eBay mold special brought back to life.

Used these in heavy rain and snow. Mostly as chore boots.

There was a period in recent time where LL Bean would use a painted/coated leather that was waterproof but didn't breathe, didn't accept conditioning, and cracked as it aged. They've only now started to backtrack, but vintage boots always had good leather. Supple, easy to condition, rainproof with wax, and ages wonderfully.

Plenty of toe room, best worn with thick socks in the winter for a good fit true-to-size.

Clean stitching, looks good, holds up well. Came with speed hooks which are not offered as an option in their more recent line-up. Much better than the later iterations with uneven stitching and poor quality control.

The duck boot design that so many companies try to imitate and fail. This vintage version is closer to the original with a thinner and flexible sole for a true moccasin feel.

I have three pairs of LL Beans duck boots. After cleaning and conditioning, this one is easily my favorite and not obtainable as new from the factory with their current line-up and manufacturing choices. They've begun to listen to customers about the leather, and I hope they continue down that path.