L.L. Bean
Three new variations of the Bean Boot will be released in the spring. From left to right: Classic 6" Boot in field olive upper and sail orange sole, the Classic 8" boot in plum, and the Classic 8" boot in dark ash with brick red sole.
The company has revealed several funky new designs it will release for the rubber and leather all-weather boot over the next year. The designs will be available in limited quantities, which L.L. Bean is calling "small batch."
The good news for Bean Boot fans is that L.L. Bean seems to have finally gotten a handle on production. In 2016, the company's list of back orders actually shrank for the first time in recent years, while the total number of boots sold grew to 600,000 for the year.
With production handled, L.L. Bean is ready to have some fun.
The designs include different leather colors like a "plum" purple or "red wine" maroon, while some will have "brick" red or "sail" orange soles. Others are in a different style from the traditional lace-ups, like the Chelsea boots. There's one boot that, at 16", is much taller than what L.L. Bean usually offers. Once winter comes around, there will also be boots that are lined with flannel or shearling.
The shoes will be released on a rolling basis throughout the year, based on what season the boot is most appropriate for. The additional colors released already for this spring are no more expensive than the normal L.L. Bean boots, but the ones with special linings, lacing systems, or heights likely will be.
The new designs support L.L. Bean's ambitious goal tof making 1 million pairs of Bean Boots a year by 2018.
L.L. Bean