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

I've worn the item only three (3) times and I have to wear very thin socks each time. The arch on top is always too tight and binding. I have to wear thin dress socks with your boots. I will be sending this item back for a refund. I will say they are a nice looking boot, but I don't think they are made in the USA.

The shoes are ok for my husband except for the top around the ankle. Fits way to tight...rubs when he walks. Trying to stretch them out.

for my husband. it rubbed a bone in his ankle and was painful

If you wear a wide shoe, do not buy this. It is way too narrow even with thin socks.

LLBean markets these as sort of a sneaker/casual hiking boot which is what I was looking for, but they didn't get it quite right. Before I bought these I read another review that said the ankle support was too much, and I didn't see how that would be an issue for me, but it is. The problem is that the boot has way too much support in the upper to wear it comfortably as a sneaker. The upper is very rigid, and after 2+ months, it's not breaking in as I expected, so as a "sneaker," it's not quite there. The problem is, it's not very strong as a casual hiker either. I wore these for the first time on a hike yesterday. It was two hours long through the woods, and by the last 30-40 minutes, I realized that the sole was seriously lacking for a lightweight hiking boot. As a result, I wouldn't buy them again. Here's what needs to be done to hit the ideal sneaker/casual hiking boot target. The upper needs to be downgraded just a little. Soften it up a bit and give the top a little less support. The sole needs to be upgraded just a little. Give the sole a little more support and make it a bit tougher/more aggressive, and between those two changes, it would be solid for double duty as a day to day sneaker and casual hiker. As is, this boot is a no for me.

love the boot, but i needed a pair of good waterproof boots, these are not. Went out early with heavy due on the ground an hour later my feet were soaked. Had no problem with mud puddles or small streams. Melting snow and wet grass my feet get wet.

I like the rugged tread, laces and look of the boots, but they run somewhat small, and narrow for a supposed "wide" size.

Seemed good quality, but never could get size I needed.

I received the boots for a present. I could only wear them for 1 day. They hurt my Achilles tendons so badly, that I had to ditch them mid vacation for a pair of sneakers. I think they are designed for a particular body fit, which is not mine. 3 stars b/c LL Bean is easy on returns. If not, 1 star.

The boots are of very good quality, but they are incredibly stiff and are still not broken in. I have been wearing them for about 2 hours at a time, and have to take them off because they hurt so much. They are incredibly stiff and difficult to break in. I am hopeful that they eventually will, but if LL Bean would give me my money back today, I'd rather try something else. The boots need more padding in the heel so that you don't have to spend 20 hours breaking them in.

First, this is a great looking shoe and appears very well made. Since this was my first shoe purchase from LLBean I was careful to check with Level 2 support to verify if the shoe ran smalI because it was noted as being imported and my experience told me that some foreign manufacturers have a different idea what comprises US sizing. I am a true size 14 and have been so for 20 years. I wear New Balance sneakers, Columbia boots, Samuel Hubbard and Johnson and Murphy dress shoes all size 14, no problem. Level 2 support confirmed that the shoe ran true to size even though there were a few customer reviews that said otherwise. I ordered the boots and can tell you that they do run about 1/2 to 1 size too small so I had to return them because size 14 was the largest that they carry. I asked for credit for return shipping because of the faulty info and was assured that it was not a problem however was charged for return shipping because I was given an incorrect reason code by Level 2 support which required an additional phone call back to LLBean to secure the refund (hopefully). I would however recommend this boot if you were able to order 1/2 to a full size up.

Very narrow EE, still stretching it.

I have ordered the Trail Model Hiking Boots for over 20 years. The styles and colors change but this model is very different. There is only one open eyelet for lacing,where previous versions had two, and the boots will not "break in". They remain very stiff after several months of use. Some times change is not better.

Quite stiff and somewhat uncomfortable. Feels rather like wearing concrete (albeit light concrete). I'm hoping they'll break in eventually, but it doesn't seem hopeful. Also, the pictured color was quite inaccurate. The nylon portion is depicted as OD, but the received product is all one hue. Very boring.

Very sturdy and well constructed but heavy and stiff. They take some breaking in to get comfortable. Limited use for inclement weather but not for everyday wear. I'll look for a lighter weight, sneaker based hiker with a more comfortable feel.

9.5 and EE width should have been sufficient. Really tight even with thin socks. It's going to take some time to get them broke in. I would only recommend to a friend if knowing advance how much bigger the shoes need to be when ordered.

The right shoe of the pair I bought fit great but the left boot seems very tight. I ordered the wide and the left one seems to be much more narrow that the right one.

Many recent reviews have complained about the increasing narrowness of L.L. Bean footwear. I didn't believe it but - sadly - this pair is also on the narrow side. Something has happened either in sizing or production, which Bean's seems either unwilling to acknowledge or unable to remedy. I love L.L. Bean outdoor footwear, but can no longer trust their size guidelines.

These have been my favorite boots for many year. I have 3 pairs of them as as they age, I purchase more. To my surprise, the ones I received recently are not as wide as my previous ones. They are approximately 4mm-5mm narrower than before. If your interest is the wide model then they are no longer matching the sizing that you are used to. I have inquired Customer Support about this situation.

The shoes were what I wanted, but unfortunately squeezed my toes. They were the proper width and length for the balls of my feet, but the toe box narrowed too quickly and had my toes squeezed together. I have two older pairs of these shoes and they have worked well, but the soles are worn out. I had to turn to another supplier to find shoes and hopefully will find ones that fit.

I take a normal D width. These were too narrow, even with lighter socks than I normally wear for hiking. As you get older your feet flatten somewhat. I'm sure they will fit most younger feet. I returned them & switched to the Keen Targhee II Mid Waterproof hiker. The Keen Low Hikers I tried have plenty of room, so hopefully the mids will also.

My first pair of the new model - had about eight pair of the prior. Have walked about 75 miles on desert paths. Construction - 4 star Design - 3 star light weight, good value The heal has a negative slant. Why? Perhaps BEAN's hiking boot specialists or another customer can explain this quirk to us. I have not yet become accustomed to it. Thank you in advance.

I had a pair of hiking boot i returned the reason was the came apart the ones i returned was a more expensive pair then this pair much better boot the returned ones i had were leather but they would only replace with the cheaper boot they are not waterproof in any way the ones i returned were leather so i do not recommend theses

I really wanted some Italian leather mountaineering boots, but I'll wait till I'm in Italy again to buy them. These Chinese things are good enough for now. The sale price brought them down to within the "reasonable" price range. With the LL BEAN 'guarantee' behind them, I figure they're OK for now.

Decent boot, well made. My 13 Wide is sized accurately and fits perfectly. However, the thin nylon laces refuse to stay tied. I am constantly stepping on untied laces and will have to search for replacement laces that will remain tied. Also, the picture of the boot makes them look like they're tan and a sort of greenish color. They're definitely 2 shades of brown/tan with some black trim. I would only recommend these to someone who doesn't mind having to replaces the original laces.