Hello, my name’s Andrew and these are the Aylla Uma, a lightweight barefoot Chelsea boot with a leather upper, wool insulation, and flexible sole for winter casual.

Features

This winter I reviewed my first ever Chelsea boots from Mukishoes, which are ultra lightweight and perfect for formal and businesswear.

But I also wanted to find a more casual alternative, so I asked Aylla for a pair of Uma’s to test, and they’ve got a similar thin sole with a vintage vibe that’s basically…

“What Ringo Star would wear if The Beetles transitioned to barefoot shoes.”

Upper/Inner

Because the Uma Chelsea Boot has a wide foot-shaped toebox with a tough water-resistant leather upper that’s stitched to the sole and double-layered for extra durability, along with a pull tab, stretchy ankle for easily taking the boot on/off, and warm wool insulation.

Sole/Tread

Underneath you’ve got a thin 4mm zero-drop sole that’s highly flexible in all directions, plus a minimal tread for roads and light trails.

FYI, for longterm maintenance Aylla recommends treating the full-grain leather with a non-oily product, like bamboo lotion, which you can find on their website.

Testing

Like my Saltic Vintero Easy the Aylla Uma Chelsea Boot has a thicker, more protective leather, which kind of pressed on my toes at first, so a trick I’ve learned is to gently push a sock inside to create more room.

Walking

Heading out for a walk the 4mm sole felt similar to my Mukishoes Chelsea Boots with lots of ground feel and flexibility, but the Uma’s did have a little more toughness for handling stones and light gravel.

Hiking

Obviously, the minimal tread didn’t have enough grip for steep, slippery hills, but it worked fine for doing some light hiking on dirt trails and the leather upper kept me dry plowing through mud and wet grass.

Although my favorite feature on the Aylla Chelsea Boot was the slip-on ankle, which made it easy to pop the boots off, shake out any stones, and get right back to my walk.

Casual

Also, like the Mukishoes Chelsea Boots, I thought the open ankle would make the Uma’s chilly, but the wool insulation was still warm below freezing with a couple layers of Injinji merino wool toe socks, and going into stores the temperature regulation was much better than taller, more closed-off barefoot boots.

Stylistically, the Aylla Uma’s full-grain leather has a modern vintage feel, which makes it versatile for both casual and businesswear, and the rich chocolate brown goes with just about anything, while conveniently camouflaging mud from outdoor use.

Conclusion

Overall the Aylla Uma Chelsea Boot is a great option for anyone who wants a warm barefoot boot for winter with a solid balance of style and protection.

Pros/Cons

Because the upper is wide and water-resistant, the wool insulation provides a ton of warmth and breathability, and the lightweight sole is highly flexible, while still being able to handle rougher terrain.

However, the Uma’s toebox isn’t roomy enough for extra-wide feet or high arches, the thicker leather takes some time to loosen up, and the minimal tread isn’t grippy enough for wet hills.

Alternatives

In terms of similar barefoot Chelsea boots…

Resources

If you’d like to support the channel, you can shop with the referral links above/below, filter and compare products at barefootwear.org, or watch my Zero-Drop Transition video to learn more about barefooting.

Finally, if you have a question about the Aylla Uma Chelsea Boot, or about barefoot shoes, in general, let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading, catch ya next time. Peace!