Thoughts on the L.L. Bean 10" Main Hunting boot?

[Hud]

I agree with Felix, light weight is okay early season, but better go with the best you can afford when the weather is wet, cold, rocky etc. Good fitting boots are paramount. I would add Danner, but make sure you try some out with a base layer sock and medium or heavy weight, whatever you plan to use. Smart socks and merino wool are great.

[centaur]

I have worn them for years, and got the tall (16 inch) version a couple of years ago. For $1.50, Bean will put the speed hooks on, and they are the ticket, especially for the tall boots.
I wear them in the high country as well as lower elevations when the weather is mild.
Great boots for sneaking;quiet as moccasins.
 

[Brock]

I have worn this boot or the Cabelas copy for years...great early season or cool weather boot.  When wet I tend to wear my Lacross rubber/neoprene boots...late season will wear the Bean style boots unless below 30s and then I put on my Lacrosse Ice Kings. LOL

[Jack Skinner]

Bought mine last year and wore them in the snow and cold in WY for bunny hunting. I had good grip in snow but could see in wet they might not work so well. My feet did get cold if I stopped too long, but Bean makes a wool insert I am going to try. Great boots to stalk in especially in the Sept elk and deer here in WY. Wish I knew about the speed lacing I have to get up half hour early to get them on.

[ChasingWhitetails]

Thanks for the input guys!! I hunt flat land in NW Ohio, no rocky terrain here. I would say I'm a fair weather hunter for the most part. I like the idea of the rubber bottoms for scent control and especially waterproofing. I do cross some small creeks at times to get to my stands. I believe the Schnees and the like would be over kill. I do have a couple pair of the Cabelas outfitter boots that I use out west chasing elk so the Beans will be primarily for deer hunting here in NW Ohio. There is a Bean store in Columbus and will be down there anyway for wife's side of Christmas over the MLK holiday weekend. I may stop in there and try a pair on. After listening to you guys, sounds like the lace hooks are the way to go as well. Thanks again!!!

[Owlgrowler]

I agree with all above. Just know the difference between Bean Boots and Maine Hunting Shoes. Bean Boots have a harder sole for walking on pavement, and cheaper leather uppers, and are probably what you'll find at their store. Maine hunting shoes have a softer sole for woods hunting and you might have to order them and wait weeks, I think they're great, I wish I had ordered the speed hooks. Keep the leather well protected, Montana Pitch blend is another great product, and the threads from leather to rubber packed full of waterproofing and you'll be able to cross streams with no problem.

[Duncan]

I've used the 6,8, and 10 inch versions of the Bean Hunting shoe. They are very quiet and light weight. Probably the best all around hunting boot I've used. Recently I developed neurapathy in my feet and stopped using them because they are loose fitting. I put some Two Tracks wool foot beds in and then my orthotics and that solved my problem. It is tricky getting them sized and you may need to add a foot bed or wear thicker socks. Adding the wool foot beds and the orthotic takes up just enough space that it is perfectly snug the way I need them.

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

They are well made and bean backs anything they make .

I wouldn't try to walk 20 feet on slick or slightly steep ground in them .

They are not waterproof , almost draw water uphill.

For hunting in slightly rough terrain or worst get something else

[last arrow]

I used mine last night for a quick tour around the property with my snowshoes (6 degrees with about 18" of snow on the ground and still falling - gotta love the lake effect).  They work great with the Iverson Bindings on my snowshoes.

I have been using them since the early 80's and find them very adaptable to most conditions.  They are the perfect fall and spring boot here in the midwest for cool and damp conditions with temps below 60 degrees.  I can wear them in winter as long as I stay active. I have used them mule deer and elk hunting and had no problems with traction in the areas I hunted.  They are the perfect boot for still hunting providing protection from the elements but still allowing a measure of feel for the ground.

I personally like the tread on them because I find aggressive treads fill with mud and end up not providing traction but leaving you carrying around a couple pounds of mud.  Then when you get in the treestand the mud just falls off making noise when it hits the ground.

I am surprised by the number of comments about them not being water proof.  I have not had that problem.  Like any leather boot, you have to treat the leather regularly with an appropriate sealer.  I have found an annual application of Sno Seal keeps them water proof, allowing me to cross shallow creeks and puddles when needed, and to hunt in generally wet conditions.

They do not work well any time you are inactive in cold conditions such as for stand hunting in the cold below about 30 degrees.  Also I do not use them for packing weight in steep conditions though they work fine for backpacking on gentle slopes.  I have not used them in extremely rocky condition so cannot comment on how they would perform under those conditions.

[two4hooking]

I love them for everything.  Own 3 pair!  Had one resoled.

[Carcajou]

My pair have been sold.

[toddster]

Spring, through early fall, I love these boots.  I have them for stalking and are great.  I have heard that the other two Montana companies make great ones even for winter.  But Maine LL not for winter

[Roadkill]

Have 3 different heights-moccasin, 10 and 16 inch.  After35 years had the 10 inch ones resoled for$39.  Mine have always been waterproof. They have their place, side hills and slick surfaces are bot it.  Quiet.  I use mine for rabbits every weekend here in NV.  I have worn them from AK, to TX to NC and now in NV.  They have a place in all my hunting plans.  Condition the leather annually, send them to Bean for new bottoms-cannot get better than American made

[hawkeye n pa]

I've been using them for close 40 years and are my go to hunting boot  The newer Gortex LL Bean hunting boot has the Gortex liner sewn in now.  At first I didn't like the idea but they are very easy on/off.  Liked the older model also because you could pack a extra Gortex bootie.

Not warm enough for me for stand hunting under 20 F, but I've wore them down to 0 F sneak hunting.  For warm feet in the gortex model I recomend going up one size for room around your toes.  In the uninsulated model with light weight socks usually down one size.

As for traction I have wore them in Elk and Potter county mountains.  Its a matter of foot placement and being able to "feel" the ground.  Native americans didn't have lug soles.

The are extemely slippery in mud though.

I have been wearing LL Bean Hunting Maine "Hunting Shoes" for years, all heights, all permutations- years back they were all the same boot, but at some point they made a distinction between the "Hunting Shoe" and the "Bean Boot" -- another capitulation to their increasingly yuppie, non-hunting clientele I guess.

 The Hunting version is currently described as having more supple leather and more flexible soles than the citified version. It also only comes in only a couple of heights, and dark brown only.

I love these boots, especially for early season. For colder days I have a larger size that I can wear with heavy socks and a couple of insoles. The grip of the soles is not the best, but works most of the time. It can also be a struggle to get them on over heavy socks-- the price you pay for a good ankle fit.

I tried an insulated pair of the yuppie version last year, and wound up returning them. They were heavy, not warm and the leather was sub-par. Went with the larger size heavy sock solution, which is lighter and warmer. Bean's used to make a version that had a felt full liner, like Sorel's. I wore mine out-- wish they still made them as they were the lightest winter pac I have had.

The one critique I have is that when you have them resoled, which is a great idea, they will often start to leak along the seam. If not on the first resole, on the second for sure. No amount of snow seal or caulk fixes this. Which accounts for why you need more than one pair over time. I am always going to have Bean boots as they are the most useful boots, over a wide range of conditions, that I own. Having said that, if I lived in the mountains I would probably be counting on a pair of Schnee packs for their more aggressive sole.

[PhilFloyd]

I hunt mostly gently rolling hills and my Maine hunting boots are what I wear until the temps fall below 32 on a regular basis.  Been wearing them for over 40 years.

[bill langer]

I’ve hunted in them for 40 years.
All over the world in various terrain.
Not for those with week ankles or balance issues!
The hunting shoe is the closest thing I’ve found to water proof bare feet. Very, very quite!