Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire L.L. Bean boots - good, bad, ugly?

I'm thinking of buying some American made kick around fall/winter boots and have my eye on some of the classic 8" Bean boots. Worth it?

I have a pair of 8", over 30 years old and still in great shape.
Don't wear them like I used to but they've held up over the years and seen many, many miles.

I have a pair. And I like them. Where I hunt in colorado they work for me. I have the 10” ones.

I just put on a pair of heavy wool socks and those thin inner socks things and my feet are fine.

I know they are dated and there are better boots available according to many. But the fit my rather eclectic taste in footwear. Unfortunately the last two elk hunts I was on they were not necessary as It really didn’t get nasty enough for them.

I bought a pair while on vacation in Maine in 1982. Wore them for all my hunting and woods-walking, and they lasted me 15 years. Never had them rebuilt.

Bought a used pair of the gore-tex/thinsulate ones a few years ago, and maybe it's just my aging feet, but they're just too uncomfortable for walking any distance - not much support.

I have a pair of their Maine hunting boots. Have used them for over 20 years hunting elk. For me, they are great for slipping through the timber. However, for sitting on a deer stand they lack enough insulation to keep my feet warm.

I had a pair that lasted 15 years

They are very good boots. You will never regret getting pair.

I have 2 pair 8 inch uninsulated and 10 inch insulated with gore tex. Both have been resoled. Great for walking not so much if sitting and it’s really cold like others have posted. Recommend them.

I have Cabela's knock-off ones, 8 inch pull-on. I can't walk very far any more, but like these boots a lot.

I never owned a pair but from what I could see they didn't have much tread on the soles. They would be too slippery for my use in snow.

Yes, the "Chain" looking treads wear out pretty fast, too. at least on my Cabela's imitations.

I have a pair that I bought used at a rummage sale 30+ years ago. I only wear them to shovel snow but they're still going strong. Wore them ice fishing once and those soles didn't cut it. If my driveway is icy, I put those pull-on chains on the boots for traction. Other than that, they're great.

I threw my Cabelas knock off ones in the trash. The seam where the leather upper is sewn to the rubber bottom would rub a blister on your ankle in less than 15 steps. Pieces of crap. I'm hoping the Bean boots will be put together better

My Dad and his brothers wore the 10" Bean boots hunting deer and grouse in the northwoods of Wisconsin which for the most part was flat and interspersed wetlands. When I turned 12, Dad bought me a pair and I loved them while hunting with the gang. When I began hunting the hill country in southwest Wisconsin and my first trip on a hunt to Montana, I hated them.

Look at the heal profile of the boot and you will get an idea why I did not like them on uneven ground. They will test your ankle strength.



Probably all right for your "kickaround" application.

Ditto cept I have the 6".

As others have said, "don't plan on using them on slippery surfaces" but they're great for kicking around in the winter.

I have the 16" boots. Love 'em.

I've worn out two pairs bird and deer hunting. One Bean and one Cabelas.

Depending on your foot/ankle relationship, they often give a blister right on the back of your ankle just above your heel. Some people can wear them fine, some cannot.

For more traction, simply get some self-tapping 3/8" long screws from the hardware store and stud the heels.

Have other boots in the stable, but still have my first pair of 8”,
Purchased in 1981. Been reworked once, other pair I have , at least 20 yrs old and still original and going....

This is making me want to get another pair!

Part about ankle support is true. Minimal ankle support so not for hilly/mountain terrain.