Customer Reviews L.L.Bean 8" Bean Boots GORE-TEX®/Thinsulate™

1- laces not long enough to wrap around boot & tie in front like EYERYONE in the military does. This is also the way that most people tie there laces. The laces from the 10 inch boot would probably solve this problem on the 8 inch boot. 2- Hard to lace, putting speed laces on these boots would be a HUGE improvement. Our boots in the AirForce all had speed laces. Absolutely the only way to lace boots. Much more comfortable. 3- Leather is very stiff, Lexol will hopefully fix this. 4- Sizing is off ,even with heavy boot socks size 11 (my normal size) is way to big.Had to return & wait for the size 10 to get back here. The size 10 are fine. 5 If you decide to put speed laces on these boots plese let me know & I will send this pair back to be retro fited with speed laces.

I tried on three sizes, and none fit to my satisfaction. They were either too wide, too narrow, or too short. However, my biggest complaints are that the stiff leather chafed my shins at the top of the boot, and the thick inner 'sock' folds back on itself at the upper end of the tongue, creating thick lumps that pressed into by shins and were very uncomfortable. Although they are nicely made and I wanted to fall in love with them, they weren't comfortable enough to justify spending that much money on.

We ordered my husband these boots for Christmas. He wears a B width. When they arrived he was very excited, bug unfortunately the footbed was too big inside and was rolling and curling by the toes. We we're assured it was a mistake when we called. The second pair was exactly the same. It was a no-go for us

I have bought about 10 pairs of Bean Boots for me, my wife, my son-in-law and grandson. In general they are OK, but: they are too narrow - not true EE, the shoelaces are very cheap for a $200 pair of boots, the liner is not sewn in well, and they rub the outsides of my feet raw. They used to be much better. Also, the Gortex is way too expensive, and for the life of me I'm not convinced it does anything - especially for an extra $40.

I have wide feet but this particular product just wasn't wide enough. The product was overall made well but I found the upper leather portion way to spacious and I didn't like the way the calf portion bunched together when tied. I would have rated this boot higher if it was a true EE width and if the upper portion was fitted better to the average male calf.

These boots did keep my feet dry in snow and rain. However the sides of the boots rubbed against my shins and actually caused bruising. I was so frustrated that this happened because they kept my feet dry. However I had to return them. Even when I tucked my pants into the boots I still felt the side of the boot rubbing against my shins.

Sizing is incredibly frustrating. Ordered these for my father for a Christmas gift. I followed direction to order a size down and he couldn't even get his foot into it. Returned for his typical size 9, still was too tight even with thin socks on. The shoes are well made as typical Bean boots are, but purchasing online without trying on for size is incredibly frustrating, especially when directions tell you to order down. Going to retail store tomorrow in hopes the size 10 fits him so we don't have to wait another 2-3 weeks for a new size in the mail.

Good points Gum heal provides good cushion. Laces have good bite and don't come untied. Overall quality is good. Boot is comfortable. Boot is warm in 30deg temps. Bad points. Gortex lining turns inside out when removing boot, this improves with break-in. Boot is not waterproof. Any standing water deeper than the rubber bottom will seep in immediately where the tongue, the upper and the rubber bottom meet, behind the laces flap. Even after applying sno-seal. The water is then trapped between the rubber and the gortex. It slowly migrates through the gortex onto your sock. I am a park ranger and have been wearing the boots for several months. I would call them WETPROOF. They do keep my feet dry in wet grass. I will probably buy an unlined pair for summer, these are too hot for summer. Customer service was great and advised me correctly on size. I wish they made the wide sizes in the dark color. Remove the waterproof label and I will recommend them and give 5 stars.

I am happy with the boots. My kids got me bean boots for Christmas but I wanted the Gortex/Thinsulate lined pair. They were on back order until April. I found the Fayetteville NY store had my size. When they arrived they had been worn. They were scuffed and seriously had a mud clump on the bottom of one. I was not pleased. However, I made the choice to deal with it and keep the boots. I was surprised that the store did not notice that when apparently they took them as a return and that they sold them back that way.

I received the boots, the quality seems very good, but I couldnt get the uppers tight enough around my calf. It may have worked if I tucked my pants into them, but I don't want to do that. I exchanged them for the Thinsulate ones only. I love these.

Not sure what happened but I bought a new pair this winter to replace a 7+ year old pair of Bean Boots I had and the stitching came loose on the new pair already. I am wondering if the increased demand over the winter lessened the quality. Apparently, they were the boots to have on college campuses this year I am returning them as per Bean's policy (which is great), but I am unsure if I will replace them from stock or re-order in the summer when I hope the quality has improved back to the prior levels. Based on my prior pair I still recommend them, just concerned about recent quality

The boots are comfortable and a great fit again. They are really getting a workout this year due to the snow and icy temperatures. It took over two months to get the boots, which made things a little difficult, but the wait was worth it.

This boot may be the coldest footwear I own. On cold days, I can notice the heat being drawn from my foot, sometimes even in the office. If I stand in snow that touches the rubber sides/top, the rush of heat from my foot is noticeable and it taks a while to warm back up. I've never noticed cold feet - even wearing sneakers - before until I wore this boot. I like the boot but I am very disappointed in the insulation.

I typically wear a 9 EE or 4E depending on the shoe. I bought the 9D after reading the recommendatiosn from LL Bean and reviews and the length was fine but width was tight. I'm not sure though taht the EE would have been a lot better. I guess I also thought that the upper portion would give room to be able to tuck your pants into the top if needed like my old boots, however this wouldn't have been the case. I needed something that as a visually impaired person would stand up to a lot of walking, catching the bus (including climbing mounds of icy snow put on the curb by the plows), and keeping my feet warm. They are very well made and I think could have done some of this but even in the right size I think for the cost just wouldn't have been what I needed and am used to. I'm very disappointed that I had to return them but will keep looking.

The boots are fantastic for their waterproof qualities. They arrived just in time, too: the morning after they came in the mail, we started to get rain and snow here, and I was completely immune from the usual dangers of the sidewalk. The leather on these boots was way, way too stiff when they arrived. Even through moderate socks, the top of the boots would bang-bang-bang into my shins as I walked. It was very painful, and I was thinking of returning them. This stopped happening by the third day, as creases appeared in the leather and the ankle part of the boot started to flex as I walked in it. It seems to me that L.L. Bean could easily prevent this by softening the leather before the boot ships. They should run new boots through some kind of a walking simulator machine -- that can't be hard to do -- so the leather is accustomed to bending in the directions it would bend when someone walks in it.

I HAVE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT THESE BOOTS, BUT HAVE NEVER OWNED A PAIR BECAUSE OF THE PRICE. I FINALLY GAVE IN AND PURCHASED A PAIR. I HAVE NOT OWNED THEM LONG ENOUGH TO WRITE ABOUT THE GOOD THINGS OR TO RECOMMEND THEM. THE ONE NEGATIVE THING I FOUND THE FIRST TIME I TRIED THEM ON WILL PROBABLY ERASE ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS. THEY ARE VERY HARD TO GET ON, BUT TAKING THEM OFF IS EVEN WORSE. THE LINING IS NOT SECURED TO THE BOOT AND IT TURNS INSIDE OUT EVERYTIME I TAKE THEM OFF. STUFFING THE LINING BACK IN IS A REAL PAIN AND HARD TO GET IT BACK IN SO THAT IT DOES NOT GATHER UP IN THE HEEL. I READ A REVIEW BY ANOTHER PERSON WHO SUGGESTED PUTTING A PLASTIC BAG OVER YOUR SOCK. I TRIED IT AND HE IS RIGHT. IT DOES HELP, BUT AT $144 A PAIR AND BILLED AS A WORLD CLASS PAIR OF BOOTS, WHY SHOULD THE CUSTOMER HAVE TO DO THAT. THIS IS SO IRRATATING, THAT I WILL PROBABLY RETURN THEM FOR A REFUND.

I ordered the boots one size smaller as recommended. The boots were too narrow. I returned them for a wider size and they are on back-order until January.

After reading the glowing reviews and being a loyal LL Bean customer I ordered these boots. Sizing information was perfect, as I ordered a size down and they fit perfect. On the plus side this boot is really comfortable and light. Traction on snow and ice is great. Goretex makes them waterproof. I field tested the boots on a cold December afternoon with a temperature of 15 degrees. There was about a 5 inch snow and the temperature that morning was 6 degrees so I am sure the laying snow was colder than 15 degrees. My activity level in the boots was very high as I hiked 3 miles on a snowy trail through the woods without stopping. The boots were very comfortable and the traction was great. After about 10 minutes the top of my feet started to get cold. I was wearing medium weight socks. My feet continued to stay cold throughout the walk. There was snow on top of the boots the entire hike. At the end of the hike I stood around for 5 minutes to test the boots with no activity. The top of my feet became very cold. Much colder than when wearing regular uninsulated boots. I was disappointed and will return. These may be great for warmer weather but I was disappointed they were not warm even with a high activity level, considering they are insulated.

This is a good product, but be really cautious with the sizing! I liked the boots when I opened the package, but when I tried them on, they were way too small. I had followed the sizing instructions included in the listing for them on the web, but these instructions failed for me. I had to return the boots for a refund, a real shame since they were very nice. Next time, I will go to an LL Bean store so I can actually try the boots on to get the sizing right.

I bought a pair of these decades ago and was suoer excited to get another pair to go with my retirement move to Northern Washington state. Obviously the price was higher and the quality was not what I remember. There still nice boots but for the money I expected more.

I have been a fan of LL Bean boots for a long time. I wear them deer hunting in snowy cold conditions. They have done a good job of keeping my feet warm and dry. I also think these boots are light weight for boots, which I appreciate. I think the pull out liners are easy to dry. As I said, I only use these boots hunting, which is one week per year. They have essentially been worn for 3 weeks of hunting. The leather is ripping near the seem already. I emailed LL Bean and didn't get a response. Overall these boots would be great if they lasted longer. Unfortunately, I feel like they were defective or used very poor quality leather.

The quality of the leather wasn't good. Also, the fit wasn't right.

The boots did not work for me, I have a narrow foot size, the boot was just not comfortable. I so wanted these boots but after a 1 mile walk I now know they are not for me

I am 8.5W. Tired a 9W and swam in it. Tried the 8W and still too big.. Also the neck or ankle top of the boot is strange - way too roomy. Could not lace it up to give me ankle support. Very odd design.

Returned these immediately. I'd ordered this pair of Bean Boots to replace a fifteen year old pair (that was stolen), and at present, they are now made more like cheap copies of Bean boots made by someone else. My wife concurred, we were both super disappointed.