Shoes Review

• Soles Wear Out– Lems Primal 2 Review
  The thin shoe with the great groundfeel?  Spoiler alert: it gets thinner.  I’ve gone through 3 pairs of Primal 2s in six years, and each pair has eventually developed a hole in the sole at the ball of my foot.  As above, the traction remains.  But eventually the “groundfeel” gets really real!
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• Insoles Wear Out– Lems Primal 2 Review
  I didn’t notice until I was ordering my third pair of Lems, but the insoles do start to succumb as they’re put through the paces.  As above, I delight in being able to replace them and have an old pair of lems feel like new, but wouldn’t it be great if there was a material that did all the great Lems stuff and didn’t wear out?
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• Three Season Shoe– Lems Primal 2 Review
  I’m reaching here.  If I needed closed-toed shoes in the summer, of course I grab my lightweight, breathable Lems.  But if I put my Lems on in the summer when I’ve been mostly barefoot or wearing my EarthRunners like sandals are what I’ll wear to my funeral… the Primal2s feel hot.  My feet say, “Excuse me?  Why are we doing this?” So if you are looking for a shoe that somehow excels at both winter and summer… this is not your shoe!

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Sizing -Lems Primal 2

Is the Lems Primal 2 sizing true?   Yes – it is for me.   I go between 9 and 9.5 depending on the shoe company.  The 9.5 fit my foot exactly.  Lems shows you how you can measure your foot to ensure a precise fit.

The difference between each .5 sizing increment is 4mm or 1/8 of an inch in length and 1mm in width.

If you’re wearing Correct Toes (a brand of toe separators), Lems says you can still order your size.  The interwebs recommend sizing up.
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Running Review – Lems Primal 2

Lems are my go-to running shoe under the prevailing conditions of my life.

When I’m at peak performance, I prefer something even lighter and tend to go for Five Fingers.  But most of the year I’m in maintenance mode and not in need of the super agility that comes from wearing nearly nothing.  (When I run in my Five Fingers – there is a level of foot conditioning and vigilance that I’ve been less able to maintain in the pandemic times.)

The groundfeel and lightweightness of the Lems still allow for fleet feet on the trails while not leading to the pain I would experience in Five Fingers if I attempted to slog through an reluctant afternoon/evening run in the pouring rain on muddy paths.

I am able to footstrike (forefoot run) in the same way I do with even lighter, more flexible shoes.  The only sacrifice is not getting to the very outer limits of my foot’s range of motion.  For me, it’s worth it!

(Read: Why I Still Run ‘Barefoot’, Despite No Scientific Proof of Benefits)

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Vegan Minimalist Running Shoes

Maybe you don’t care that Lems Primal 2s are vegan, barefoot running shoes but are curious what “vegan footwear” even means.   I was!

A shoe is NOT vegan when it uses leather or glues and dyes derived from animal parts.   Or when the synthetic materials, glues, and dyes have been tested on animals.   Lems promises, “all materials, down to the laces and glue, are 100% vegan.”

The Primal2s and the vegan vs. non-vegan shoe-making process are explained here.

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Lems Discount Code

Why can’t you find a Lems Primal 2 discount code (or any other Lems shoes discount code) on the internet?   That’s not the company’s jam.   They do (as of this writing in November 2022) have a 10% discount code if you join the Lems’ mailing list.   And they have frequent sales.

Pro tip: If I were new to Lems, I’d use the discount code to follow the advice of one brilliant Lems wearer mentioned above – do the responsible thing and really get the most bang for your buck by buying two pairs so that you never wear the same pair two days in a row.  Apparently this really saves on shoe breakdown.  And if you end up not liking the Lems?  Just send it all back!

Happy Running, Happy Travels!  ♣

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