Now is the best time to buy these incredibly popular winter snow boots
The boots - L.L. Bean's legendary Bean Boots - famously sell out every winter after having undergone a sharp popularity spike in recent years.
In the winter of 2015, L.L. Bean sold approximately 450,000 boots - a new seasonal record. Over the winter of 2016, there were 100,000 back orders on Bean Boots, according to the Portland Press Herald.
That 100,000 list has finally been whittled down to zero, and the company is now stockpiling boots for the upcoming winter demand. If you want your own pair to tackle whatever this winter has in store, it's best not to wait. If the past few years are any indication, these boots will sell out quickly.
What causes everyone to go nuts for these shoes? They're not trendy, and that's on purpose. In fact, L.L. Bean hasn't changed much of the design for decades. They're still handmade in Maine in a nearly identical way they were about 100 years ago.
- "Legacy" products are incredibly trendy now. Consumers, especially millennial consumers, can connect with history and a bulletproof track record - both of which the Bean Boot has in spades. L.L. Bean's founder, Leon Leonwood Bean, started selling his Maine Hunting Shoe back in 1911. That's where the Bean Boot is descended from.
- Their slightly goofy aesthetic is back in style. The "normcore" Americana sensibility the boots give off, along with the aforementioned legacy, are both very "in" among many demographics, especially young urbanites.
- The boots are an incredible value. The base model is only $99, and it comes with L.L. Bean's unconditional satisfaction guarantee. Bean's return policy even lets you bring back your boots anytime you want, for virtually any reason - no questions asked.
- Speaking of bulletproof, that's exactly what Bean Boots are. They're well-known to be completely flawless from a functionality perspective. They are truly "buy it for life," and many owners see the boots perform for decades without need of replacement.