I never owned a pair, but my daughters do. Seems to be a fashion requirement at school.
Glad to see these are still made in the USA. it would be a temptation to try to save 10-20% to make these in China, but that short term gain would ultimately destroy the brand. Not because China would have bad quality - but that once they moved, LL Bean will have destroyed its character and soul, and the brand would reflect it before too long.
I got a pair of LL Bean Maine Hunting Shoes around 1970. They’ve gone hiking all around the world. Still wear them.
I’ve had a pair of the “Maine Hunting Shoe” or the PC version “Bean Boots” for over 25 years. About 3 soul replacements later. Having said that, they really aren’t a very good design by today’s standards.
I have to wear them with extra thick socks to avoid cutting my ankles where the rubber and upper meet. You’re feet also sweat like a pig in them.
Their Sorel type version with the wool felt liners are gangbusters in the snow or for ice fishing. Have a pair of those too.
And NEVER put your foot back into your boot if you have taken it out of the boot, walked around a little and put the boot back on your foot without changing socks.
Because your boot becomes a petre dish with the warmth and moisture and the cleanest you make your foot, the longer your boot will stay fresh and not stink.
I can’t imagine having to take the time to put on and take off a pair of lace-up boots. There are still some custom boot makers around in the American southwest who make boots that will last a lifetime. For working in a pasture, I wear simple wolverine high top steel toe wellingtons. Easy on. easy off and tough.
I have to be honest. I am a shoe and boot aficionado. I had the issue of my feet continuing to grow until I was in my thirties and my feet being very narrow — for 30 years I wore an A.
Because of that, easily found cheap shoes and boots did not cut it for comfort.
Bean makes some good stuff but Red Wing, Vasque and Zamberlan have captured a lot of my income as has Allen-Edmunds in shoes. Keen in sandals along with Teva and because my feet started to spread and my arch drop I have had shoe size changes my whole life requiring new spending.
I do keep them for fifteen to twenty years in some cases, but it is truly crazy how much I spent on shoes for a guy.
My father wore them.
Back in the day, I went to a camp up in Minnesota, and a counselor there had a custom pair of Bean Boots. Had the uppers replaced with a set that went up to the knee.
Great counselor too. He even wintered up there sometimes, and knew all the shortcuts, bypassing the grueling portages.
I have a pair on right now here at the office. Up here, we wear them to court, to church, most anywhere. I’ve been wearing :Maine Hunting Shoes” for close to fifty years. They’re great boots.
I must say I get a kick out of watching city types from away wearing them as a “fashion statement”.
Interesting article but it’s a damn shame that a writer for a magazine about all things mechanical doesn’t know about vulcanizing rubber. I was waiting for him to use that old stand-by “for all intensive purposes” phrase as icing on his linguistically-challenged cake.
As long as I’m pounding this drum, I’ll point out for a couple of unnamed FReepers that shoes and boots have “soles,” not “souls.”
I have a pair of LL Bean duck boots. They are the kind that don’t have laces, with just a loop in the back to allow for easier entry. I don’t think that they make them any more. Mine are 25+ years old. I always wore them when we went fishing in Maine.
I love mine, waiting till the kids get older so I can get them some! They have to stop growing!
L. L. Bean boots, famous since forever and last as long.