Rated 5 out of 5 by BeanPreferrer One more trip to Quetico
I always wish for reviews from buyers that have tested products hard. I have worn these boots in the worst mud, slop, snow, rocks, brush and conditions I wished I hadn't got myself into from Ontario to the AR border. I was about to order my second pair of Bean Boots and decided my 20 year old pair could make one more trip to Quetico. Bean replaced the bottoms on them 10 years ago and I think they'll make it. I love simple, good quality and luckily Bean offers that and the only outfit that offers a narrow width for my skinny foot. I am getting a new pair this fall mainly to make sure the cobblers at Bean stay busy and assume the next pair will last me till I get to the nursing home. You won't regret buying this boot.
May 25, 2012
Rated 4 out of 5 by IowaPastor Nice, but huge
I normally wear size 14 shoes. Since I planned to wear these mostly with normal-weight socks, I ordered a size down as they recommend. Size 13 is still too loose with normal socks. I'm debating whether to try size 12, but fear that may be too small, especially if I did wear heavy-weight socks from time to time. I wish they had 12.5 as an option. I also tried putting thicker insoles in, but they were still too loose in the heel. Otherwise, they seemed to be what I was looking for in terms of style, color, build quality, etc.
April 17, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by CHedstrom I gave these boots a lot of chances
I had a pair of Bean copies, but the heel wore away after seven years of use, so I decided to get the originals. I bought two pairs of (6" and 8") Bean Boots sized 12 that were FAR too large for my 12.5/13 feet (My foot measures 11.5" back of heel to tip of big toe). I exchanged them for size 11 Bean Boots but also a pair of the MHS because I liked the dark color and softer leather. They still feel a little big but L.L. Bean says they should fit that way.
The good: They look great. The dark leather is soft, the bean boots are stiff and squeaky new. The rubber is matte, unlike new bean boots where the rubber is very shiny. The MHS is SILENT on hard surfaces, which I thought was neat. They are comfortable right out of the box, easy to lace up, fairly easy to get on and off if you take a little time to loosen the laces. They do not collect mud at all on the bottom. They are grippy enough. They are very easy to clean: simply wipe them down if you desire.
The bad: I live in the pacific NW and it is wet here. A good pair of waterproof shoes is a must. Ones that can get muddy and shed mud quickly are great. General hiking boots in my opinion get dirty quickly. Also, people just wear hiking boots as shoes here. I don't always feel like doing that, so the bean boot was a great alternative. That's why I liked the first pair I had. Unfortunately, where those stayed waterproof, the MHS didn't. I used them in the woods hiking around looking for newts twice and for taking the dog for walks on puddley days. The leather seems to absorb water on the edge, and it then soaks to the socks. I was in the woods for about an hour and the sun was shining. It was very muddy and puddley. I understand these shoes are not rubber galoshes, but these conditions are not that extreme. The description claims that the upper is waterproof, but it was not.
On the subject of socks, nearly every pair of socks I wore in the shoes slipped to my toes. This is the first time that I have experienced this phenomenon with any pair of footwear. I bought a new pair of expensive ($16/pair) boot socks and that seemed to solve the problem, but athletic socks and my older wool socks were a no-go, constantly pulling them up. This may be the sock's fault, but as I said, I have never experienced this before.
So I had sizing issues, sock slippage, and now they get water in them and it's not actually raining today, it rained this morning. I am sorry to have to send them back because I really wanted to like them. I am happy for Bean's customer service, and I like the shoes in terms of style and comfort so they get three stars.
April 14, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by HoustonTX LL Bean boots
bought them for my son. He loves them. They run kind of big so we had to exchange. He wears a 10-10.5 but the 9 in the boots were right.
April 10, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by
medic1cc Excellent Boot
I'm not sure how long I've owned these boots - somewhere between 10 and 15 years. I wear them to work almost every day in the winter months & mud season which here in Big Moose NY starts in late October and lasts to ... well - it's April 6th and my road still has hard packed snow and ice on it, there is 2 to 3 feet of snow in the woods and snowmobiles are still riding the lake.
I work in the Town Code Enforement office doing building inspections and have to be outside in mud, snow, ice, water and everything in between. My feet stay warm, comfortable and protected and the boots clean up well when I go back to the office. I also choose these boots when responding to ambulance calls during inclement weather. These boots also have the BEST traction in hard pack snow and ice conditions than any boot I've worn without grippers.
These boots are not for extended periods of time outside in cold (20 degrees or colder# weather unless you are very active.
The soles have worn enough on mine so they tend to slip a little and I've had to sew the uppers back on in a couple of places where the stiching wore out. I will be getting a new pair for next winter. (I also have a pair of slip on boots for walking the dog when the snow isn't too deep)
Love these boots
April 7, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Mississippiboy LL Bean Boots
I normally wear a size 11 shoe/boot. Had to downsize one size and got perfect fit. This may not be the case with most but was for me. It's great to be able to select a narrow, medium or wide width which one does not usually find with most companies. Most are "one width fits all" but not LL Bean. Boot is extremely comfortable and much lighter weight than I thought which is even better! Email correspondence with order confirmation, processing, shipping was excellent. Also got email that the boot returned had been received. This company has its act together. It's really a pleasure to order from Bean. BTW, the video clip of the folks making this particular boot was great...very interesting to watch the process and how much hand work goes into the process. Keep it up....I'll keep buying your products!
April 3, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Cruncher62 Good boots
Soft leather, so quick break-in. Lace-up opens easily by pulling on wings. As LLB recommends, must wear with heavy socks. Height 10" needed for my snowblowing days. Perfect selection.
February 23, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by EgansMom Excellent Construction and Quality
Sizing suggestions were right on.
February 10, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by karhaulr Perfect Boots
They arrived one day before the big snow storm hit. So I gave them a work out blowing snow and alot of walking.
I was worried about the size, but ordered one size down as LL Bean recommends, and in disbelief they fit perfectly.
I ordered unlined as my feet are always warm, and I will use these for a spring/fall/winter boot.
My wife liked the quality, and wants to order herself a pair.
February 8, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by e3solution Comfortable, durable and dependable!
Even though my 30+ year old Bean Boots likely could have been repaired (a seam had let go and the bottoms were worn), I thought it was time to buy new Bean Boots when visiting the Freeport store recently. I wore my original boots pretty much year round in the snow, mud and rain for over 15 years while living in Maine and New Hampshire, and then quite frequently while living the past 17 years in Maryland, South Carolina and North Carolina. I definitely received my money's worth with my original boots! I fully expect my new Bean Boots will last the same or even longer time. I will not even consider buying any other other boot for outside use--they are so comfortable, practical and rugged.
February 7, 2013
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