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[00:00:00.02] We took over 100 years of boot knowledge and put it all into this one boot.
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[00:00:07.70] Hi, my name is Max and I'm a product developer here on the footwear team at L.L.Bean. I've been in the footwear industry for 14 years and I've been at L.L.Bean for two years. The development process for footwear typically takes around 18 months.
[00:00:19.14] The first stage is a brief from our merchants with a new idea or opportunity. This is where it really gets fun. We get to dig into the details and start to create what we think is going to be the next best product for L.L.Bean. The NextVenture is a very technical boot. Let's go through all the parts of what makes it so great.
[00:00:32.82] On the midsole, we have a B-Bound EVA midsole for all day support and energy return. This provides you the most bounce underfoot, whether you're walking around the office or hiking up a mountain. On the bottom, we have a Vibram rubber compound that provides stability and traction on uneven surfaces.
[00:00:47.10] On the heel clip, this rubber heel counter not only provides support and durability, but the TPU clip combines with it to make the boot easy to take on and off. On the inside, we added an L.L.Bean True Comfort footbed. It's our squishiest and most comfortable footbed that provides all day support as well. This, combined with the B-Bound EVA midsole, provides maximum cushioning without sacrificing stability and support.
[00:01:06.69] We selected these foam combinations to make sure that you were comfortable, whether you're wearing it for 10 minutes or 10 hours. Let's take a look at the inside of the boot. We developed this with a thermoregulating lining material to keep your feet at just the right temperature, not too hot and not too cold. For me, this is the best part about the boot is the versatility. You can wear this boot year-round. It'll look good and feel good.
[00:01:25.88] One of the key new features of the boot was this internal fit system, with extra foam padding at the Achilles area, and down the inside lining of the boot. This gives your boot the ultimate lock-in comfort once your heel is in place, and a nice soft collar and tongue to provide you comfort once it's laced up.
[00:01:40.16] Everyone knows the iconic Bean boot, so we took those unique design details and infused them here in the NextVenture boot. On the upper of the boot, we have a nice heritage leather with triple stitching on the outside as a callback to our Bean boot. It's got our patented V-Stay on the heel pull in the back to pull on the boot.
[00:01:56.15] It's got an outline of our Katahdin logo on the rubber heel counter. And we created a new chain-tread design for the rubber outsole. For the lacing system, we have a heritage-inspired lace with versatile aglets that you can either lace through or use as speed lacing. We built this boot with tech 2.5 waterproof construction. It's waterproof up to 1 centimeter below the top of the gusset. This means that it keeps you dry and protected in any situation.
[00:02:19.00] Before any product goes to market, we get to test it at our in-house laboratory. It's a best-in-class facility that allows us to test all the parts, materials, and components of the boot. The flex test replicates taking a step. This test, the combined upper and sole components together, we tested over 15,000 times in the tank test to make sure that no water penetrated any part of the upper materials.
[00:02:38.79] The abrasion test that we'll perform emulates wearing over time. We'll do an abrasion test on the leather, the textiles, and the lining components so that you'll be confident when you take these on the trail that they'll be durable and last a long time.
[00:02:50.57] We have several styles in the NextVenture boot assortment. We have a lace-up style and a Chelsea style for both men and women's. The Chelsea boot was built with elastic gore, so it's easy to take on and off, and it's waterproof up to 1 centimeter below the bottom of the gore.
[00:03:04.20] One of the best parts about product creation is the end of the season when the boot comes to market, and you get to see it out on people's feet. I love going out to consumers and ask them why they chose that boot and how it makes them feel. Oftentimes we learn something that we can make our next products even better.
[00:03:16.98] Our primary goal was versatility. We wanted this boot to be the one that you never want to take off. Whether I'm going to the hockey rink, picking up my kids, going to work, or going for a walk, I know this boot is ready to perform.
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