I really want to like these shoes -- they are very nice looking and seem to be extremely well made.
That said, I just can't reconcile the product I received with the one in the description. I was looking for something to wear around the house, and for light trips outside (running errands, going to the mailbox, etc.), and from the description, these seemed exactly right. First of all, even though I ordered a half size larger than normal, they are still extremely snug. Like bordering-on-uncomfortable-with-midweight-wool-socks snug. Wearing them with lightweight ankle socks is an exercise in futility, as walking any distance in theme pulls the sock down into the moc so that I'm walking on a wadded up sock around the middle of my foot, and nothing covering my heel and ankle. They are also nearly impossible to put on, even with a shoe horn. Even after getting my foot into it, I need to fiddle with the ankle padding a few times to get it unfolded and not digging into the back of my ankle. Perhaps these issues would be solved with a larger size, but as I said, I already went up a half a size from my normal shoes.
Even were the above issues resolved, these don't compare well with either my hiking boots, my New Balance walkers (the former "knock around" footware) or my running shoes. Despite being a slip on design, they actually require more fiddling to get on than my hiking boots (see above). The footbed is less contoured and less padded than the others, so they aren't terribly comfortable to walk around in, and there is less padding at the sides and ankles.
I gave these shoes 2-1/2 months (they were a Christmas gift) hoping that after breaking them in, they would become my new "go-to" shoe, but unfortunately, they're in the "not worth it" category, and spend a lot of time under the bench in the hall while the walkers get more mileage put on them. I'm going to try exchanging for a larger size and see if that helps.
I am usually more than satisfied with Bean products. However these mocs are going back. What i like: the look, the heel and comforting sole What i don't like: the fit (i'm a true 10 and these are like 9 1/2, extremely tight (i wanted to give the benefit of the doubt thinking that they will "stretch".), the heel of my foot coming out like i'm wearing flip-flops (i live in Florida and am sick of that feel), i anticipate unnecessary blistering, and i'm not into that. Sorry guys, i need to find a better product.
The shoes started out great, great fit, and felt comfortable. I wore them only to work (office building). Unfortunately after just one year the shoes started separating from the bottom and coming apart. I've had other shoes fall apart like this within 4-6 months. I was expecting much more out of these being LLBean (at least 2-3 years before something like this would happen).
To my surprise, when I called to ask LLBean if these shoes are just not the same quality as their boots I was told I could return them for a full refund since I was not satisfied. In fact, I the shoes were a gift, so I didn't even buy them under my account. No problem they said.
Very few companies these days really go the extra mile to make sure their customers are happy. So I bought a different pair of LLBean shoes and got my refund.
I own a lot of LLBean and am very happy overall with the quality and their superior customer service. That's how you keep a customer.
I thought there may be a fit problem, based on reviews, but my normal sz 11M fit nicely. The shoes are comfy, light, and I like that the soles do not have huge treads. The leather may not be the best idea to wear in wet weather - will know after a few months. I like them so much I am ordering another pair in the other color. Not much of a difference from the rugged moc, which are a little more $.
