Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Leon's boots are the new fashion statement

LL Bean's 100 year old boots are suddenly in. Demand has increased 6x in the last year. They're hiring in Maine.
LL BEAN BOOTS

The problem with being a fashion statement is that fads end. They can hire all those new workers but when the fad's over, they all have to be laid off. They have to make the best of it while they can.

Bean's history is interesting. He was an innovator and a hard worker who made good. It's guys like this who built this country.

from Wikipedia:
Bean was born in the town of Greenwood, Maine[2] on October 13, 1872 to Benjamin Warren Bean and Sarah (Swett) Bean,[3] one of six sons. According to a grandson of Leon L. Bean, the latter's middle name may have been originally "Linwood" and accidentally changed to "Leonwood".[4] In fact, in the Freeport Town Clerk's Report for the 1898–1899 period, a "Leon Linwood Bean" married a "Bertha Davis Porter" on September 28, 1898.[5]
Bean showed an early interest in business, earning his first money when he was nine years old. He learned that he could either attend the local fair or sell steel traps to his father, so he decided to sell the traps.[3] When Bean was 13 years old, he killed and sold his first deer. Bean's schooling outside of public school included only one semester at Hebron Academy and a course in business at Kents Hill School.
Bean's parents died four days apart when Bean was 12 years old. He subsequently moved to South Paris, Maine to stay with family. [6]
Foundation of L.L.Bean

Bean was an avid hunter and fisherman. In his outdoor activities, he noticed that his boots would become soaked with water, so he set out to resolve this inconvenience and developed plans for a waterproof boot. The boot was a combination of lightweight leather for the upper part and rubber on the bottom.[3] He brought the plans to a cobbler and the first boots were made. Bean felt the boot produced to be of good quality, and obtained a list of non-resident Maine hunting license holders and prepared a descriptive mail order circular. He promised 100% money back for anyone who was unhappy with the boots. Because of this, Bean had to refund 90% of the costs of the first 100 sets of boots made, when the rubber on the bottom developed cracks.[3] He seemed not to mind returning the money, and the popularity of the boots was clear. In 1911, he took out a loan in the amount of US$400 and set off to Boston, where he offered the United States Rubber Company the remainder of his US$400 to produce a better quality boot for him. With the better quality boots available, Bean set up a boot shop in his brother's basement in Freeport, Maine. His skills and trials as an entrepreneur, along with his promise to return 100% money back on all items, were detailed by many local and national newspapers of the time. By 1917, he had sold enough of his boots to buy a dedicated building for his shop on the main street of Freeport. In 1918, Bean realised the importance of patenting his invention. As the patent was granted, he moved on to inventing and improving more outdoor equipment and expanding his store to what L.L.Bean is today.[3]

That started a couple of years ago.
They are only good for walking down the street anyway.
The tread is terrible when you get onto anything slick, add in a hillside and you are going to end up on your ass.

I think I'm going to order a pair

I also understand that the Red Wing and Thorogood "Iron Worker boots" (Moc toe wedge sole) are popular with the hipsters as "fashion statements".....or maybe that was last year?

I also agree that LL Bean "duck boots" are traction challenged and will put you on your ass.

The Bean boots are pretty good. But, the Maine Hunting Shoe is handmade, hand-inspected, and has a better quality leather with a softer, grippier rubber sole. Pay the extra $10 and get the MHS.

I have worn LL Bean hunting boots since 1968, the oroginal chaintread soles are horrible in snow/ice I've take n my share of tumbles. That's probably why they came out with models with vibram style soles. Besides being slippery the chaintread soles are so thin as to be uncomfortable in rough terrain.

I have the low cut version. I find them very handy for just wearing around home or camp when I won't be doing any climbing.

I really like them for stalking. Really great feel for branches and stuff. Pretty light, reasonably waterproof. I get around 5 years out of them. If I was in the mountains around rocks, I would need something with more support. I usually hunt on pretty soft ground, not much snow, moderate temps. If I have to replace the bottoms, the tops are usually pretty worn, but can usually go another 2 years or so. Really my favorite, for what I do.

The LL Bean store at MOA is typically sold out of them - for women, much sooner than men. Good for them!

Seems this happened before. 20 some years ago.

Good for Mr Bean.

These fads are always amusing, women will wear anything if they are told is fashionable. Don't know about you guys down there but up here this year it was black rubber boots, basically chore boots. See women all over town all dressed up wearing black rubber rain boots....just gotta laugh and shake your head in amazement.

I wear their storm chaser boots all the time. Bean boots not so much for the already stated reasons.

The soft chain tread sole make for really good stalking boots. They are my most quiet boots. Not for rough country though.

I own four pair.

Worst "tread" ever

The chain treads are very user friendly when mall hopping.

Roger that. I had a pair years ago. It's a wonder that lawyers aren't circling above.

I wore Beans 16 inch boots before they were cool, since 67 or so. Great boots for stalking, easy to keep waterproof, too. From east Texas river bottom palmetto for whitetail to NM mountains for archery deer and Co for archery elk. Sure could have used airbob soles at times.

I have had a few pair over the years. I think they are okay (the MHS) but there are better choices these days in my opinion.