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Supreme, Yeezys, and L.L. Bean Boots: all things that will sell out with absolute certainty if you don’t act quickly. And until those damn scientists find a way to convert clout into warmth, only one of these items is so practical that there’s real reason for you to act now. Like, right now.
Bean boots famously sell out every year and you can’t talk about why they’re in such high demand without singing their praises. The way the boots plunge into water without leaking would impress Captain Nemo. Snow is similarly no match for these beasts. Overhead Instagram shots of them are as a reliable indicator of fall as Pumpkin Spice Lattes. The way they combine tank-like indestructibility with what I like to generously describe as a funky style is the most pragmatic reason you’ll be disappointed if you wait to snap these up.
First invented by Leon Leonwood Bean—they just don’t name people like they used to—as “the antidote to wet feet.” The boots are rubber on the bottom to keep water out and leather on the top. It’s a funny looking combination but that unique look has made it a recognizable icon in American fashion. Bean first fused the leather and rubber components together in his brother’s basement. Now, they’re using more modern machinery and techniques to contend with the 50,000-people waitlists that build up over the winter.
One thing that hasn’t changed: Bean boots are still made in America, even as the number of domestically produced things has dwindled. The company has made the boots in Maine since their creation in 1912 and even today everything is done by hand through a combination of almost 400 people. It takes a combined 85 minutes of labor to make just a single pair. L.L. Bean isn’t suppressing quantity to create hype—they just can’t keep up with demand. The high production quality creates a boot that’ll last you many winters and L.L. Bean’s legendary “guarantee” means you could easily make this the last pair of boots you ever buy—so long as you buy them posthaste.
A 1912 advertisement for the Bean boots read: “Outside of your gun, nothing is so important to your outfit as your foot-wear.” I feel comfortable saying that we can discount the first half of that sentence. And if nothing is more important to your outfit than “foot-wear” then what are you waiting for?
Below you’ll find a selection of all the classic Bean boots still in stock this fall, as well as a couple collab editions from Todd Snyder.
