LL Bean Boots have landed:
LL Bean boots have landed - I have been considering buying a pair of these for a while now and have just never done it. Mostly because even when on frequent sale on the LL Bean website with the addition of shipping and German customs I couldn't justify the expenditure. However, while re-considering my options and perhaps looking for an EU-based retailer from whom I could buy them I came across the London Store located in Napoli, Italy of all places, that were running clearance on these! The price was practically a steal (70% discount off the normal €100 price!) and having done a bit of due diligence (checking that they had a legit website, that they accepted PayPal, and that they had an actual retail location [confirmed on Google Maps]), I decided that I would give them a try. Well, I have to tell you that their service turned out to be great. The boots arrived to me here in Germany in about a week and the Proper LL Bean Box and all correct documentation. I couldn't be happier about how the whole transaction worked out.
So much so, that after consulting with the wife, we decided to order her a pair as well (hers are the ones with blue rubber uppers). I will say that up to now, my wife had never been a fan of these 'ducky boots' but I think after here first wear, providing great comfort, I think that she is coming around.
Sizing - One word of caution - these boots run large, so if like me, you wear a men's US11, order the US10. The size chart on the London Store Website already has the sizes correctly adjusted for European sizes so I just ordered the EU size 44 and they fit me perfectly. My wife normally wears an EU 41 and we ordered that size for her off the London Store website and she is happy with the fit.
Comfort - The upper leather shaft section starts off pretty stiff but will break in fairly quickly after several Kilometers of dog walks in the local forest. The padding, support, and general comfort of the lower rubber section and insoles are extremely good, my wife commented on this right away and she is used to wearing some pretty high-end Agile Wellington boots when she expects to encounter muddy conditions.
These boots are the Originals with no special lining or insulation and are 8" tall boots which I think is a great height for most conditions. So far I have not had the opportunity to wear them in the snow, so I can't say for certain, but I'm thinking that with some thick wool socks, they will prove plenty warm. Actually, I think that while breaking them in, at least, thick boot socks are the way to go on these boots. I will try to update this after I have had the chance to wear them in some really wet, cold, and/or snowy conditions.
Foot stability - One issue that I was worried about is that as you can see in some of my photos, the heals on these boots are fairly narrow, so I had a concern about stability, but having worn them now on several occasions, this has so far not been an issue at all. I tread through a lot of uneven ground, open fields, and ruddy paths while walking our Aussie shepherd and so far the bean boots have felt quite stable. One good thing that I have noticed is that the chain link style outsoles don't pick up much mud compared to other boots that I own.
The Unboxing - I'm only showing the unboxing of my Tan and Brown boots, as there was really no difference between the two other than the color of the rubber upper. These don't come with a very fancy box, as one would expect of boots of this nature and price point. One thing that I did appreciate was the hand-signed card enclosed with our boot saying who made them. Mine were made by Deb and my wife's were made by Linda. Thanks to both Deb and Linda for a job well done!
Having grown up and spent most of my adult life in Southern California, I never needed these great boots from LL Bean, However, I think the weather and general walking conditions here in Bavaria are perfect for them and so I'm glad that I have finally picked up a pair!
Here are some photos that I took of the wife's Blue and Tan boots and both of ours together. They look cozie, don't they?
