FREEPORT, Maine — Matt Lauer held up a pair on the “Today” show Tuesday. Carson Daly fondled one, cooing, “Wow, they are cool.”
The hottest gift this holiday season is not an iPhone 6 or a personal robot, but iconic Bean Boots made in Maine by L.L. Bean.
These coveted boots crafted in Brunswick and Lewiston are in such high demand, the Freeport-based outdoor retailer hired 100 people recently to help craft them, and added a third shift to keep up. Want a pair this winter? Get in line.
“Even our most ambitious predictions have been surpassed,” said L.L. Bean spokesperson Mac McKeever, who sets March as a realistic ship date for most sizes. “This is the hot item right now.”
So hot that 100,000 pairs are on back order. And only certain sizes — very large or tiny — are available.
“We sensed this last year. We’ve geared up and are investing in a new machine to speed up the process,” McKeever said.
The shoe that has long been popular with outdoorsmen, farmers and loggers suddenly is everywhere from college campuses to city streets. And there is no sign of waning appeal.
“There is a huge wave of popularity among students, from college to high school … If you stroll through Tribeca you are going to see Bean Boots. The lumber-chic look has helped,” said McKeever.
As winter officially begins, boot makers are working like mad to make more.
“It’s a pleasant dilemma to have,” said McKeever, who explained, “we don’t stamp these out. They are made here in Maine and can take six months to train someone to make them. It’s a craft, we are not just chiseling them out. They are handmade.”
And that is part of the appeal.
Even Lauer was struck by the boot’s heritage. The season’s hottest holiday gift “is more than 100 years old,” the NBC host said as he placed a pair on the table during the show’s “What’s Trending Today” segment dubbed “Duck the Halls.”
What would company founder Leon Leonwood Bean, a Greenwood native, think of the craze?
“He would be humbled and proud and flattered by the popularity and widespread appeal,” said McKeever. “It was brilliantly executed and we don’t chase trends here, they find us.”
That this Yankee, no-frills invention — a practical solution to wet feet while hunting — has stood the test of time and fashion and now appeals to a new century speaks volumes about the founder’s vision.
“If you look at the original boot, over 100 years ago, the design has changed very little. L.L. was ahead of his time,” said McKeever. “He was onto something.”
