Customer Reviews L.L.Bean 8" Thinsulate Bean Boot

This boot is the best I've found for keeping my feet warm and dry. They are very comfortable fit and a sure grip on slippery surfaces. The craftsmanship is unsurpassed and I expect these will provide me years of service as my last pair did.

This is my second pair of Bean boots. The first pair I bought in 1969 and just recently wore them out. Am glad to see that quality has been maintained,

Odd sizing and not perfect fit no matter what size

These mud boots are well made and comfortable(ish). They seem to run large. I ended up getting a pair one size smaller than my usual. If necessary, returning the boots is cumbersome and tedious.

The boots I gave as a gift had to be returned for a different size. After being received by Bean, my son has not had any correspondence telling him when to expect his boots in the correct size.

i expected more warmth from the boot and the tread is not very aggressive even when new. they are not great for hiking on frozen/muddy trails.

I did research before purchasing the Bean Boot. I've always heard to size down and to do the same with 1/2 sizing. I've never worn a 10 in my life. I ordered an 11 and they fit. Their is room in them to possibly size down. I don't think it's enough to size a whole size down. Nearest store is 2 hours. Almost an inconvenience. 5-6 week credit wait time to return. May keep to not have a hassle. Great look and style and quality! Would buy again.

We are avid LL Bean fans and have used many of your products over the years. I purchased these boots for my husband to replace an older pair of the same style which he had worn until the soles were too smooth to wear safely on wet surfaces. Sadly, I had assumed I was getting the same product that he previously owned, however upon receiving the new boots we learned that the Thinsulate lining only covers the "footbed" in the new boots, whereas in the older boots the Thinsulate lined the entire inside of the boot including the leather upper part that covers the lower leg. The product description states: "Footbed is lined with Thinsulate Insulation olefin/polyester for extra warmth during cold snaps." While this was disclosed on the website, it escaped me to take particular note of this change. My husband is diabetic, an active, slender man, and is prone to circulatory concerns. Warm, dry feet is of major importance to him to prevent skin breakdown and reduced circulation. The older boot is much more comfortable to him, since the leather upper was lined to the top with the Thinsulate material. The new boot simply has Thinsulate in the "footbed" but the upper leather portion has no Thinsulate liner. I wish I had realized this before. He tried the new boots in a good faith effort to make them work, and he does wear them, but we couldn't help feeling the disappointment that yet another excellent American-made product was cheapened by reducing the materials, resulting in a product of lesser quality than what we were used to enjoying.

Got these for my husband when, after two Massachusetts drizzly falls and snowy winters futzing around with sneakers, I was tired of him slipping on ice and complaining of wet ankles. Here is his full review: "'s good boots." In case that's not actually helpful: based on my own experience we did not order the size down as Bean recommends but rather went with his normal hiking boot size--he has wide feet so the wide EE sizing is a blessing and on trying them on we found that the width was right, the length of the boots ended up being a little roomy, but because they're tall and rugged he still doesn't slip and slide around in them so it's not a problem. He runs very hot and has mentioned his feet sweating in these boots. I personally have the shearling lined and love them but still get somewhat cold-toed, so for him I recommended going with thinsulate as a step down to at least give him a little protection for his 3-mile daily walking commute. Turns out it might have been overkill for our 10-40 weather lately, so if you know you run hot, maybe unlined is actually fine. Those personal nitpicks aside, he finds them comfortable (despite being a bit flat-footed and historically not loving many shoes), they're great quality as you'd expect of Bean Boots, and he has on multiple occasions splashed with glee into sleet puddles and tromped through snowbanks like a small child. So, good boots.

It took three tries to get the fit right. The leather is supple and the insulation and padded insole make for a comfortable fit. I would have given these boots a 5-star rating if they had a padded collar and speed laces.

Had to take back to store for larger size, if you where a 8 buy and 8. Thanks

I've had these for about a month. I live in North Idaho, not far from Canada. Warm boots are a must come winter. I've worn them in snow, mud, hiking, and what have you. So far the shoes have been reasonably warm, and dry. I also like the traction in mud and light snow. Nothing works good on ice, but these seem to handle the white stuff pretty good. The break-in process is taking a little longer than I would like, but I think they'll be fine. If there is a down side, I may have ordered them a bit too wide. This is my second pair of Bean Boots. My others are the summer (non-Thinsulate) boots. So, I like 'em. Cons? More modern boot designs have more padding on the soles which is nice for 70 year old feet like mine. I wish these could be a bit more comfortable in the soles. But, I'm an old guy, your experience may be different. That said, I definitely recommend these - the quality materials and construction are second to none. I expect these to last longer than me!

Boots appear to be well made. I purchased insulated one but was disappointed that only the lower rubber portion was insulated. The leather upper is totally unlined. The boots definitely run large, I can wear heavy socks over light socks, and still have foot room inside the boot. Overall quality is good, looking forward to years of use.

I'm size 12 medium in other LL Bean boots. So I ordered 11 medium. They seemed too large my foot moved around when I would take a step. I brought them back and tried a 10 medium but was too short. They did not have narrow boots in the shop to try on so I ordered the 11 narrow. Was very happy they came so quickly. I did replace the sole with a thicker insert because my heel still lifted when I walked but otherwise they fit great. I have walked through snow and mud in them and they work great my feet never got wet. They became more comfortable on my feet after wearing for a week. I got thinsulate and was worried they might be too warm but that hasn't been the case although I haven't worn them in above freezing temps. I highly recommend but they're not made for hiking or being on your feet for long periods outdoors.

ordered in dark ash with dark ash & love the color

great boot but I have to return, my normal size was just way too big, i'll have to go down 1/2 a size

I am getting great use out of these boots.

Maybe I misread the sizing guide, but I thought that sizing down was recommended. I am typically a 9 and originally ordered an 8. Way too small. Exchanged for a 9 which fits snuggly with a dress sock. Perhaps the Thinsulate will pack out a bit, but I don't anticipate wearing a ragg wool sock or something thick with the 9's. Maybe a heavy ski sock. Looking forward to a lifetime of use!

This boot is well made, however. I take a 12 wide. I ordered the insulated boot but the insulation inside the boot surrounding the foot made it a 12 medium. I'll be returning it at a local LL Bean store. When installing the insulating part of the boot, one should take into account that it will make the footbed narrower than what is ordered.

One of my favorite boots and they keep my feet quite toasty. So much so that I actually recently purchased an unlined pair because these are too hot unless it's very cold out. Two things to note: You need to give these boots a break so probably don't wear them all day every day. This is the case with any boot, of any shoe for that matter. I did not follow my own advice and they started smelling quite bad. After trying all kinds of things, i finally got rid of the smell using baking soda. The other thing I noticed is that the sole can get pretty slippery when walking on wet asphalt. Those white painted striped at crosswalks can get a bit dangerous when they're wet so be careful. I know this is originally designed as a hunting boot so I don't fault them for it. Nevertheless, if you like the style and want something warmer, these are brilliant. I wear a size 9 - 9 1/2 in sneakers and ordered this boot in a size 8. They fit great.

The boots came delivered to my house in a shipping box. There's no shoe/boot box. Lousy presentation and difficult to find a box the right size to wrap as a gift. Super disappointing!!! A real missed opportunity for LL Bean to leave a quality representation of a product and company that's been around a long time

Classic winter boot that is comfortable and durable. I had to give it a 4 and not a 5 for the thinsulate liner only being in the bottom rubber portion of the boot. A full thinsulate liner that is removable for washing and drying would have been preferred. Sizing is a little larger than normal. I wear a men's 8.5 in every shoe I own, but an 8 in this boot was the best fit.

I love the feel, fit and functionality of these boots. Only one problem -- about the 10th time I wore them, the leather loop on the back of my right boot, which I usually need to pull the boot on, ripped loose because the stitching apparently was inadequate. This surprised me, given LLBean's well-deserved reputation for workmanship, and it will make it more difficult to put on the right boot. Note to manufacturer: the loop doesn't need to be leather, and it may be easier to securely attach if it's a strong fabric. I have a pair of hiking boots (made by another manufacturer) with a strongly attached fabric loop.

- well built, U-S-A, U-S-A! - they are built as though they will outlast me - they'll take some time to break in, the upper is a little stiff (as expected) - classic style - fairly warm, not toasty but not cold - dry feetsies! - snow and rain, no problem - fishing? yeah, why not. - driving a stick shift? totally. - mowing the lawn? yup. - dog poop washes off easily, ugh.