Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Trail Model Hiker 4 Water Resistant Mid

I do walk in the water with these boots and I do not get wet. I can walk in wet grass and my feet are dry The boots fit great out of the box they are comfortable to wear all day long. One drawback after repeated walking in wet grass/snow my feet get wet and I have to dry out my boots ... I have bought these boots for years for me they last about a year. For the Money, it is all good

I like the shoes but ran into two problems. I really should have returned them but I did not. The shoes are comfortable except they are too big. I normally wear a 7 but these 7s are just too roomy. I got a shoe insert and that helped. The second problem is discomfort at my right ankle when walking. The seam around the top of the boot rubs my ankle when I walk. But they are warm and waterproof and I wear them everyday on my morning walk. I put a sponge wedge to protect my ankle. Had I returned them before wearing them outdoors for a 6 1/2, I may not have experienced these problems - which are solved now anyway.

I ordered these in order to keep walking outdoors over the winter. Mostly around the farm. They are waterproof and warm and were comfortable right away. Based on other reviews, I ordered a half-size up. They were kind of stiff around the ankle, but I need the support there. Tempted to get a second pair in a different color.

I experienced some soreness from the rubbing at the ankle area, obviously wearing high ankles socks helped.

Honestly I don't ever think I've been disappointed by things I bought it llbean. She needed a new pair of hiking boots and these are just perfect.

These boots definitely need to be broken in before you wear them on a hike. I would say they need to be worn for about two weeks to be fully broken in. I did not break them in as much as I should have, and wore them on a 15 mile hike in the Adirondacks of NY. I did have blisters after that trip. This summer I've put several more miles on them and have had no issue, they are now my go-to ADK hiking boots as they are big and sturdy enough to scramble over lots of rocks and boulders. Overall I'd say it's a relatively inexpensive pair of hiking boots for a serious hiker who is willing to break them in properly. They also need to be tied very tightly and correctly, like a pair of ice skates. They are truly waterproof, I stepped in puddles up to my ankles and my feet were completely dry. Also hiked in half a foot of snow unexpectedly with these at the top of a mountain and my feet were still dry, although cold (even with my wool socks). **I normally wear a 7 or 8 and have very narrow feet, but I wear these in an 8 wide to fit my thick socks.

This hiking boots serve my purpose well, keep my feet dry, my ankles protected and my soles comfortable. I have not worn them often enough due to summer is here but am looking forward to the fall hiking and long distance walking

I bought these boots after twisting my ankle on a hike. They provide great support, which I think is because of their stiffness. The boots were comfortable on a 3-hour, medium difficulty hike, except for one rubbing the back of my leg. Folding my sock over to double thickness solved that problem. Be aware that the sable/putty color is a brownish-lavender with purple highlights. I wish there were normal colors to choose from -- brown, black, grey -- without having to worry if the added highlights will coordinate with clothing!

Just ordered these because of a trip to Vermont.. did about 4-5 hours hiking collectively and would recommend these boots! Only problem I had was not breaking them in beforehand... got pretty nasty heel blisters! However I waded through creeks and streams and they kept me dry and supported my ankles perfectly on slippery rocks, etc. I also ordered them a HALF size larger than usual... tried them on in store with hiking and wool socks and the 8 1/2 were too tight on my toes and foot. Fingers crossed the heel blisters are a 1 time thing!

Quality product I would recommend! Hiked through several streams and found them to be waterproof as advertised.

They look good but I haven't worn them hiking yet. I've put them on and the size is true. I'd read reviews about the height of the boot and how stiff it is. I've found that to be true but hopefully it won't be too hard to break in.

These are functional hiking boots. I agree with the other reviewers who say the boots are stiff -- I've been wearing them for a month and they still haven't broken in completely. They are waterproof, which is great! The grip is also very good. However, the boots themselves aren't super warm. I am often walking in 10 to 20 degree weather, and I can feel my toes begin to get a bit chilled. The boots are wide, which means I can wear more socks... however, I was looking for something a little warmer. I also don't really love the colors, but it's winter in Maine, so style isn't too important.

I have large wide feet and ordered an 11 wide. They fit just shy of perfect. Two pair of socks and they will fit like a glove which is hard to find in my size. However I have to agree with the person who said stiff ankles and not easily broken in. No matter how I lace them they are very stiff across the back of my leg, however I am going to keep them and see what I can do about breaking them in more.. Overall, comfortable and I do like them..just that stiffness.

Got them on sale. only $20 off at the Freeport store and they must have been the floor model as i had to dig the staple out of the sole. Aside from having those self untying laces, so common on boots, They are great. Comfortable and substantial and thusfar water proof. I have Katahdin boots i was going to return whe the sole peeled off, but they were discontinued. I tried glueing them with barge cement with limited success. Bean's will reimburse a shoemaker, so i will try that. Meanwhile i got these (see above) and think i like them better actually. As the late Ed Sullivan used to say, some really good shoes.

I found these gems in the North Hampton, NH outlet store when I was shopping for winter boots three winters ago. They still look brand new, are as comfortable as can be, with no break in period, and run true to size. I usually don't wear high top anything, but I like these for the New England snow. They provide stability for the ankles, and the laces allow for desired looseness or tightness. The sole gives a good grip on the ice. Although they are waterproof, I find that my feet do get cold outside unless I wear woolen socks (thus the four star rating, and not the five).

Wide width still a bit narrow, even at 1/2 bigger. Seems nice boot

These are the 3rd boots I ordered and the ones that fit best. True to size and comfortable.

When I first tried these boots on they were very slightly tight. They fit somewhat different...the tongue comes up higher than my other ones. After wearing them for a bit they molded to my feet. The one thing I wish they had is 2 hooks on the top of the boot. The way I tie hikers it would put the knot at a different place and would keep the hiker tighter around the ankle which gives you support. For the price the boot is good.

I'm providing initial feedback on these, but haven't put them to the test outdoors yet. I bought these specifically for a vacation in WA that will involve a good bit of hiking. I need serious stability, having had a partial knee replacement 6 mos. ago, and also arthritis and some torn cartilage in the other knee. (I am 59, but not overweight.) I already have a heavier weight pair of LL Bean high-rise waterproof hikers that I've worn hiking in Yosemite and the Canadian Rockies. While I like those, they are quite heavy to pack in a suitcase for air travel, so I decided to order these, which are definitely lighter. I found that they run larger than my old pair - both 8 1/2 B. These are a tad longer and also roomier. I could probably have ordered a half-size down, but with thick socks, I guess it's better to have the extra-room. When I first put them on and tried walking, I thought, "oh dear.." as they seemed pretty stiff and unforgiving around the ankles. I noticed that the padding around the neck of the boot is not as thick as on my old hikers, and I was thus concerned that they would irritate my ankles too much. However, I tried putting on the wool hiking socks I had also ordered over my lightweight cotton socks, and rolled the tops twice to cuff them right under the top of the boot. Then I wore them around the house for a while, going up and down the stairs several times. After about a half-hour, I pretty much forgot I had them on, as they were completely comfortable. So, I guess these just take a bit of breaking-in, as well as adequately cushioning socks, to be able to wear hiking without any issues. The material and construction seem to be good, and I'm looking forward to trail-testing them in earnest!

As other reviewers have stated, these are stiff BUT... since I occasionally have problems with regular shoes (not high tops) hitting/rubbing my ankles, I tried adding an extra insole/orthotic to raise my heel a little higher in the shoe and now it's comfortable. I bought a half size larger than I normally wear and am glad I did.

I bought these boots for my wife after she casually stated that she liked the look of these boots. She had been shopping for replacement hiking boots for a while, and hadn't found anything that appealed to her. We were going on a trip soon, so on a whim I bought these in hopes that the fit was right and that they would be comfortable for her. Not only did they fit right, but she loves them and states regularly that they keep getting more comfortable. She wore them all week on the trip without complaints. Very happy with this purchase.

I just had ankle surgery 4 months ago. The Dr. gave me the ok to get back to my walks in the woods as long as I had ankle support. These boots are perfect for the type of walking I do. They are true to size. I would recommend thin socks. If your someone that hikes with thicker socks I would go up a size. They are sturdy, heavy but not too heavy. I feel I have sufficient ankle support. I am not used to having something around my ankle while walking so I am still getting used to the height of them. Glad I bought them.

Comfortable on the trail, good support especially in around the ankles. Very well made boots, true to size, but my feet feel somewhat damp in them.

I normally wear a 7 1/2 - 8 in a regular shoe. After a couple of returns, I wound up with a size 9 in these boots to make sure they weren't cramming my toes in. The above the ankle style will need to be broken in slowly. They are very stiff, but will be helpful for my weak ankles. I like the fact that these are not real heavy, yet are sturdy. The gray is attractive and doesn't scream, "look at me".

They are sharp looking boots. They are extremely firm on the sole and the ankle areas. I'm sure they hold up well as my daughter has the same style. The insole is also very firm and caused me quite a bit of pain after a short walk. I had the same problem with another pair of boots I bought from Beans. I will try to break them in slowly and see if it improves. I was really looking forward to wearing them!