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Be Lenka Champ – Review

If you like to stay in fashion, but also let your toes move, then greet the Champ! You will have to admit that these new urban sneakers from Be Lenka are hiding their width well. Completely new design made them look fashionable and modern. It made them a champion!

Champ is a perfect combination of barefoot shoes characteristics and a trendy design. This urban sneakers is such a wonderful surprise from Be Lenka to the barefoot community. And I’m proud to have been picked to review these shoes.

1. General

  • Brand: Be Lenka
  • Model: Champ
  • Colour: white
  • Tested on: woman, medium-wide feet, 26.3 cm long and 10 cm wide (10.3 cm between metatarsal heads), low instep, skinny ankles with narrow heels, fin-shaped foot (see my how to measure guide and foot type) – wearing size 42

| Made in EU | Adult | Leather | Ship worldwide |

2. Material characteristics

2.1 Upper

Be Lenka never disappoint with color options and Champ is no exception. It is available in 9 different colours – 5 of them are standard and 4 are their special Champ “Patriot” edition in the colours of different national flags.

I decided to choose a very “safe” white colour which is so easy to match with many different clothes.

Shoes are made from quality leather. My white pair is made from smooth leather, but some colours are made from a combination of suede/smooth leather or suede/textile.

Flat laces are white, but the colour doesn’t perfectly match the leather colour. I would usually prefer the same colour, but here it actually looks good as the laces match the colour of Be Lenka logos on the tongue and at the side of the shoe.

The upper in the front part is perforated which breaks the monotony of one color and enlivens the shoe. The perforated part is made from textile in some colours.

The sole in the heel part is curved up to make the shoe more durable. Padded collar is made from textile and it feels very soft around my ankles.

2.2 Lining

Shoes are completely lined with breathable textile. The leather insole is not removable. So far I wore the shoe at maximum 25°C (77°F) sockless and my feet didn’t sweat at all. I can’t tell how breathable they will be in higher summer temperatures yet, but my feet are not likely to sweat at all.

2.3 Sole

In Champ it is used the same TPU sole which is used in their other models too. Which means 4 mm thin, firm sole.

They are not as squishy as some soles from other brands, which results in slightly less intense ground feeling, but it is still decent. Firmer sole definitely makes them more durable.

The shape of the sole is the same as in other Be Lenka models, even though it might not look the same from above.

The flexibility is good. I don’t need a lot of pressure to roll them into a roll.

The flexibility is also good in the longitudinal direction. I need slightly more force in the front part, but still not too much.

Also check my video for the close-up and to see how they look on my feet.

3. Sizing information

3.1 Length

Champ is an unisex sneaker available in sizes 36-46. Their size chart is true to size and I measure the same internal length with plus12 if I measure them from the middle part of the heel to the point between the big toe and the second toe.

©Be Lenka Barefoot

I’m wearing size 42 and shoes are 9 mm longer than my foot with 26,3 cm length. As they are very spacious I can wear them sockless with no problem at all. With socks on I can feel my third toe a little, but I plan to wear them sockless anyway.

Those shoes are one of the rare cases when I’m satisfied with less than 12 mm inside the shoe.

See post How much space do we need in shoes if you want to know more about that.

In Champ my toes have plenty of space to move and if I wear them sockless, my toes are not touching the edges at all. I also love that shoes don’t look long on my feet. When you wear size 42, this is not very often to see. The proportions between length and width made them look shorter than they actually are, which I don’t mind at all.

3.2. Toebox shape & width

Champ has the same toebox shape as all the other Be Lenka shoes, even though it doesn’t look like it. Be Lenka shoes are “bean” shaped with the stronger slope towards the little toe. But when I received Champ, they didn’t look the same from the top as other Be Lenka shoes I have.

They are the same shape, just the upper is designed so differently. I must say I really like this new upper design. Not only that it look stylish, Champ also has more space above the toes than other Be Lenka models. Not too much and still enough for my toes to be fully relaxed.

Champ is best suited for feet with the longest big toe, but they can be worn also by those with the longest second toe if you choose enough space in front of your toes. For those with very square feet, the slope of the shoe can be too strong.

More about different foot types you can read in post What is my Foot Type?

Champ is a shoe suitable for wide feet. I have plenty of space for my toes to spread inside them. I think this is the widest shoe I own so far, but I absolutely adore the feeling of spaciousness.

3.3. Fit around the instep, heel and ankle

Champ is a sneaker that fits the best to wide feet that are also shallow or have medium high instep. My feet are shallow and you can see on the photo that eyelets are quite far away at the top.

In the photo below you can see a comparison of the fit for two very different feet. One is mine and the other is male foot, the same length as mine and it has a very similar shape.

My feet are shallow with skinny ankles, but his feet are high volume with high instep and wide ankles. The laces are hardly long enough for him and also the eyelets are quite far apart, but he finds them comfortable on feet. 

In comparison to Icon, Champ has more volume in the toebox area and it is also slightly looser over the ball of the foot. If Icon feels too tight for you there, Champ is worth trying.

4. Comfort

Champ feels very comfortable on my feet. I never had any issues with them and they are a pleasure to wear.

5. How and when to wear them?

My absolutely favourite way to wear them is with my shorter 30” jeans trousers (I’m a tall person :)) or if I wear them with full-length jeans I cuff them to show some ankles 🙂

For casual style or lounge look you can pair your Champ with black leggings and white tank top or with joggers and a sweatshirt. They look great also with casual dresses. There are just so many ways to wear them.

6. Price & where to buy

You can buy Be Lenka Champ at their official website, but you can also find them at different retailers.

The price for the Champ model is 139 €.

7. Shipping info

Be Lenka ships worldwide and the shipping time is really fast. Shipping costs depend on the shipping country and the shipping is free of charge for EU countries. They offer free returns for selected EU countries.

8. To sum up

Barefoot shoe suitable for wide feet is always harder to make look very modern and stylish. But Be Lenka keeps showing us that this is possible. Their new Champ model will make wide feet very happy. With even more space above the toes it will provide a lot of wiggle room for your toes to spread and move.

Champ is so far one of my favourite models from Be Lenka and I enjoy wearing them every second I have them on my feet.

Be Lenka, you nailed it!

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