Rainy days can be quite annoying, but nothing is more frustrating than wearing a pair of thoroughly soaked socks. It is surely uncomfortable walking in wet shoes in the city, but imagine being in the same situation when doing some outdoor activities. Being stuck with a soaking wet pair of shoes can make you shiver. Once your socks get damp, they can go from soft to stiff in no time and start rubbing your skin until you have blisters all over your feet.
Founded in 1912, L.L.Bean has been introducing numerous classic products, including their tote bag that was first introduced as an ice carrier and the brand’s Mountain Parka. When talking about the brand’s most iconic product, it is undoubtedly the Bean Boots, which is also the very first product L.L.Bean ever launched.
Like many founders of other outdoor brands, the founder of L.L.Bean Leon Leonwood Bean was also an outdoor enthusiast himself. Before founding the brand, Bean was a keen hunter and fisherman, so he often had to wander around swampy areas. He invented the Bean Boots as he was well aware of the pain of wearing a pair of soaked shoes for a long period of time. These boots are composed of a waterproof rubber bottom and a top part made of comfortable leather. The choice of materials made the boots a perfect companion for walking in swamp or snow.
The rubber bottom may look nothing out of the ordinary from the perspective of nowadays technology, but this pair of boots was invented in the early twentieth century when technology was far not as advanced as today. It was extremely challenging for Bean to sew the rubber with leather. As the brand was founded and the Bean Boots were launched, they offered their customers a free return policy if the customers were not satisfied with the quality. The first batch of Bean Boots was so poorly manufactured that the rubber bottom could easily be detached from the leather part. The brand ended up receiving ninety percent of its customers returning the boots they bought. Instead of giving up, Bean was determined to master the manufacturing technique and finally made the Bean Boots an acclaimed product. The success of Bean Boots has brought considerable revenue for L.L.Bean, which bought its first shop a couple of years after the brand was founded.
The iconic Bean Boots have a practical design that is not only suitable for walking in puddles, swampy areas, and snowy places, but their sturdy soles can also accommodate walking on rugged surfaces. It is to no one’s surprise that this pair of multifunctional boots can remain popular even when facing keen competitions from other outdoor brands that launch numerous products with state of the art materials. One of the main reasons for Bean Boots’ unshaken popularity is because they have become an integral part of the Preppy culture ever since the seventies.
Bean Boots are considered an outdoor and fashion classic. The boots were first introduced over a hundred years ago, and are still favored by the outdoor and fashion fanatics. Some brands also introduced products that are inspired by or pay tribute to the Bean Boots. L.L.Beans did not stop from exploring other possibilities of their iconic boots, the brand has crossovers with many other brands, including the most recent L.L.Bean for BEAMS Plus series that features two versions of Bean Boots for women. BEAMS Plus revamped L.L.Bean’s signature Canvas Gumshoes by introducing two new colors, beige and olive, to the waterproof boots silhouette. L.L.Bean for BEAMS Plus boots are surely a successful blend of a casual and sophisticated look.