An Icon – unisex all-year barefoot shoe from Be Lenka is a world-changer for wide feet. Those feet suffered the most in narrow, conventional footwear and Icon will give them back their freedom.
This Slovak brand is putting their standards very high and no wonder why it is getting so popular. They have very popular styles suitable for wide feet.
This year their iconic model was released in 3 new colours. I was immediately attracted with this new dark grey colour with contrasting white sole and laces which I’m reviewing here.
Disclaimer: I bought these shoes myself and all opinions expressed here are my own.
I’m also a Be Lenka affiliate and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase on the Be Lenka website through the links on my website at no additional cost to you. Thank you for all your support ♥
1. General
- Brand: Be Lenka
- Model: Icon
- Colour: Dark grey
- 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 heel, 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
Imagine that you can get your favourite shoe in almost any colour you want. With the Be Lenka Icon this can be possible.
Their Icons are so far available in 12 different shades and they are made from smooth or nubuck leather or canvas. The canvas model is their vegan option.
I’m testing a new Dark Grey colour in smooth leather which is their new addition this year. The colour is very rich dark grey and it gives the shoe a little sophisticated touch.
White laces and white sole give a shoe a nice contrast to dark grey upper.
The collar is padded to give you more comfort.
At the heel part, the sole is curved up for added durability. Heel loops at the top can help you to get the shoe on more easily, but I don’t need them. They are also a beautiful shoe decoration.
2.2 Lining
Shoes are lined with soft, smooth leather around the back of the shoe. Over the toes, they are lined with textile.
2.3 Sole
Be Lenka sole is made of durable, puncture-resistant rubber. The sole is 4 mm thick and has a characteristic leaf imprint.
Sole has good flexibility in both directions and I can roll them with no problem.
The sole is thin but firm, but the ground feeling is still good and a firmer sole means they will last longer.
Also check my video for the close-up and to see how they look on my feet.
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3. Sizing information
3.1 Length
Icon shoes are available in sizes 36 – 47 and they are suitable for men and women. Their size is true to size and I recommend you to choose your size according to that.
In the Be Lenka Icon I wear size 42 with internal length 27.2 cm. For my foot length this means 9 mm space in front of my toes, which is less than recommended.
See my post How much space do we need in shoes if you want to know more about that.
The shoe is very generous in the big toe area for me and I have plenty of space for my big toe in this model. But, because I have a foot with the longest second toe, there is less space for my third toe left. In the Nord model which I reviewed here, I found this problematic, but here it is not so disturbing (thinner socks or wearing them sockless helps a lot).
Of course, I would prefer 12 mm if this would be possible, but it is not.
3.2. Toebox shape & width
All Be Lenka shoes have stronger slope in the toebox area and they are best suited for feet with the longest first toe. The shape is not 100% optimal for feet with the longest second toe as I have, but if your little toes are not hitting into the front part of the shoe you can wear them too.
Usually enough space in front of your toes should solve this problem, but you will have more space in front of your big toe than you actually need. But I don’t find this disturbing while walking.
Those shoes won’t fit well to feet with square shape as you won’t have enough space for your little toes. For this foot type, I would recommend some other brand.
They also have a very strong “bean” shape which works well for my foot shape.
More about different foot types you can read in my post What is my Foot Type?
Icons are wide shoes and I have more than enough space in the width, but I find them quite shallow. They don’t have a lot of space above the toes, which is fine for my shallow feet, but if your feet are wide with a lot of volume in the front area and midfoot, you can find them snug there.
3.3. Fit around the instep, heel and ankle
In the midfoot area (just before laces start) they fit them best to low and normal height of the instep. But they can be adjusted well with laces to slightlys higher instep in the back part of the foot (near ankle joint).
I can adjust them really well on my skinny ankles and these shoes can be a great fit for wide shallow feet.
4. Comfort
When I put my Be Lenka Icon on my feet for the first time I could feel a slight pressure on my ankle, but this never caused me any problems. Leather softens almost immediately and they feel very comfortable to wear now.
5. How and when to wear them?
Rocking your Be Lenka Icon for a casual look is easy. They are great shoes to wear with jeans and top. Since they are available in so many different colors, it won’t be a problem to choose your favorite.
They are also easy to style with smart casual outfits and business casual looks, just select a pair in dark hue and you will nail the style.
Be Lenka Icon are unisex shoes and I see women wearing this new dark grey colour with casual clothes, but for men they can be easily dressed up and be worn with more proffesional clothes too.
6. Price & where to buy
You can buy Be Lenka Icon at their official website, but you can also find them at different retailers. A lot of them can be found on my list here.
The price for the Icon model is 119 €.
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 and they offer free returns for selected EU countries.
8. To sum up
There are plenty of barefoot shoes for medium-wide feet on the market. But what about people with wide feet? Do you feel left out? Now you don’t need it anymore. Be Lenka take care that you won’t feel excluded.
Be Lenka Icon is a great unisex, foot-shaped, quality made shoe for wide feet, which you will wear comfortably wherever your feet will take you.
