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

These are well made, but are very stiff at first which made assessing the size challenging after I first received them. I ordered the EE wide width in size 11, which normally works well for me, and reading the reviews that said these are true to size gave me confidence. However, after a lengthy break in, unless I wear very thin socks they cramp my toes, so I probably should have ordered size 11-1/2, and even then, I'm not 100% sure about the width either. I continue to try to make the best of this purchase since they ARE decent boots, and it's way past the point of returning them.

I looked forward to trying these hiking boots but when I received them I discovered they were too narrow for my feet. I have bunions so I need a wider boot and the double E's just weren't wide enough to fit comfortably. If you have a slightly wider foot they might work but for me they were just too snug. I guess I need a 4E but that wasn't available on these particular boots. Good product but just didn't fit.

I purchased these because I am getting into photography and will be in various types of difficult terrain. At first, the right side by my toe hurt, but after using the shoes, the pain went away. I guess the shoe stretched a touch. Also, you'll have to wrap the laces around the top of the shoe's tongue to maximize its grip. But once that tiny hurdle is passed, the shoes work great.

Very comfortable for all day wear.

Very comfortable with good foot bed cushion

The boots are very good quality. The boots stability was very good and made hiking in the Grand Canyon a hoot! Boot weight is comparable to other competitors I've worn. The initial fit was a bit snug in the width, but loosened up with wear. Time will tell if I picked the right size, I've never ordered wide boots before. Haven't tested the waterproof feature yet, but anticipate no issues. Again time will tell. If quality and waterproofing pass the test of time, these boots will exceed 4 stars.

If you want a nice hiking shoe/boot this is it, however, the wide width isn't. So if you normally wear wide, this is not for you, even the EE. Sadly, they do not have EEEE width.

What a boot, no break in period, got at discount re: discontinued color. Very pleased. Recommended by blogger BaldHiker in UK whom I follow.

I have ALWAYS worn size 12 shoes and ordered these as such. My toes were jammed! Returned for size 13 medium. LLBean was very helpful with the return. Can't say enough about customer care. Size 13 M fit well fore to aft but are very wide. Purchased shoe inserts for the tongue and heal areas from my shoe repair store. Had to take them to him as upper lace hook broke off on first tying. He fixed that faster than doing another return. Now all fits well. I do advise breaking them in prior to hiking. The upper edge at top of boot is very stiff. Used a plastic hammer to loosen that area on both boots. Don't get weird with the hammer!

Liked them, will come in handy for upcoming trip

comfortable once you find right size. I wear a 13 BUT had to return to get a 14 so shoe would fit comfortably.

I recently purchased my second pair of these. My first pair lasted over three years, which is a long time as I am hard on boots. They are very comfortable, lightweight, and provide excellent ankle support, which is critical to me as I have bad ankles. Two minor complaints: 1) the laces that come with the boots are not as durable as the boots themselves. I found them slippery and had to tie them tightly and repeatedly to stay tight. They wore out in a few months. A Beans shoe representative gave me a pair of woven nylon boot laces and those solved the lacing problem, although those laces were tougher than the cloth loops the laces thread through and the top couple of loops eventually wore out. 2) These boots are NOT waterproof. They are at best, water-resistant. Calling them waterproof is misleading. Other than that, I have been very happy with these boots and they are my day to day footwear most of the year. I am lacing my new boots much more carefully and I wear other boots when I expect to get wet.

Good light duty boot

Nice comfortable boots, but as others have said, they are absolutely not waterproof. I'm not talking about wading streams or walking in puddles; just a short walk thru damp vegetation and the toes are wet all the way through and they take forever to dry out.

My Hobbit-like feet (wider at the toes) make it a challenge to size footwear. Based on other reviews I went a half inch longer in the length, and wide in the width. Boots felt good right out of the box, and after a week of breaking in, have adjusted well to my feet. So far, so good with staying dry on walks in moderate rainfall.

Received about two weeks ago, but I've not yet opened the box. Maybe LLBean sent a rock in the box instead of the boots. This rating is based upon a previous pair I purchased from Bean.

I have had these boots for about 3 years now and have been used moderately each season. They've gone up Katahdin twice and hiked through Iceland for 7 straight days. The rubber toe cap is starting to wear off, but for all the hiking that these have seen I would say they are well worth it

These may hopefully be good boots, but they are WAY smaller than their indicated size. I usually fit a 8.5 W in LLB and that was small. Tried 9 W that was too small. Finally 9 1/2 fit but they sent the wrong color but after all this I will take the wrong color. Not happy.

Nice hiking boot but definitely not waterproof. Barely water-resistant. Hiking through nothing other than dewy grass caused the toe box area to be completely wet. Perfectly fine for dry hikes.

Fit is good, seems to be stiffer than they should be. I have only worn them four or five times, so they may loosen up after a break in period. Workmanship seem good, everything is sewn straight.

My husband is pleased with these shoes in mud, on snow and hiking in the woods. Only downside is that they make his feet sweat (he normally wears cotton socks).

Comfortable and waterproof hiking boots. Will let you know more after using them over the next 12 months.

I like be the boots - color, style, quality and price. (Great sale!). My only hesitation is the stiffness. I am hoping, while they are comfortable (1 size up from normal), that they will break in.

These boots look great and are functional, but the uppers are very stiff. I'm not sure if that will change over time but the first time I wore them my shins were hurting. I tend to use LL Bean wool socks that are pretty thick when wearing these and my feet felt a bit cramped.

Have had a pair of these for the past year and found them to be durable, comfortable and water-proof. Only problem is relatively narrow - and getting narrower - width. Have tried a new pair in wide, but they're too tight. Same problem with the leather version of this boot. A good price for a quality product, as long as you've got narrow feet.