“Whoa,” I said, as I opened the box with my new Native Shoes Fitzsimmons Venture boots inside. I had chosen “Air Blue / Tapioca Off White” as my fresh color of choice, and Dan had ordered his in “Jiffy Black.”

In this first impressions review, I’m going to run through these very unique boots from Native Shoes. They’re made to be a warmer-weather boot that can tackle some dampness, and maybe even some snow, while keeping your feet cozy and warm.

There’s a lot to unpack in terms of fit and sizing that I want to cover, so let’s get to it.

Quick intro: the updated differences in the Fitzsimmons Venture

The Fitzsimmons Venture are cool-looking, no doubt. I never thought I’d own boots like these. They’re almost too hip and cool for me (I am kidding).

In fact, the Fitzsimmons Boot has been revamped to be the Fitzsimmons Venture, so Native Shoes no longer makes the well-known Fitzsimmons Citylite Bloom.

There are a few differences that I noticed:

  • The new Fitzsimmons Venture has a smoother bottom sole look, whereas the former Citylite Bloom had very defined “treads” visible on the bottom sole.
  • The “bootie” is revamped with neoprene, and is meant to be a slipper at home when you’re not using the EVA boot.
  • The outsole is remade with “Vibram® Ecostep Natural,” a 90% recycled material grip.
  • Some different color combos: no more pink in the women’s, and actually, all color choices are currently unisex.

There’s actually an explainer behind the development of the new Fitzsimmons Venture, a pioneer in footwear design, to evolve the Fitzsimmons Boot for Native. This is the story.

Pros and Cons

For such a cool and modern-looking boot, there are a few benefits and a few disadvantages.

Pros

  • Super fresh design with a very simple boot exterior and nice features like dual pull-tabs at the front and back of the bootie.
  • The bootie slides in very easily to the boot shell.
  • Weatherproof-adjacent with water-resistant materials and a lot of recycled materials, too.
  • The inner micro-fleece bootie becomes a slipper at home, so it’s a two-in-one!

Cons

  • The price: For a winter boot or rain boot—one that does not completely cover the ankle—I think the cost is a bit steep.
  • There is no arch support and no stability support for anyone with low arches or flat feet.
  • Rigidity in the sole could mean some difficulty walking all day in these.
  • Only 3 colors to choose from.

First impressions

I didn’t have many expectations of the Fitzsimmons Venture boot, and all I knew was that it had gone “Unavailable” completely while Native Shoes revamped it to be the new version.

My impressions of Native Shoes are mostly from the sandals. I wrote all my thoughts about Native Shoes in my What to Expect with Native Shoes review, and talked at length about how I think my Miles Wanderfoam Sandals are fantastic.

So at first glance, my Fitzsimmons Venture boots were just as unique as I’d imagined. How would they look on my feet? How would they feel?

The boot outer shell is firm, just like my Jefferson and Miles Wanderfoam Native Shoes. It’s much, much thicker, though. The inner bootie is cozy, and slid right out. It easily slid back in when I put it back in. I didn’t have to try very hard. This is the method by which the bootie becomes a slipper inside your house (or vacation rental, or Airbnb or hotel room, if you took your Fitzsimmons boots traveling).

The fit: What to know

I found that the Fitzsimmons Venture boots did NOT run size-wise and fit-wise like my other Native Shoe products. I recommend using the info below to make your sizing choices.

Sizing

I referenced the order emails from my other Native Shoe orders to see that I had done well with a size 6 in Women’s for both the Jefferson and the Miles Wanderfoam. In fact, those two sandal-sneakers even fit differently. I had gotten a 7 in both first, and the 7 was gigantic. I had sized down.

So it made sense to me to get a Women’s 6 in the Fitzsimmons Venture boot.

After trying on (first with some athletic socks), the size 6 was immediately too small, with no room to spare. I would’ve done well sizing up to a 7, but in my experience, a size 7 with Native has too much space.

The downside is that Native Shoes tends to not make half-sizes.

When I take my socks off, the bootie fits better in the Women’s 6, but if this is going to be my cold weather boot, then I think I want to keep my socks on.

The fit

Dan and I both got the Fitzsimmons Venture, and the fit went differently for both of us.

Women’s

I found that the Fitzsimmons Venture boots run a bit wide. If you don’t mind the slight wideness, then it’s no worry. You can wear socks inside the booties, or you can skip socks, because the booties are so soft and cozy and feel like slippers (which they also are).

Foot support: I found that the Fitzsimmons Venture boots have minimal support for arches, flat feet or foot pronation.

In fact, my foot started collapsing slightly inward (my feet are flat and they pronate as well) on my “flatter” foot of the two (my right foot), and right away I knew that I shouldn’t wear these boots for long-distance or all-day walking trips.

You will likely have a different experience, though. If you have totally “regular feet” (as most people do), if you have never had an issue with your feet leaning inward and if you have regular-to-high arches, you can skip over my special-case notes completely.

I guess what surprised me, though, was that with my Miles Wanderfoam, there is very little arch, yet I still wore these for an entire weekend at the beach and they’re now my default summer travel shoe (I really enjoy wearing them so much).

In my experience, Native Shoes vary in fit by shoe type quite a bit.

Men’s

Dan ordered a Men’s 10, and believe it or not, it fit true to size. He also wears a 10 in his other Native shoes, even though the website says to size up (he didn’t size up).

Quality and details

I think there is no doubt that the quality and uniqueness of the Fitzsimmons Venture boots is what stands out. As you read above, the fit and size was tough for me, but if you find that the size and fit are fine for you, then you’ll appreciate and enjoy how interesting these shoes are.

For me, the quality is in the:

  • Many eyelet holes for the laces: this allows for more tightening than in the previous Fitzsimmons versions
  • The special Vibram® Ecostep Natural sole, which is super sturdy (and kind of weighty)
  • The fleece bootie and the design of the bootie itself, with a right and left foot, and dual loops for pulling on and off
  • The alternate lace color included in the box.

Usage review: how it’s working out

I’ll speak about this in regard to Dan’s experience, because my feet pronate too much in my Fitzsimmons Venture boots and I can only wear them for short periods of time.

How are they working out, then? Dan finds them to be ideal for fall and spring, but not really for winter. With socks, he finds them to be best for 50-70 degrees, but not colder. He thinks that actually, a fully wool shoe like his Allbirds Mizzles High Tops are warmer, and Vessi Alta High Tops are even a bunch warmer than those.

Regarding the feel, Dan also has slightly flat feet, but was not bothered by the lack of arch support in his Fitzsimmons. He can wear them on a day to day and his feet feel fine.

In terms of durability, the Fitzsimmons boot is hard to break in. Dan has worn these for fall walks, days out, errands and some day trips here and there, and they still look pretty new.

Of course, if you planned to give your Fitzsimmons boots a real beating (lots of bending at the toes, mud puddles, hiking, or tons of miles put into them), I’d think they’ll look a bit more worn after a year for sure.

As for the color, after the first time wearing my Native Fitzsimmons outside (I have the baby blue color), even the slightest run-ins with fall leaves left some marks on the outer shell. I was able to wipe most of them off, and did not shy away from any water usage on the material because they are water-resistant, but I thought I’d mention that the light colors show marks very easily.

Sustainability points from Native Shoes

Yes, Native Shoes hit a few points for having sustainable practices. I had to read into their Purpose page to hunt down exactly what that was, but aside from some lofty goals of “living lightly,” the company takes pride in using a lot of recycled materials.

Specifically, the Remix Project is where Native is able to give back in an eco-conscious way: old shoes either get recycled or go to places in local communities where they could be used.

How does this really work out (I was eager to see)? To date, Native Shoes has “remixed” and up-cycled 50,000 shoes and turned them into playground surfaces, furniture and sound panels!

So, thank you to Native for being a retail company that has found ways to put their products back into things that get used by real people.

Why you might want them

If you like the minimalist and modern look of these boots (they really are like no other fall or winter-weather boot I’ve seen), then they’re for you. They look great with jeans and leggings, and they’re chunky and funky enough to be a cool pop on warm weather outfit styling.

On top of that, the inner bootie is cozy and soft, and is like having a fleece jacket on your feet while you’re outside. The EVA boot “outer” boot shell is strong and firm, and water resistant, just like the famous sandal-shoes that Native Shoes are known for.

Why you might not want them

If your feet are like mine, then I cannot lie to you: these boots are NOT good for people with low arches, flat feet or foot pronation. If you need stability shoes, boots with arch contouring or high and supportive arches, I would not recommend the Fitzsimmons Venture boots.

The fact of the matter is that they just are not built for special-case feet, so if your feet need special attention, I’d shy away from these specialty fall/winter boots.

Comparison to other Native products

Comparing other Native Shoes to the Fitzsimmons Venture boot is a bit like apples and oranges. I can’t really compare sandal-sneaker hybrid shoes full of holes (check out my Miles Wanderfoam review to see what I mean), but I can talk about the size and quality.

We’ve been very happy with the quality of our Native Shoe sandals. They even put up with being bent and squished around.

So the quality with the Fitzsimmons Venture boot is comparable. The Fitzsimmons Venture boot is even more stable, strong and durable. They’re kind of impossible to dent, scuff or break. That’s the good news.

For the size, I’m having trouble coming to a conclusion. I think it is because Native uses unisex sizing. In any case, you’re probably seeing that whereas a size 6 works great for me in sandals from Native, a size women’s 6 (men’s 4) in the Fitzsimmons was much too small. And for Dan, he lucked out with his regular Men’s 10.

Where to get the Native Shoes Fitzsimmons Venture Boot

Right now, the Fitzsimmons Venture Boot is only available at the Native Shoes website.

However, if you’re interested in the former version from past years of the Fitzsimmons Boot (which was the “Citylite Bloom,” before the current updates to the “Venture” model), you can find it in a lot of places, from Zappos (with VERY limited sizing and only in one color) to Amazon (limited colors and sizes as well).

Suggestions for alternatives

The Fitzsimmons Venture boot is a water-resistant and fleece-lined fall, winter and spring weather boot. If you are looking for an alternative suggestion, here’s my take.

Vessi Waterproof Boots for Men and Women

If you are looking for not only a water-resistant/water-repellent boot, but rather, one that is water-PROOF, I recommend Vessi shoes. Here are two of the Vessi shoes that I have tried (both are boots, or boot-like).

Xtratuf Camp Collection Ankle Deck Boot (Men’s and Women’s)

Coming in both men’s and women’s, the Xtratuf Camp Collection Ankle Deck Boot is fleece-lined and more of a rain boot. But because it is fleece-lined, it is ready for cold weather and could work well for light snow, too.

It’s equally minimal, just lace-less, so it’s a different look. The good news is that it is not as expensive as the Fitzsimmons Venture.

Try it in the men’s version at REI or the women’s version, also at REI.