Be Lenka Nord - Review | Barefoot Universe

Do you love lace-up boots? What about if I tell you that this boot also has a side zipper for easy on-off. And that this boot is also foot-shaped, soft and cozy and your wide feet will be able to wiggle in them all winter long.
Well, meet the Nord. A new addition to the Be Lenka winter collection. Do you wonder if they will fit your foot? In this article, I’ll tell you all about it.

Despite the fact that the Nord model is not the first Be Lenka model I have tried, it is the first adult shoe of this brand that I am reviewing on my blog. And I will be happy to share all the details about them with you here.

When Be Lenka released Nord boots in Navy colour they immediately catched my eyes. I just love the blue colour. And lace-up boots with an added side zipper was just a perfect extra bonus for me.

Disclaimer: I bought these shoes myself and all opinions expressed here are my own.
I’m also a BeLenka affiliate and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase on BeLenka website through the links on my website.

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Table of Contents

1. General

Brand: Be Lenka
Model: Nord
Colour: Navy
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

2. Material characteristics

2.1 Upper

Be Lenka Nord boots are made from quality smooth leather and they are available in 4 different colours – Grey, Charcoal, Caramel and Navy colour.

Navy is the colour I chose and this blue leather has a matte and slightly structured finish.

The shoelaces and the sole are in contrasting off white colour and this blue-white combination was something which made me buying them. I love it.

Be Lenka Nord are lace-up ankle boots which have included a side zipper for easy on-off. You adjust the laces only once and you are done. I always find this so practical.

Laces ensure secure fit and zipper adds all the benefits of pull-on boots.

Heel part is reinforced with an extra layer of leather and the outsole is slightly curved up for added durability and it has Be Lenka’s “be” logo on it.

2.2 Lining

Boots are lined with a fleece lining made from 100% polyester. The fleece is thin, but boots feel very soft and comfortable on feet because of it.

The insole is made from a thin foam and it is lined with the same polyester material as the rest of the boot.

2.3 Sole

The outsole is 4 mm thick. With an added insole, you get a little bit of a cushion under your feet, but the ground feeling is still decent in them for a winter boot.

Outsole feels light and flexible and I can easily roll them.

The sole is flexible also in longitudinal direction.

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

3. Sizing information

3.1 Length

Nord boots are unisex shoes and they are available in sizes 36-46. In sizes 37-39 the difference between individual sizes is 5 mm, but in sizes 40-44 the difference between sizes is 7 to even 11 mm. So I definitely recommend you to check their size chart before ordering.

I checked the internal length also with Plus12 and they are true to size. They don’t feel any shorter because of the lining.

My feet are 26.3 cm long and I usually prefer 12 mm space inside the shoes. In Nord boots this is impossible for me to achieve, because I’m just between sizes. I can choose between 9 mm space (size 42) or 16 mm space (size 43).

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

I really struggled here which size I should get. At first I decided to get size 43, but 43 was really too spacious for me in the toebox. My foot didn’t fill the boot well as you can see on the photo below.

So I decided to change it for size 42 with 9 mm space inside them, which fit me better regarding the volume. I have plenty of space for my big toe here, but I would prefer a little bit more space for my third toe when I wear thicker socks. I’ll tell you more about that in the next section.

3.2. Toebox shape & width

Be Lenka shoes have a stronger slope towards the little toe, therefore they are best suited for feet with the longest first toe.

For my foot shape with the longest second toe, the shape is not optimal. They won’t work well also for square-shaped feet.

In my Nord boots in size 42 I wish for a little bit more space for my third toe. They are still ok if I wear them on bare feet or with thin socks, but with thicker socks the lack of space in front of my third toe is bothering me a little bit. If they would be just slightly longer, this would be perfect.

Be Lenka shoes also have a very strong “bean” shape, which means that the whole shoe is curved like a bean. This gives my big toe plenty of space to move also at the sides and this shape actually works well for my foot shape.

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

Be Lenka Nord boots are definitely boots suitable for wide feet and they are one of the widest shoes I have.

3.3. Fit around the instep, heel and ankle

My shallow feet have a perfect fit in them over the instep. They are best suited for shallow wide feet and those with high instep can find them a little bit tight over the instep at the area before the laces start.

If they feel a little tight for you, they will stretch, but if your volume is too big, I recommend you to search for some other shoe.

Around my skinny ankles and heels they fit me really well. My heel is secured and I don’t feel any heel slipping in them.

4. Comfort

Nord boots are very comfortable to wear from the moment I put them on. Very soft and cozy. Totally no complaints here.

5. Water-resistance and warmth

Boots are not water-resistant, but so far they performed perfectly in a heavy rain and I hope this will remain so.

They are lined with a thin fleece and therefore I would recommend them for milder winters. For colder days you can choose one of Be Lenka’s wool lined models for extra warmth.

6. How and when to wear them?

Blue colour is my colour, so no wonder I chose it in Nord model too. I love pairing my Nord boots with anything casual, like blue jeans and a top or jumper. But they will work well also with a casual skirt or dress.

7. Price & where to buy

You can buy Be Lenka Nord 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 Nord model is 139 €.

8. Shipping info

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

9. To sum up

Even though the toebox shape in Be Lenka Nord boots is not ideal for my foot shape with the longest second toe, I love testing and wearing them. I must say that Be Lenka did a great job with their Nord boots. I’m impressed.

I love their colour and I love how cosy and snug they feel on my feet. Be Lenka created very comfortable and soft boots for wide feet. Every foot deserves love and Be Lenka Nord will ensure that you will get a lot of it this winter.