The Lems Trail Thrasher (men’s and women’s) is a weird shoe. It is an absolute tank with aggressive and confidence-inducing tread alongside burly uppers which could withstand a meteor strike. At the same time, the uppers don’t feel like athletic shoe material, they have a soft suede feel and thickness which would take an age to dry compared to the thin, synthetic uppers so many trail shoes use. Then again, I was hiking in Lems and came across a hiker in Altras who said he loved his Altras, but the uppers were falling apart quickly.
They don’t make shoes like this anymore
At the risk of being a broken record (See the Trail Blazer, Primal Eco, and the Trailhead v2 reviews) : Lems makes high quality shoes which are good at just about everything without specializing. I’m not going to race in a Lems shoe, but a shoe like the Trail Thrasher could get me around the world and stand up to every challenge thrown at it with durability to spare.
The Lems Trail Thrasher has great tread
I took the Trail Thrashers down some very steep trails which were hard-packed, covered in loose gravel. While my co-hikers were slipping and grasping at tree branches for traction, I was able to waltz down the trail, hands in pockets, with the dog tugging on a waist leash.
The Trail Thrasher has the same sole as the much liked Lems Boulder Summit Boot and it delivers excellent traction. A potential con with the tread might be the performance of the gum sole in cold conditions. I’ve noticed the rubber hardens in icy conditions and doesn’t grip as well.
The other question would be about how well the shoes will shed mud. We have some soils which are a mix of sticky clay and small gravel. The Trail Thrasher collected a fair amount of mud and gravel, but then shed them reasonably well. In defense of these shoes, everyone else I was hiking with had the awful clay caked on their shoes as well.
Lems Trail Thrasher Uppers
The Trail Thrasher uppers are a big departure from the paper thin materials many trail shoes are sporting these days. Made of nubuck and perforated suede, these feel very out of paradigm to a person who has grown accustomed to doing all hiking and running in very lean uppers. I simultaneously enjoy and wonder about aspects of the uppers.
They are well made and rugged with sturdy and padded materials which are quite comfortable. When I initially put the shoes on, they felt tighter than expected, but seemed to settle out after wearing them a couple times and I think this has to do with the amount upper materials. There’s a lot of shoe and this adds up to a locked down and protected experience. I experienced no stability or slushiness. Plowing through debris and undergrowth is no issue.
The mystery of the Lems Trail Thrasher uppers is the suede. My brain thinks of suede as a dress or casual shoe material. Since the Trail Thrashers are capable of traversing truly rugged terrain and boast tenacious lugs, my mind goes straight to athletic usage: how would these do over multiple days, and in challenging weather conditions? What if they got soaked in the cold? Would they dry? How long would it take? This is the ongoing question in my mind about most Lems shoes: what are they for?
Another do-it-all shoe
My conclusion is Lems makes shoes for people who value quality, versatility, and natural form, but aren’t looking to specialize. In other words, if you could only buy one shoe, Lems would be near the front of the pack. If you are looking for your next extreme backcountry shoe, Lems isn’t the shoe you want.
Would I trust the Trail Thrashers on a normal backpacking trip? Yes.
Would I take the Trail Thrashers on a backpacking trip where weather conditions demand specialized equipment? No, and that’s not what these shoes are for.
Would I go running in the Trail Thrashers? Not on purpose, but I could if I had to.
Would I ride a bike with the Trail Thrashers? Sure, for non-clip in situations these would be nice.
Would I go for a walk, go to the store, travel, take casual hikes, and use the Trail Thrashers for lifestyle wear? Absolutely!
Conclusion
The Lems Trail Thrasher (men’s and women’s) is a weird shoe, and I enjoy it. While the Lems Trail Blazer is my favorite of the two, people looking for a more built up shoe will like the Trail Thrasher.
