Our Legacy Olive Leather Camion Boots Review with Pros & Cons

Right, the image above shows my new pair of Our Legacy Olive Leather Camion boots.

Initially, I wasn’t keen on buying them. For one, they were everywhere, the hype was real. Secondly, the square toe shape wasn’t exactly my style, but I changed my mind the day I stumbled upon a complete replica at a fast fashion store. I tried them on out of curiosity and was instantly blown away by their unique design and construction. After that, I couldn’t stop thinking about the real deal, so I went home, looked up the original version, saved up and finally took the plunge.

Now, after owning and wearing them regularly for over a year, I think I can finally give a more complete and useful review. Not just first impressions, but how they actually age, perform and hold up in real-world wear.

The leather & construction

Their upper is crafted from vegetable-tanned Italian calf leather.

In case you’re unfamiliar, this means they’re made from natural leather crafted using traditional methods that involve plant-based tannins. These tannins are typically extracted from plants such as mimosa, chestnut, and quebracho by grinding their bark, leaves or fruits into powder or boiling them to create a tanning liquid. In the case of the Camion boots, olive tannins were used. These tannins along with other tanning agents are then soaked with the hides or skins in water for days, sometimes even weeks.

Now, for clarity, hides or skins are animal skin treated for leather production. Hides are of large animals e.g. cows, buffalos or horses; while skins refer to skins of smaller animals such as goats, sheep, deer, alligators, snakes, etc. However, for the Camion boots, calfskin i.e. hides from a baby cow was used. This slow and meticulous process ensures that the tanning agents adhere firmly to the leather fibres, making them durable and resistant to decay.

If you’re wondering why “olive leather” looks more like dark brown on the website, it likely refers to the olive tannin rather than the actual colour itself, which is usually green.

And honestly, after one year of wear, this leather has aged beautifully.

The colour has developed more depth and richness compared to when they were brand new. Depending on the lighting, they shift between dark chocolate brown and warm olive undertones. The leather has also softened naturally while still maintaining structure, which is exactly what you’d hope for from high-quality vegetable-tanned leather.

Before:

Now:

One thing I particularly noticed from the ageing is how the boots now have more personality. The creases around the vamp and ankle areas have settled in naturally rather than looking harsh or cheap. From the photos, you can clearly see the soft folds developing across the flex points, especially near the toe box, but importantly, the boots still retain their overall silhouette and shape.

That balance between structure and softness is something cheaper leather footwear rarely achieves over time.

The lining, insoles & comfort

Now, the lining and insole material isn’t explicitly stated, but I suspect they’re also vegetable-tanned Italian calf leather.

One thing I still appreciate is the softness of the lining and the black interior colour-way. Unlike lighter linings that stain easily from socks, the darker interior makes them easier to maintain long term.

Comfort-wise, these remain one of the easiest boots I own to wear.

And this surprised me because most leather boots usually require some painful break-in period. These didn’t.

You can genuinely wear them comfortably from day one.

Even after walking in them for full days, running errands, shopping, travelling around the city or going out casually, they’ve remained comfortable throughout. After one year, they’ve moulded nicely to my feet without becoming sloppy or overly loose.

They’re also still true to size.

The soles

As mentioned, the insole material or leather remains unclear but their midsole is crafted with Kilger leather from Germany, and Vibram outsole, made in the USA.

Kilger is high-quality leather produced in Germany by the German tannery Lederfabrik Kilger established in 1856. Like some of the Italian tanneries, Kilger makes their premium leather using only natural or vegetable pit tanning methods. Compared to the upper of the Camion boots, the leather used for the midsoles is more durable due to its thickness and longer tanning process.

The outer sole, on the other hand, is made of Vibram, a type of rubber sole crafted for reliable grip and traction on a wide range of surfaces, from wet to dry and even rugged grounds. This is why they’re often found on running shoes, hiking and work boots.

After one year, the Vibram soles have held up very well.

There’s visible wear on the heels and underside, which is expected, but nothing concerning. Grip remains solid and the soles still feel stable underfoot. They also haven’t worn unevenly, which is usually a good sign that the structure and balance of the boots are well designed.

Rivets & zippers

Each boot features a metal Our Legacy rivet and a YKK side zip closure with a leather pull tab.

Interestingly, the zips lack the usual “YKK” marking, likely because of the pull tab design. If you’re unfamiliar, YKK is a Japanese company renowned for high-quality zippers, manufacturing over 7 billion annually. The name stands for “Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha,” or “Yoshida Company Limited.” YKK zippers are known for their smooth function and durability.

The zippers themselves still function perfectly after a year. Smooth, reliable and easy to use.

However, this brings me to the one thing that has slightly disappointed me.

Around two months into ownership, I noticed one of the leather pull tabs attached to the zipper had already started wearing off near the stitching point.

At first, I assumed it was minor wear, but over time it became more noticeable. From the close-up photos, you can see the leather fraying and weakening around the folded section attached to the zip hardware.

Now admittedly, this worried me.

For boots positioned and priced as premium leather footwear, I didn’t expect to notice wear like that so early, especially considering the rest of the boots felt exceptionally well made.

Oddly enough, the other pull tab is completely fine.

So perhaps I simply got unlucky with one side, or maybe one tab experienced more stress during wear. Either way, since noticing it, I stopped using the leather tab entirely and now pull directly on the metal zipper instead whenever I put the boots on or take them off.

Thankfully, the issue hasn’t worsened significantly since doing that.

Still, it’s something worth mentioning because long-term reviews should be honest, not just positive in my opinion.

Least I forget, they also feature nearly 2-inch heels, which is a nice little bonus, even for a 6 ft tall gentleman like myself.

Pros & cons in a nutshell after one year

Pros:

• High-quality vegetable-tanned leather. The leather genuinely feels premium and has aged beautifully over time. The creasing now gives the boots character rather than making them look worn out.

• Unique design. Even though I wasn’t originally a fan of square-toe footwear, the Camion boots changed my perspective. The shape is bold without becoming excessive.

• Comfortable from day one. No painful break-in period whatsoever. They’re still among the most comfortable boots I own.

• Versatile colour. The deep brown-olive tone pairs well with almost everything. Denim, wool trousers, coats, knitwear, they adapt easily.

• Smart yet casual. One of my favourite things about them is how easily they transition between relaxed and smarter outfits.

• Durable soles. The Vibram outsole has held up extremely well after a year of consistent wear.

Cons:

• One zipper pull tab wore prematurely. This is my biggest concern. While it hasn’t ruined the boots, it did leave a bit of doubt in my mind regarding long-term durability consistency.

• Creasing. While the leather creases beautifully now, if you dislike visible creasing altogether, these may bother you.

• Wide square-toe shape. They don’t work particularly well with skinny trousers. Straight-leg or relaxed fits suit them much better. I don’t have a problem with this; I just thought it was worth mentioning.

Final verdict 

After one year, I still genuinely enjoy wearing these boots.

In fact, I’d argue they look better now than they did brand new. The leather has softened, darkened slightly and developed a natural lived-in appearance that gives them much more character.

Most importantly, they’ve remained consistently comfortable and versatile throughout ownership.

The only thing holding me back from fully praising them without hesitation is the issue with the zipper pull tab. For a premium pair of leather boots, it’s the sort of detail that sticks in your mind once you notice it.

That said, the overall construction, comfort and ageing of the boots have still impressed me enough to continue enjoying them regularly.

So for now, my conclusion after one year is this:

They’re still one of the most unique and stylish boots I own, they’ve aged beautifully, and overall they’ve held up well. But because of that early pull-tab wear, I’m continuing to observe how they perform long term before I can confidently call them flawless.