Some of America’s Oldest Boots Have Been Future-Proof for Decades

We went behind the scenes at L.L.Bean to see how the brand’s iconic Bean Boots are made — and recrafted — right here in the USA.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published December 13, 2024

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Updated December 13, 2024

In the outdoor industry, the first word on everyone’s lips lately has been “sustainability.” After decades of manufacturing amazing products with sometimes problematic byproducts, we are all reckoning with how to make things that enable us to enjoy the great outdoors without destroying them at the same time.

In the interest of serving customers, however, some brands got into sustainability well before it was fashionable. A prime example is one of America’s oldest and most beloved: L.L.Bean.

bean boots soles — L.L.Bean has been refurbishing Bean Boots, often by replacing the lower half, for decades now.

Founded by avid outdoorsman Leon Leonwood Bean in 1912, the Freeport, Maine-based company has purveyed an incredible range of hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and other adventure products for well over a century now.

Better boots, now and forever

One of the original products is the Maine Hunting Shoe, which eventually evolved into the more mainstream, hugely popular and iconic Bean Boot, now available in literally dozens of varieties for men, women and children.

What’s so amazing about Bean Boots — in addition to the distinctive leather upper, reliably waterproof outsole and grippy sole — is the fact that for decades now, the brand has offered to recraft them for a reasonable fee ($49+).

“I think it’s just part of our core values. We were doing that kind of thing long before anybody even talked about sustainability.”
— John Camelio, L.L.Bean director of manufacturing

This service enables you to not only save money but also do the most sustainable thing imaginable: Keep your boots in the field rather than adding to the landfill and buying yet more outdoor gear.

Indeed, some Bean boots have been known to last 60 years or more, and still look damn good.

The recrafting process takes place in the same factory where L.L. Bean produces both the Bean Boot and the Boat and Tote (another iconic item), in an incredibly conscientious and loving manner.

Up close and personal

We know because we saw it firsthand. As you will hear in the latest episode of the Know Your Stuff podcast, GP’s director of video and platforms, Mykim Dang, and I recently visited the facility in Brunswick, Maine (a short drive from Freeport) to see exactly how these beautiful boots are made and refurbished by hand.

We took a tour of the factory floor, where we saw every step of the process, including the rebuilds station where longtime employee Mary Goyette and her team recraft up to 60 boots in a day — and thousands in a year. (Is a huge and awesome saw involved? Hell yes.)

We also met with John Camelio, L.L.Bean’s director of manufacturing, to pick up 26 years of perspective on what it takes to produce and restore durable outdoor footwear on American soil.

Along the way, we shared our own thoughts and observations on such topics as sustainability, form vs. function and how use-specific products evolve for a more mainstream market.

We also got to the bottom of a mystery: What exactly is the difference between the Maine Hunting Shoe and the Bean Boot?!?

Hear all that and more by clicking below.