Great shoe, comfortable and can with stand working in the barn or going for a hike. Spray them off and ready for night of casual attire. This is my second pair, just plain out wore the other pair, from riding bike, hiking trails, shoveling snow. You name it they'll handle it, with great support and water resistance to boot. Well worth the money, I am hard on shoes and boots and these with stood my wear. Great boot, thanks LLBean.
This is the third pair of low-cut mountain treads that I've owned. The first 2 pairs were my favorite shoes, I would where them everywhere, confident that my feet would be comfortable and dry. The new "redesigned" pair, however, are just way too narrow, even though I ordered wide. The boot felt comfortable (hence the 5 star rating), but my toes were crunched in the front (hence the title). I wish L.L. Bean would offer an extra wide version to fit similar to the old version of the boot.
I had an old pair of Mountain Treads that I loved but they were ready for replacement. I ordered a new pair expecting the best.
Plusses 1. Better looking. 2. Better colors, especially the brown. 3. Better outsole. The tread is more aggressive the material has a higher quality feel. 4. The pull loop on the back of the shoe is bigger, but not yet quite big enough.
Minuses 1. Very hard to lace tightly, especially without the speed lace. 2. Too narrow. I never need a wide width but will this this shoe. They also feel a little short. 3. Heavier than the old design. 4. Very stiff. The previous design didn't require any break-in time but these will.
We'll see how the break-in goes. If they don't become a little more flexible over the next few weeks wearing them around town, I'll never wear them on the trail.
If you are a wide footed man, you know how difficult it is to find low-cut hikers let alone good looking ones. This boot is it. The inside is sufficiently lined for comfort. I broke these in on Mauna Loa in HI and didn't get a single blister. They feel stiff out of the box but break in quickly.
