Camion Boots and Our Legacy’s value of Fashion over Function

An iconic boot was quickly established, from its square toe to its block heel and discreet metal tab that whispers the branding of Our Legacy’s iconic footwear, making the ‘Camion Boot’ a highly sought-after item in 2025 fashion trends. Despite its relevance, many customers began to notice wear and tear on the boots within months of use. At a price of $700, we must understand how the Camion Boot’s construction served as the catalyst for this controversy, given its prioritisation of design over functionality.  

Founded in Stockholm in 2005 by Jockum Hallin and Christopher Nying, Our Legacy offers an alternative approach to fashion compared to its Scandinavian counterparts, such as ‘ACNE Studios’, by releasing garments that reinterpret past clothing and trends. Inspired by its military and engineer boot predecessors, made with the finest materials, including Italian calf leather, a Vibram outsole, and multiple colourways. The Camion Boots’ versatility has gained significant relevance in today’s demand for signature pieces, with its side-zip and square toe offering accessibility in both formal and streetwear attire. As a result, GQ even refers to it as the “Do-everything boots you need right now.” Originally retailing at $500, the boots have faced multiple price increases following LVMH’s (Owners of Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton) investment. A price tag of $700 begs the question: does the Camion Boot qualify for a $700 price, let alone the title as the “do-everything boot”?

Before we can understand the faults in the Camion Boots construction, we need to understand how boots are typically constructed. The most durable welted sole attachment is the goodyear welt, followed by the Blake stitch. The goodyear welt features a thin layer of leather which lines the insole, which is attached to the upper leather of the insole. A bed of cork is applied for additional comfort, followed by the outsole, which is stitched along the edges of the welt. As a result, this leaves an exposed stitching which lines the upper part of the sole, such as the iconic yellow stitching on Doc Martens for reference. The Goodyear welt’s attachment to the insole, it allows cobblers to easily discard the outsole and cork and replace them without damaging the leather on the insole. A Blake stitch, while relatively similar to the goodyear, ditches the welt, instead stitching the sole directly through the insole, which, just like the goodyear, leaves an outline stitch on the bottom of the sole. Finally, the most common and cheapest option is cementing. The process involves glueing the sole directly to the shoe’s upper leather without any stitching. While cementing remains a durable option, failure of the glue attachment or damage to the sole is irreparable. This form of construction is most common in sportswear and, fast fashion due to its rapid manufacturing speed and of course, the Camion Boots. 

During the height of the Camion Boots’ popularity, multiple TikToks and Reddit threads circulated about the leather tearing at the toe box and heel of the boot. The most viral of these posts was from Adamdegenerate, a prominent LA-based TikTok influencer who revealed that his cemented-outsole had torn open and the midsole had been torn. Cemented soles, considered the cheapest option for sole attachment in shoes, lead to Adam’s questioning, “It makes me wonder why there wasn’t goodyear welting… Even a blake stitching would be a good form of construction”. Ironic when taking the inspiration of durable military attire from surplus stores into account, only to release boots with the opposite effect. 

The product details on the Our Legacy website provide no information about the boot’s stitching; many customers might be led to believe the boot uses Blake stitching, given that the outsole of the Camion Boots features performative stitching along the bottom. The mention of a “Vibram outsole”, an industry standard and mark of quality in footwear, provides a two-year warranty if the sole is released from the glue. In the case of Adam and many others, the soles’ seperation tore the leather of the midsole and insole, rendering them unrepairable by a cobbler or Our Legacy and requiring the customer to purchase a brand-new pair of boots. The lack of disclosure in the construction of the Boots is in contrast with the similarly priced alternative from  3Sixteen’s Square Toed Side Zip boot, which discloses the use of a goodyear welt. 

If we ignore Our Legacy’s failure to disclose information about the boot’s construction, we can explore why a cemented sole was utilised. Our Legacy is, first and foremost, a luxury designer brand that conveys status through pristine design and materials. In contrast to The Frye Company, which creates boots for workingmen built to last for long periods of time. Using cemented welts, it allows for an easy break-in alongside the soft, full-grain Italian leather, unlike Frye Campus boots, which require a significant break-in period and years to achieve the same visual appeal of wear. Our Legacy, as a luxury designer brand, is willing to sacrifice functionality over fashion; as a result, their favouring of sleek edges of the boot requires the removal of the goodyear welt stitch for the sake of design. 

Despite recent concerns about its quality, the design of the Camion Boots is undoubtedly a staple of current fashion due to its versatility in styling with a variety of outfits. It begs the question: Is it possible to purchase a more durable version of the Camion Boot? The answer is yes. The Frye Campus Boot is an almost-$300 alternative to Our Legacy’s counterpart, and for a direct alternative featuring the square toe, the aforementioned 3sixteen Square Toed Side Zip boot, which also features a goodyear welt. The competitive nature of the fashion industry will always offer an alternative around the corner, all it takes is knowing where to look.

While a $700 price point for shoes with a construction similar to that of your average Bershka boots certainly leaves a lot more to be desired. It is evident that Camion Boot remains culturally relevant in the current fashion cycle, as it has announced that it exceeded $50 million in sales in 2025, despite not acknowledging the controversy. Given the continued silence and profits, it is very likely that Our Legacy will continue to value fashion over functionality in its clothing and footwear, with other brands in the LVMH group potentially following suit.