Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Gumshoe

Love these shoes but you need to size down a whole size if not more! These do not run true to size and catalog should point that out.

Great shoes for the price. Great fit, but be sure to buy a size smaller due to the extra room given for heavy socks. Not bad looking, either.

I just bought my second pair, so obviously I like them. The main problem is the fit because of my foot size and width (which is very wide). I have to buy a larger size to get a width that will work for me. But then the length is wrong and the boots slip a lot. The problem is not with LL Bean. There is simply a mis-match between my foot and the size the boots come in. I run into this a lot, so I'm used to it. These are great for when there is just a little snow or mud or water and the temperature is not below zero. I would definitely recommend them.

first pair i got were rather tight around the top of the foot. i'm probably between a Medium and Wide width. however, i exchanged for EE width and they are a better fit. of course, LL's awesome guarantee keeps me coming back ...

The shoes seem to be well made. I like the big arch support. I have a little bit of a problem with the seam at the heel. On one shoe it is short of fabric and rolls up when you walk. It rubs your heel and feels like it could cause a blister.

After reading The sizing text chart I ordered Size 12. However, even without socks, they were a bit small. Also, I did not like the seam across the heel upper. This is for the shoe style, the other hi ankle version has a pad shown in a crossed that seam.

Only one width; other wise good reputation Had previous LL Been show (probably earlier storm chaser low top boot) Lasted many years. Turns out this one had different construction and did not come in a wide width. Hoped to get low top storm chaser lace up but no longer made

Love the idea the idea they are waterproof. However every time I slide my foot into them, the tongue folds under. I have to fight with the shoe to get them on. As a result I hardly wear them. Very disappointed.

I wear size 10.5 sneakers and bought size 9 and they fit right.

Shoes are high quality and made in the USA. Based on past experience, I expect them to last a long time. Could be a little more comfortable for my feet. They are a little tight in the area of the ball of my foot. When available, I normally get a wide shoe rather than standard width.

Unfortunately the gumshoes I just purchased are only available in full sizes and not half sizes. The shoe's tongues do not lay under the shoestrings nice, they are wrinkled and do not look nice.

Good well built rain shoe but not so much for winter as it did not have padded insulated tongue, heel, or uppers like my Timberlines.

I have worn a 10D shoe all my life. These were way too wide for my feet. Had to send them back.

Shoe lace sent were to short, had to purchase longer laces. Tongue of shoe is not comfortable on the top of foot. Disappointed in the shoe.

Like i have seen in the other reviews the tongue sticks me right in the upward curve of the front of my foot and the shoestrings that came with the shoe are a little on the short side. I waited a long time to buy bean boots but disappointed in them. Will not buy this style again and don't want to pay to ship them back.

This is an acceptable gumshoe if you can get past the pain of trying to work with only full sizes and figuring out how thick a pair of socks works with the size you finally decide on .. my left foot is about 12 1/3 in length and C width and my right foot is about 11 7/8 in length and D width .. the LL Bean sizing guide says to buy your normal size if you wear thick socks and if your foot is a half size off to order a full size down .. or if you wear light or midweight socks, order a full size down or order one and one half sizes down if you are a half size off with those socks .. hmmm .. the guide does not really explain what you do when neither foot is really exactly a whole or half size and each foot is a different length .. so i ordered sizes 11 and 12 in, hoping one would work .. the size 12 worked fine with LL Bean's heaviest weight thigh top boot socks, the left shoe had perfect toe room for my 12 1/3 length foot and the right foot had probably 1 1/2 thumbs in front of the toe, a bit more extra room than optimum but workable .. with Cresta midweight hiking socks on, the size 12 was simply too long to be workable for either foot .. with the heavyweight socks, the size 11 was impossibly snug and the big toe of the left foot was quite jammed into the end of the shoe .. with midweight socks, the size 11 was almost okay, but clearly there would never be any reality of wearing any sock that was heavier and since these are not an insulated gumshoe, wearing a heavier sock during chiller weather does help insulate your foot to some degree as a help to the shoe not being insulated .. the other thing that is mentioned in a number of reviews that I read is that the laces are too dang short .. they are 28" long and really should be 32" .. the length as is leaves no extra lace to double tie the lace top and actually is barely enough to snugly tie the laces with the typical single bow .. this issue is mentioned fairly frequently in the reviews and Bean has not done anything to provide longer laces, something I fail to understand .. I may keep the size 12, undecided for right now .. this is not a gumshoe for all sizes without a good deal of ciphering to figure out what you really need and realizing you likely must need to make sacrifices in sock weight or foot comfort or both.

The stitching between the uppers and lowers fails prematurely, long before the shoe is otherwise worn out. The last two pairs I've had during the "modern epoch" have both failed in this manner. In the past I could wear a hole completely through the bottom without the thread letting go. Why not use nylon thread?

With insulation, this would be a great snow shoe. As is, it's adequate if you don't mind cold feet, and it's a good standby for warmer days, but I wouldn't buy it again.

You recommended reducing the size by 1/2 because they are made a little longer because of bulkier socks worn in the winter. As a result bulkier socks make them a little tight. So I wear lightweight socks which makes them ok. We live in Georgia, so that works. I would rethink the 1/2 inch reduction in size.

Good quality but the sizing of those boots is a joke. No excuse for that. I take size 14 in every shoe/ boot I wear. On these boots size 12 fit. If you order on line, that's a true pain in butt!!!

seem well made but no arch support. Returned them

I felt this boot was inferior to the L.L. Bean boot quality I have purchased in the past. The tongue is too short and falls back into the throat of the boot making slipping into the boot cumbersome. I found the rubber heel collar to be made of flimsy material, not as hefty as in the past. Though the boot feels fine and has good traction in the snow, it seems more like an imported product even though it's apparently made in Maine. Finally, I actually purchased the gumshoe after trying and returning the men's 6" Bean Boot which I found to be even more I'll-fitting.

Boot fits great and looks very nice, in general. However, stitching in bunched and bungled on one side where it looks like threading was tied off. For the premium price and description of handmade quality, did not expect this imperfection which is obvious and visible. Italian manufactures would not have allowed such product to leave the factory, in my opinion.

I like L.L. Bean boots having owned several styles. This one is very comfortable, but I have one problem with them.The 27" laces are too short and therefore difficult to tie. I had to buy a pair of 30" cow hide laces that work just fine. Otherwise I like the boot.

This is my third pair, love them. Bean says to order a size down if you don't wear thick socks. Florida I don't, but 10M to 9M doesn't work. I think ordering 9W would be a better fit, I can barely get my foot in a 9M!!!