These TSLA shoes are manufactured by TESLA GEARS and are a cheap knockoff of Merrell Vapor Gloves.
I decided to try these because they have good reviews on Amazon and are about a third of the price of my Lems Primal 2’s, which I’ve had for 5 1/2 years and are getting close to wearing through on the sole:
Here are stock photos of both shoes:
Both TSLA and Lems offer these shoes in different colors, but I’m partial to brown since it projects a more casual/less sporty look.
SIZE
My Lems (manufactured in China for an American company) are Men’s EU 45/US 11. I usually wear 10 1/2, but Lems says the Primal 2’s run small, so I ordered 11. The TSLA (manufactured in Vietnam for a Korean company) are Men’s EU 44/US 10 since they recommend going down a half size. Both shoes fit great although the Lems are 1/4″ longer.
The toe box on the TSLA’s are about 1/8″ narrower, but my toes feel completely unrestricted in both shoes.
When I first tried on the TSLA’s and wiggled my toes, the first thing I noticed was my big toes hitting the rubber above them. My first thought was, This is going to drive me nuts; I should have ordered the ones without the toe cap; however, after wearing them for a day, I realized my toes don’t go up when I’m walking, and these shoes are just as comfortable as my Lems!
Unlike the Lems, the TSLA shoes do not have removable insoles. I may decide to add some later to prolong the life of the footbed. (After going through several pairs of Lems insoles, I bought some Tacco Luxus leather insoles, which I love!)
My early impression is the TSLA Trail Running Minimalist Barefoot Shoe is an excellent zero-drop shoe. It’s cheaper than its competitors and, in my opinion, just as comfortable as Lems Primal 2, which is saying a lot! My only criticism is they don’t breathe as well as the Lems. Will they last over 5 years like my Lems have? I doubt it, but time will tell.
____________________________
To learn more about Lems Primal 2, click Here.
WiggleFlump 