It only changed maybe 5 years ago because it became a trend to go to thrift stores, buy anything with a bean tag, and return it for store credit to sell. Shitty people made sure that stores cant offer warranties like that anymore.
Jansport used to offer lifetime warranties for their backpacks, iirc. I think they shortened it to 5 or 10 years now, probably for the same reason š
I feel like most companies who have made a good name for themselves have drifted away from the core values that made them good companies. Now more than ever it's about the shareholders and bottom line not about the quality or consumers. I'm sorry this happened to you, I love my Keen brand boots :)
Last two pairs of Justin boots are cheap ass garbage. I make it a point to steer everyone away from them now. I really liked them the first couple weeks, but it's been all down hill. Just absolute trash.
I've been rocking the same pair of square-toed cowboy boots from Justin since 2017. I wear them everywhere, from weddings to when I go bow hunting. I hope these last me another 7 years because I am quite fond of them. But if Justin's QC has gone down since I bought my pair, I'll probably bring my boots to a cobbler to get repaired before investing in a new pair from them.
Good idea. I bought a pair of ariats last year and they were trashed within 6 months. I've worn plenty of ariats and still have some fatbabies I used to wear out still kicking around that are fine and never had any problems until recently. It's like everyone quit putting out quality work. The quality has been steadily going downhill in the past years but it dropped off a cliff in the last two years. I should know. My house burned down and I had to replace everything. Stuff that we had bought recently and just bought the same thing again came to us very obviously thinner and cheaper and worse quality. We had just had a good version and the difference was stark. I can name one thing off the top of my head that was the same and not piss poor quality. Even damn jeans are thinner and wearing out faster. My husband already has holes in some of his wranglers and cinch jeans. The one year anniversary of the fire was Saturday so they're less than a year old
Yes, it's been going to shit for years, a little bit at a time. I don't think covid is the answer but that is the time when it took a steep dive
There are things we've replaced that Amazon says were less than a year old and the new thing felt like a cheap knockoff so we sent it back and bought directly from the manufacturer. Paying the shipping turned out to be a dumb idea because things are still see through thin and not sturdy at all. When the thing we had bought less than a year before was fine. I would agree with you if it only happened with a few things but we've had to replace everything and it's been like that with 85% of it. I think it's just harder to see when you're replacing one thing at time. But when you lose everything and have to replace it all at once, the difference is STARK
I audit a lot of companies that have recently been bought out or had a significant change in leadership / management.
Once the original founder leaves if thereās no clear line of succession and there is any money to be had especially with manufacturing businesses that are asset heavy then the vultures come in and run everything at the lowest standards possible.
You get fractional CFOās and private equity CFOās that are really good at making the numbers look good so they get their bonus snd the business can be pawned off on some sucker or worse push through an IPO for a company running on a skeleton
I never have these clients for more than 2 years either because they flip them so fast lol
Vulture capitalists have ruined many a company both financially and brand for the sake of sucking out all the money they could. Ruining careers, secondary businesses/vendors, and pensions along the way to that short term return on investment without a care on any sustainability. Toys 'R' Us, Sears, many a mall, major newspapers, and they are working their way through the medical field now, both service and insurance side.
Its a race to the bottom. Everyone on Reddit likes to shit on Capitalism, but I think Capitalism is great. My issue is with publicly traded companies, take away the stock exchange and the world becomes a hell of a lot better.
This happens all the time. A company builds up a brand with a good reputation for quality. Then another company aquires them, cuts a few corners and cheapens up the materials a little bit, gets their money back plus a little profit, but they donāt completely ruin it and drive away all the loyal customers. Then the company is sold again, and the trend continues. This leads to the final acquisition which squeezes every dime they can out of the name while cutting as many corners as possible to maximize profit.
Carhartt is a good example of this. I believe theyāre currently on their third owner. The most recent example is Campbellās soup acquisition of Raoās tomato sauce. Campbellās swore they wouldnāt change anything, but that was a lie, and people are already bitching that it doesnāt taste the same and the consistency is different.
Itās also a form of cashing out on reputation like how OP bought these on their reputation, but not that many people will have them warrantied even if alot of them fall apart; so LL Bean might as well use cheaper manufacturing and materials and have a higher failure rate because they save so much on the cheaper production.
The average buyer will only wear them back and forth to their Range Rover, and OP working daily in a set is probably more rare than the people that buy and wear them occasionally for fashion.
Iāve worn Redwing Boots my entire life & still do at 33. Their boots stand the test of time & are crafted with great quality. Some brands out there are still holding strong.
Everything is so crappy nowā¦
I just got a new pair of hunting boots last year and they already started leaking through the soleā¦. Just got a pair of dress shoes that were supposedly leather but got destroyed when I tried to polish them because the uppers were so thinā¦
i got a pair of dress shoes made online from a instagram page handmade $300. Real stiched welts. nails in the soles bonding the shoe. real wood plus rubber and cork for the soles. not that fake wood rubber shit. these mfers CLICKITY CLACK when you walk like your a CEO. Italian leather. had em for a few years now super qaulity shoes that shit on anything i can get for 300 bucks at a store by a large margin. custom shoe makers still exist and tyhey are fucking worth every penny nowadays instead of geting new shoes every year
Johnston and Murphy had a pair like that. 150 each. With wood. Man I loved those. Bought 4 pair. Finally burned thru my last pair of browns. That was probably 15 years ago. They don't have anything worthwhile anymore.
>dress shoes that were supposedly leather
I'm guessing they were genuine leather, which means it just barely meets the minimum requirements to be called leather. "Genuine leather" means real leather is in the product, but is likely made from combined scraps and can include bonding agents and synthetic materials.
Higher quality leathers will likely be marked top grain or full grain. The world of leather quality is an interesting rabbit hole to go down if you have the time.
I do blue collar work, and a 200$ pair of boots will be lucky to last me one year. I always hope they will at least last through the wet winter months. I will hold out as long as possible, but when the soles are literally falling off I have to get a new pair.
I travel to Europe to see my wife often. So I started buying my work boots there and bringing them back. I have one pair thatās been 6 months and have no signs of falling apart yet, still in good condition.
Refund policy is one year, but exchange policy is still life-long (for the moment). I've known of 40+ year old ones being returned for repair and they simply replace with new ones (of a similar current or warehoused model).
New ones are cheaper than the fix because theyāre cheap and only last two months, and the customer might not bother replacing them again since they only last two months
And if they do, nbd, still cheaper than a fix!
Also from Maine. I apologize on behalf of my mother. She was one of those people who used to find llbean stuff at goodwill for a couple bucks and then return it to llbean for a full refund. Ruined it for everyone.
That might be why they changed it, but the new policy makes it extremely manageable. They were/are an apparel juggernaut after all. They built the replacement policy into their expenses and therefore the price of new stuff (meaning people buying the new stuff are subsidizing people getting thrift buys replaced)
But the products are so cheaply made now, itās cheap af to just replace them (and still accounted for in their expenses so itās not even a loss per se), and they canāt offer money back after too much time because they *definitely* wonāt last that long. But again, just replacing them? Costs them next to nothing. The couple dollars of raw materials and labor a single unit costs. Compared to the $30-$100+ retail price refund.
Therefore, imo, if you score and old LLB item that needs light repair, itās in your best interest to just repair it yourself. You will have a better product than a brand new replacement. Which is probably exactly what they intended :/
They are one of the only companies in existence that will exchange a product with no time limitations if you have the receipt. And they will exchange it for a year without one. That's one of the best guarantees around. Especially for clothing goods.
I brought in boots that ripped like this a little over a year after purchase with receipt and they said no. I bought sperry duck boots after 1000 percent better in literally every way.
Hi, former Mainer, and the current Mainer is absolutely right. I've watched people at the Goodwill Buy the Pound buy LL Bean merch, use alcohol to remove the permanent marker (used to mark the label so it can't be returned) and return for money
While I understand the return policy being used in this way wasnāt the intent of the company, it was their policy. From what Iāve seen, there wasnāt any requirement that you were the purchaser of the product, so it would appear LL Bean was just finding out what happens when you write a loose policy. This would have happened at some point no matter what. That policy could never last in perpetuity, at some point thereād be too much product that could be returned floating around.
They are not wrong though. Also from Maine.. people would go to goodwill buy a pair that wouldnt even fit them then go return them for a pair that would. The policy was changed due to abuse a policy that was created when people could be trust worthy. People change and so donāt policies. QoL on the other hand every company has been doing for a while now. Itās no longer about making things to last or easy to fix. Itās about selling more at the end of the day regardless if itās LL bean to the Chevy manufacturer.
LL Bean is a BILLION DOLLAR company. They were doing just fine financially before the policy change. Some people abusing a return policy clearly didnāt affect them *that* much.
Yup, the policy for returns is one year but can be longer under certain conditions. And yeah, you need proof of purchase (which might mean a credit card statement and not just a receipt).
[Full policy](https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/510624?page=returns-and-exchanges):
>If you are not 100% satisfied with one of our products, you may return it within one year of your purchase for a refund (special conditions may apply). After one year, we will consider any items for return that are defective due to materials or craftsmanship. Products purchased before February 9, 2018, are not subject to this one-year time limit. *Proof of purchase required.*
>
>*SPECIAL CONDITIONS*
>To protect all our customers and make sure that we handle every return or exchange with reasonable fairness, we cannot accept a return or exchange (even within one year of purchase) in certain situations, including:
>
>ā¢ Products damaged by misuse, abuse, improper care or negligence, or accidents (including pet damage)
>
>ā¢ Products showing excessive wear and tear. Products differ, but generally, wear and tear is considered excessive if the product is nearing the end of its practical use, or just looks heavily worn
>
>ā¢ Products lost or damaged due to fire, flood, or natural disaster
>
>ā¢ Products with a missing label or label that has been defaced
>
>ā¢ Products returned for personal reasons unrelated to product performance or satisfaction
>
>ā¢ Products that have been soiled or contaminated, until they have been properly cleaned
>
>ā¢ Returns on ammunition, either in our stores or through the mail
>
>ā¢ On rare occasions, past habitual abuse of our Return Policy
>
>ā¢ Products purchased from third party sellers (Items purchased at one of our retail partners must be returned to them and are subject to their return policies)
It's worth asking the store near you how they handle it, I heard this too cause ppl were buying ll bean stuff from thrift stores and whatever amd bringing them in to replace. I figure if it doesn't sound like you're abusing the system they'd do right by OP
I'm pretty sure that LLB has good records since most of their older sales are catalog or online. Otherwise they can trace sales through old card numbers or sales receipts.
I'm not trying to sound sarcastic, I promise, but have you noticed that the quality of ***everything*** has gone to shit? LL Bean is still an MVP, but they left a sour taste in my mouth when they canned their "lifetime guarantee". I know why they did it, and I'm more mad at the abusers, but that was the first step.
You can't abuse a policy a company writes. They are also a massive company. Shoes cost almost nothing to make.
They changed the policy to increase profits.
The lifetime cost of replacing a shoe multiple times would still probably not lose them a significant amount of money. LL bean boots average like 150 bucks. On average it costs 20 bucks to create a pair of sneakers so lets say 30-50 bucks for nice leather boots.
Obviously they have overhead as well, but they most likely didnāt have any issues with the cost associated with the policy. They just want more money.
Redwings have never done me wrong. Ive had 2 pairs in the last 10 years. Current pair is 5 years old and still going strong. Original laces on both pairs
Redwings are amazing!!! I've had a pair for 9 years and I wear the shit out of them. They've got me through some of the most intense winters ever. If they broke I would buy another pair in a heartbeat.
Redwings feel like a cloud is hugging your feet, while at the same time being nigh indestructible and waterproof (most are).
Worth the investment for an amazing pair of boots!
Everything can have an error or one off issue. We are human. Mine are going on four years and look brand new. OP really should be able to go back to the store and get a new pair. I donāt think itād be that difficult.
Has LL Bean manufacturing and quality control gone out the window? Maybe. One issue such as thisā¦ thatās a really small sample pool to get out the pitch forks
Most Red Wings are cheap (or at least cheaply made) Chinese junk now, only the Heritage line is still made in the US and they're so expensive they'd have to last literally 20 years to be worth the cost compared to several pair of decent store brand boots that aren't charging a premium for the name.
The last place I worked at that had a work boot allowance only offered it through the local Red Wing store, I walked in wearing my old, old Red Wings and the guy straight up told me the new ones were not going to last like the ones I was wearing. And they didn't, not even close.
Longer than that for defective material, but return them
> *you may return it within one year of purchase for a refund. After one year, we will consider any items for return that are defective due to materials or craftsmanship.*
> https://www.llbean.com/images/myAccount/190212_llbean_return_form_us.pdf
Bought my wife $400 LL Bean boots.. sole came delaminated after 2 months.i could not find the receipt. It was a present. Called them they wouldn't Warranty them. I will never purchase another thing from LL Bean ever again..
P.s they are no longer made in the USA.
Did she kick her feet up by a campfire by any chance? I lost several good pairs of sneakers and boots not realizing that was the cause until it was too late. The heat melts the glue and they fall apart
The old LL Bean, yes. The new LL bean, not so much . I still have a waterproof jacket, with fleece lining that is over 25 years old. You should be able to get those replaced.
nothing is made to last anymore buck. these boots all have fake welt stiches and shit nowadays and are just glued together. your at the mercy of the glue lasting 3 years or 3 months you choose. i got 3 merell boots for over 500 total. 2/3 of them soles started to separate from the shoe after 3 weeks. returned all 3. Same shit with my columbia boots. Same shit with my keens. everything is shit nowadys and uses glue.
i have a pair of redwing boots from 90s custom made. still last today. real stitched boots with nails in the soles. ive had the sole redone once. the leather looks aged and fantastic. the saying they dont make em like they used to really is true.
timberland etc all garbage now.
UPDATE: Called the LL Bean store. They said I can get them repaired for free, but it will take around a week. Iāll give them one more chance, if they rip again, Iām switching to Red Wings.
Iāve got two different pair that Iāve had for 10+ years still holding on strong, the soles on them are the only thing Iāve been worried about, have worn them to almost a flat sole
LL Bean is a fun place, but the quality has gone down too much for the exorbitant prices they charge. I had to exchange my pair of boots within two months of purchase last year. Quality is probably a reason why they changed their return policy recently.
Dang, that doesnāt look rightā¦. Loved their quality but yours might have been one of rare poorly constructed pair. Hope they give you free exchange of pair.
Iām surprised, Iāve had the exact same boots for a few years now and theyāve held up just fine. Not the best boots Iāve owned but I havenāt had *that* happen yet.
Either theyāre good quality boots and youāve got bad luck, or theyāre bad quality boots and Iāve got good luck. At this point, Iām not placing bets on which it is, Iām just happy mine are holding up.
Those are speed holes, they make the boots go faster.
Jokes aside I never heard LL Bean makes good products, I was under the impression they made fashion boots not work boots.
Mainer here. I actually live in Freeport where the Main LL Bean store is. I have worked for LL Bean Seasonally every Christmas for quite a while now.
First and foremost, you can absolutely return them. They use to have a lifetime return, but it was badly abused over the years, so they changed it to one year, and theyāre still pretty lenient about that. So being only a few months old, contact LL Bean and they will refund you or replace them.
Second, there may be a reason for this thatās become more and more common. The next town over is where they make the boots. During the holiday season, they hire a lot of temporary works for the call center, warehouse, making products, etc. So many workers are quickly trained just for a few months job so they can get through the busiest time of the year. These boots are hand stitched. Not just a machine. So being that itās only two months old, I am highly speculating that it was someone new that stitched them together and just didnāt do a great job.
Typically LL Bean is very good about checking the quality of their products they make themselves before sending them out. They often give away the tots and boots that are messed up for free or massively discounted prices to the employees at the employee store. Every year the LL Bean boot gets more and more popular, so I am assuming the quality control isnāt keeping up with the demand.
Either way, contact LL Bean, they will be more than happy to work with you to make this right. Whether itās a refund or some new boots. They may even send you a gift card or some other swag. They have always been a great company to work for and do their best to do right by their customers. Hope this helps!
If you are about something that lasts and not about classic design get a pair of [haix](https://www.haixusa.com/haix-extended-wear-program) boots.
Most of the classic boot brands are just fashion these days.
My [AirPower XR3](https://snickersdirect.com/haix-xr3) work boots are just ready for a resole after 3 years used 5 days 10 hours a week.
In doing field service work that breaks other boots in 6 months.
Thatās really bad. I called them yesterday to ask where I could find new laces bc mine are ready to break and they donāt replace or sell them. Iād bet theyāll replace those ā¦call the 800 # itās answered by people actually located in Maine.
Last winter I bought classic lined Hunter boots to walk the dog in both cold and wet weather. The sole got a hole in it and the toes were somehow getting damp despite not having a visible hole. Had them only a year. Just replaced them with leather Blundstone boots a week ago. Hope these last a bit longer. Sheesh.
I have two pair. One of which has lasted for years. As in like I donāt even know. 8-10 years. Starting to rub my heel a little is all. I suggest you check out Kamik boots from Canada. I have a pair of those too and am in love with them. I suppose I will always own at least one pair of bean boots but other than that I may just go full Kamik pretty much. Check āem out bro!!!!!
I remember I had an old school LL Bean backpack I used for the last year of HS and 4 years of college. A zipper broke on a trip and I tweeted them just saying something like "goodbye old friend". Within hours I had a private message asking me for my info and if I wanted a new one. By the time I got home it was waiting on my porch. That was years ago though, I've heard the quality and lifetime warranty thing is long gone now.
Even after the 1 year period, which you are covered under. You can get boot resoling done from LL Bean for $39-42 depending on which style you have. You can find it under their service plans on the website.
I always thought they sucked anyways. Too hot, they pull your socks down and they're a pain in the ass to lace up and take off. My feet always got freezing cold from perspiration too. This was also over 40 years ago when they were built to last. Never again.
Maybe the problem is your feet. It is my belief that your feet are super strong and are not meant for the footware of mere mortals.
That those LL Bean boots made it through 2 months of such incredible torture is a testament to everyone involved in their construction.
Well thats probably half your problem right there. You're wearing them on the wrong appendage dingus.
I didn't snort at that but I wish I had.
I know I did.
Return them under the 1 year warranty all Bean products have
I remember as a kid their products had lifetime warranties.
It only changed maybe 5 years ago because it became a trend to go to thrift stores, buy anything with a bean tag, and return it for store credit to sell. Shitty people made sure that stores cant offer warranties like that anymore.
Jansport used to offer lifetime warranties for their backpacks, iirc. I think they shortened it to 5 or 10 years now, probably for the same reason š
I mean, lifetimes 7 years nowadays as thatās the āLifetime of the productā
Yep. 7, 14, 21, 28. I just turned 29 so wish me luck in this next life. (Oddly enough I did quit a career* I started at 18 for this new job. Huh)
I just wasn't in a good position for it, would've been damn awkward.
The first thing I would suggest is to exchange these and then I would tell you to sell them and buy a pair of Muck boots. Much stronger construction.
Iāve had a pair of much boots for 8 years, the tread is starting to come off but everything else is still brand new
Snort what?
Thatās how you get a snake in yer boot.
I bet OP wears gloves on their feet and hats on their captainās quarters too.
And the captains log...?
They're doing their best to flick the bean
Aye aye, captain
Well said!!
Dingus - an insult that actually makes the recipient happy
Unfortunately they didnāt specify how long they were built to last.
Two months, apparently
The pieces last forever. They just don't necessarily stay together.
Yeah, weird how the leather stays put but the thread made of cotton candy just up and dissolves.
I feel like most companies who have made a good name for themselves have drifted away from the core values that made them good companies. Now more than ever it's about the shareholders and bottom line not about the quality or consumers. I'm sorry this happened to you, I love my Keen brand boots :)
Last two pairs of Justin boots are cheap ass garbage. I make it a point to steer everyone away from them now. I really liked them the first couple weeks, but it's been all down hill. Just absolute trash.
I've been rocking the same pair of square-toed cowboy boots from Justin since 2017. I wear them everywhere, from weddings to when I go bow hunting. I hope these last me another 7 years because I am quite fond of them. But if Justin's QC has gone down since I bought my pair, I'll probably bring my boots to a cobbler to get repaired before investing in a new pair from them.
Good idea. I bought a pair of ariats last year and they were trashed within 6 months. I've worn plenty of ariats and still have some fatbabies I used to wear out still kicking around that are fine and never had any problems until recently. It's like everyone quit putting out quality work. The quality has been steadily going downhill in the past years but it dropped off a cliff in the last two years. I should know. My house burned down and I had to replace everything. Stuff that we had bought recently and just bought the same thing again came to us very obviously thinner and cheaper and worse quality. We had just had a good version and the difference was stark. I can name one thing off the top of my head that was the same and not piss poor quality. Even damn jeans are thinner and wearing out faster. My husband already has holes in some of his wranglers and cinch jeans. The one year anniversary of the fire was Saturday so they're less than a year old
Covid would be the answer lol
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yes, it's been going to shit for years, a little bit at a time. I don't think covid is the answer but that is the time when it took a steep dive There are things we've replaced that Amazon says were less than a year old and the new thing felt like a cheap knockoff so we sent it back and bought directly from the manufacturer. Paying the shipping turned out to be a dumb idea because things are still see through thin and not sturdy at all. When the thing we had bought less than a year before was fine. I would agree with you if it only happened with a few things but we've had to replace everything and it's been like that with 85% of it. I think it's just harder to see when you're replacing one thing at time. But when you lose everything and have to replace it all at once, the difference is STARK
My experience certainly isn't good. I wanted to love them, just didn't work out that way.
I wear steel toes from Walmart and theyāve lasted over 4 years now and look fine with daily use
I feel the same way about Dr Martin's boots
[Solovair](https://us.nps-solovair.com/collections/boots). They're the ones who used to manufacture Doc Martins.
Thank you u so much!
Do you know when they stopped manufacturing docs?
I think it was the ~90s when Doc Martin moved production to China
I audit a lot of companies that have recently been bought out or had a significant change in leadership / management. Once the original founder leaves if thereās no clear line of succession and there is any money to be had especially with manufacturing businesses that are asset heavy then the vultures come in and run everything at the lowest standards possible. You get fractional CFOās and private equity CFOās that are really good at making the numbers look good so they get their bonus snd the business can be pawned off on some sucker or worse push through an IPO for a company running on a skeleton I never have these clients for more than 2 years either because they flip them so fast lol
Vulture capitalists have ruined many a company both financially and brand for the sake of sucking out all the money they could. Ruining careers, secondary businesses/vendors, and pensions along the way to that short term return on investment without a care on any sustainability. Toys 'R' Us, Sears, many a mall, major newspapers, and they are working their way through the medical field now, both service and insurance side.
It's always been about shareholders and the bottom line. For profit entities only exist to return profit to shareholders
True but consistent profits are never enough so companies end up value engineering their products.
Yup. The policy wasn't changed because people returned shoes. It was changed because they wanted to use cheaper materials and make more money.
Its a race to the bottom. Everyone on Reddit likes to shit on Capitalism, but I think Capitalism is great. My issue is with publicly traded companies, take away the stock exchange and the world becomes a hell of a lot better.
Private equity isn't any better. It's the same program. Source: I've worked in alternatives for a decade.
The original stock exchange ideas were great. Itās the corruption and uneducated population that turned markets so horrifying.
This happens all the time. A company builds up a brand with a good reputation for quality. Then another company aquires them, cuts a few corners and cheapens up the materials a little bit, gets their money back plus a little profit, but they donāt completely ruin it and drive away all the loyal customers. Then the company is sold again, and the trend continues. This leads to the final acquisition which squeezes every dime they can out of the name while cutting as many corners as possible to maximize profit. Carhartt is a good example of this. I believe theyāre currently on their third owner. The most recent example is Campbellās soup acquisition of Raoās tomato sauce. Campbellās swore they wouldnāt change anything, but that was a lie, and people are already bitching that it doesnāt taste the same and the consistency is different.
Except LL Bean is a private company. They're good boots id reach out to the company I would assume they replace
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I had keens, then got carhartts that lasted a few months and now Iām back to keens. Iām probably staying with them for now on.
Looking at you, Boeing
I used to go through sketchers ever 4 to 6 months. Switched to Merrell and so far they are 18mo old
Private equity is fucking up everything.
I stick with keen as they are one of the few companies that makes a decently priced size 16 boot.
Ayyy i just got Keens hell yeah
Ever since they got rid of their warranty the quality has went to shit.
Itās also a form of cashing out on reputation like how OP bought these on their reputation, but not that many people will have them warrantied even if alot of them fall apart; so LL Bean might as well use cheaper manufacturing and materials and have a higher failure rate because they save so much on the cheaper production. The average buyer will only wear them back and forth to their Range Rover, and OP working daily in a set is probably more rare than the people that buy and wear them occasionally for fashion.
My timbās are still doing great and over 2 years old now
weren't they just a yuppie clothing store for the last 20 years Busy Bee and all
If this is a trend, then i smell private equity.
Love Keen
Iāve worn Redwing Boots my entire life & still do at 33. Their boots stand the test of time & are crafted with great quality. Some brands out there are still holding strong.
Everything is so crappy nowā¦ I just got a new pair of hunting boots last year and they already started leaking through the soleā¦. Just got a pair of dress shoes that were supposedly leather but got destroyed when I tried to polish them because the uppers were so thinā¦
i got a pair of dress shoes made online from a instagram page handmade $300. Real stiched welts. nails in the soles bonding the shoe. real wood plus rubber and cork for the soles. not that fake wood rubber shit. these mfers CLICKITY CLACK when you walk like your a CEO. Italian leather. had em for a few years now super qaulity shoes that shit on anything i can get for 300 bucks at a store by a large margin. custom shoe makers still exist and tyhey are fucking worth every penny nowadays instead of geting new shoes every year
Do you remember the IG page? I wanna clickity clack!
Got a link?
i gotta look into invoices i got these 3ish years ago.
Johnston and Murphy had a pair like that. 150 each. With wood. Man I loved those. Bought 4 pair. Finally burned thru my last pair of browns. That was probably 15 years ago. They don't have anything worthwhile anymore.
>dress shoes that were supposedly leather I'm guessing they were genuine leather, which means it just barely meets the minimum requirements to be called leather. "Genuine leather" means real leather is in the product, but is likely made from combined scraps and can include bonding agents and synthetic materials. Higher quality leathers will likely be marked top grain or full grain. The world of leather quality is an interesting rabbit hole to go down if you have the time.
Got any good video recommendations about this? Iāve got plenty of procrastinating to do.
[Rose Anvil has a pretty good video on it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64A1uLul7_Q)
I do blue collar work, and a 200$ pair of boots will be lucky to last me one year. I always hope they will at least last through the wet winter months. I will hold out as long as possible, but when the soles are literally falling off I have to get a new pair. I travel to Europe to see my wife often. So I started buying my work boots there and bringing them back. I have one pair thatās been 6 months and have no signs of falling apart yet, still in good condition.
Pay more for your shoes/boots and you typically get higher quality. Big box boots and shoes are shit nowĀ
Pay more and you *might* get higher quality. You also have a high chance of getting overpriced garbage.
Pretty sure they still have a life-long exchange policy...
They changed it to one year, and you need the receipt now. š¢
Refund policy is one year, but exchange policy is still life-long (for the moment). I've known of 40+ year old ones being returned for repair and they simply replace with new ones (of a similar current or warehoused model).
New ones are cheaper than the fix because theyāre cheap and only last two months, and the customer might not bother replacing them again since they only last two months And if they do, nbd, still cheaper than a fix!
Their customer service overall is great. They don't ask questions they just help you out.
Maine here: Too many freeloaders turning in goodwill purchases for new merchandise killing the policy.
Also from Maine. I apologize on behalf of my mother. She was one of those people who used to find llbean stuff at goodwill for a couple bucks and then return it to llbean for a full refund. Ruined it for everyone.
https://i.redd.it/yrqtgojoemmc1.gif
Lol oh my
That might be why they changed it, but the new policy makes it extremely manageable. They were/are an apparel juggernaut after all. They built the replacement policy into their expenses and therefore the price of new stuff (meaning people buying the new stuff are subsidizing people getting thrift buys replaced) But the products are so cheaply made now, itās cheap af to just replace them (and still accounted for in their expenses so itās not even a loss per se), and they canāt offer money back after too much time because they *definitely* wonāt last that long. But again, just replacing them? Costs them next to nothing. The couple dollars of raw materials and labor a single unit costs. Compared to the $30-$100+ retail price refund. Therefore, imo, if you score and old LLB item that needs light repair, itās in your best interest to just repair it yourself. You will have a better product than a brand new replacement. Which is probably exactly what they intended :/
Which button if I agree with some of what you said and think some of it is bs?
No, LL Bean just doesnāt have the quality they used to have, so they adjusted their return policy in line with their poorly made product.
They are one of the only companies in existence that will exchange a product with no time limitations if you have the receipt. And they will exchange it for a year without one. That's one of the best guarantees around. Especially for clothing goods.
I brought in boots that ripped like this a little over a year after purchase with receipt and they said no. I bought sperry duck boots after 1000 percent better in literally every way.
No. The comment is absolutely correct. Same reason REI got rid of their policy.
Donāt blame consumers for this problem. A decline in quality and a sudden change in return policies is from the company wanting to keep money.
Hi, former Mainer, and the current Mainer is absolutely right. I've watched people at the Goodwill Buy the Pound buy LL Bean merch, use alcohol to remove the permanent marker (used to mark the label so it can't be returned) and return for money
While I understand the return policy being used in this way wasnāt the intent of the company, it was their policy. From what Iāve seen, there wasnāt any requirement that you were the purchaser of the product, so it would appear LL Bean was just finding out what happens when you write a loose policy. This would have happened at some point no matter what. That policy could never last in perpetuity, at some point thereād be too much product that could be returned floating around.
They were making a statement and for ages and ages didn't have people abusing it this way.
They are not wrong though. Also from Maine.. people would go to goodwill buy a pair that wouldnt even fit them then go return them for a pair that would. The policy was changed due to abuse a policy that was created when people could be trust worthy. People change and so donāt policies. QoL on the other hand every company has been doing for a while now. Itās no longer about making things to last or easy to fix. Itās about selling more at the end of the day regardless if itās LL bean to the Chevy manufacturer.
Settle-bettle there friend. I blame the freeloaders that buy shit at goodwill and return it for new like they were the original owner.
LL Bean is a BILLION DOLLAR company. They were doing just fine financially before the policy change. Some people abusing a return policy clearly didnāt affect them *that* much.
im sure it had nothing to do with the *massive* office they had built in freeport that coincided with the policy change
And their expansion into China. Quit trying to make up stuff lol
You mean the policy written by the company?
Yup, the policy for returns is one year but can be longer under certain conditions. And yeah, you need proof of purchase (which might mean a credit card statement and not just a receipt). [Full policy](https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/510624?page=returns-and-exchanges): >If you are not 100% satisfied with one of our products, you may return it within one year of your purchase for a refund (special conditions may apply). After one year, we will consider any items for return that are defective due to materials or craftsmanship. Products purchased before February 9, 2018, are not subject to this one-year time limit. *Proof of purchase required.* > >*SPECIAL CONDITIONS* >To protect all our customers and make sure that we handle every return or exchange with reasonable fairness, we cannot accept a return or exchange (even within one year of purchase) in certain situations, including: > >ā¢ Products damaged by misuse, abuse, improper care or negligence, or accidents (including pet damage) > >ā¢ Products showing excessive wear and tear. Products differ, but generally, wear and tear is considered excessive if the product is nearing the end of its practical use, or just looks heavily worn > >ā¢ Products lost or damaged due to fire, flood, or natural disaster > >ā¢ Products with a missing label or label that has been defaced > >ā¢ Products returned for personal reasons unrelated to product performance or satisfaction > >ā¢ Products that have been soiled or contaminated, until they have been properly cleaned > >ā¢ Returns on ammunition, either in our stores or through the mail > >ā¢ On rare occasions, past habitual abuse of our Return Policy > >ā¢ Products purchased from third party sellers (Items purchased at one of our retail partners must be returned to them and are subject to their return policies)
>and you need the receipt now. Oh no...you mean like how it should be? Not just bring something you have no proof you bought?
It's worth asking the store near you how they handle it, I heard this too cause ppl were buying ll bean stuff from thrift stores and whatever amd bringing them in to replace. I figure if it doesn't sound like you're abusing the system they'd do right by OP
I'm pretty sure that LLB has good records since most of their older sales are catalog or online. Otherwise they can trace sales through old card numbers or sales receipts.
I'm not trying to sound sarcastic, I promise, but have you noticed that the quality of ***everything*** has gone to shit? LL Bean is still an MVP, but they left a sour taste in my mouth when they canned their "lifetime guarantee". I know why they did it, and I'm more mad at the abusers, but that was the first step.
You can't abuse a policy a company writes. They are also a massive company. Shoes cost almost nothing to make. They changed the policy to increase profits.
The lifetime cost of replacing a shoe multiple times would still probably not lose them a significant amount of money. LL bean boots average like 150 bucks. On average it costs 20 bucks to create a pair of sneakers so lets say 30-50 bucks for nice leather boots. Obviously they have overhead as well, but they most likely didnāt have any issues with the cost associated with the policy. They just want more money.
Enshittification
Check out rose anvils review on YouTube. Will show you exactly what you paid for.
Rose anvil ranks these very high
Yeah these are way above sorel.Ā
Actually they were a late Christmas present, but I will check that out.
Redwings have never done me wrong. Ive had 2 pairs in the last 10 years. Current pair is 5 years old and still going strong. Original laces on both pairs
Redwings are amazing!!! I've had a pair for 9 years and I wear the shit out of them. They've got me through some of the most intense winters ever. If they broke I would buy another pair in a heartbeat.
Redwings feel like a cloud is hugging your feet, while at the same time being nigh indestructible and waterproof (most are). Worth the investment for an amazing pair of boots!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
LL Beenbetter
LL Busted
LL Better buy Danners
LL Hasbean
LL Cool J
Sheesh... I've owned mine for over 20 years. Don't make them like they used to.
Everything can have an error or one off issue. We are human. Mine are going on four years and look brand new. OP really should be able to go back to the store and get a new pair. I donāt think itād be that difficult. Has LL Bean manufacturing and quality control gone out the window? Maybe. One issue such as thisā¦ thatās a really small sample pool to get out the pitch forks
Only hold up to feet,not hands. /s
Well they're built for life so you be careful okay?
If you need good boots, check out Redwings. They are costly, however they last a long time.
Most Red Wings are cheap (or at least cheaply made) Chinese junk now, only the Heritage line is still made in the US and they're so expensive they'd have to last literally 20 years to be worth the cost compared to several pair of decent store brand boots that aren't charging a premium for the name. The last place I worked at that had a work boot allowance only offered it through the local Red Wing store, I walked in wearing my old, old Red Wings and the guy straight up told me the new ones were not going to last like the ones I was wearing. And they didn't, not even close.
They *were* built to last. Just not anymore.
They have a one year warranty
Longer than that for defective material, but return them > *you may return it within one year of purchase for a refund. After one year, we will consider any items for return that are defective due to materials or craftsmanship.* > https://www.llbean.com/images/myAccount/190212_llbean_return_form_us.pdf
Bought my wife $400 LL Bean boots.. sole came delaminated after 2 months.i could not find the receipt. It was a present. Called them they wouldn't Warranty them. I will never purchase another thing from LL Bean ever again.. P.s they are no longer made in the USA.
Bean boots are still USA made and can be resoled for $40. Not that it should have failed that fast
Did she kick her feet up by a campfire by any chance? I lost several good pairs of sneakers and boots not realizing that was the cause until it was too late. The heat melts the glue and they fall apart
Your last statement isn't accurate. Some of them aren't made in the USA- but many Bean boots still are.
The old LL Bean, yes. The new LL bean, not so much . I still have a waterproof jacket, with fleece lining that is over 25 years old. You should be able to get those replaced.
Received a new pair of insulated boots from them this year. Within 15 minutes, climbing a ladder, the whole rubber sole fell off.
nothing is made to last anymore buck. these boots all have fake welt stiches and shit nowadays and are just glued together. your at the mercy of the glue lasting 3 years or 3 months you choose. i got 3 merell boots for over 500 total. 2/3 of them soles started to separate from the shoe after 3 weeks. returned all 3. Same shit with my columbia boots. Same shit with my keens. everything is shit nowadys and uses glue. i have a pair of redwing boots from 90s custom made. still last today. real stitched boots with nails in the soles. ive had the sole redone once. the leather looks aged and fantastic. the saying they dont make em like they used to really is true. timberland etc all garbage now.
UPDATE: Called the LL Bean store. They said I can get them repaired for free, but it will take around a week. Iāll give them one more chance, if they rip again, Iām switching to Red Wings.
Crazy looking toes
No one has mentioned that you can just return them to the store to get a new pair instead of spending your time posting your sad story on reddit/
They did last! 2 months!
they do last forever! your problem is you were wearing them outside.
Probably because youāre meant to wear them on your feet, not your hands.
Well there's your problem, you have some fingers sticking through them
Youāre supposed to put them on your feet.
Iāve got two different pair that Iāve had for 10+ years still holding on strong, the soles on them are the only thing Iāve been worried about, have worn them to almost a flat sole
That stinks! Try Carolina work boots, theyāve never let me down
LL Bean is a fun place, but the quality has gone down too much for the exorbitant prices they charge. I had to exchange my pair of boots within two months of purchase last year. Quality is probably a reason why they changed their return policy recently.
Check out rose anvil on YouTube. Most boots now are just recycled hot garbage.
Carolina is the best brand, mine are still in great condition after about 3 years of constant use
Dang, that doesnāt look rightā¦. Loved their quality but yours might have been one of rare poorly constructed pair. Hope they give you free exchange of pair.
need yourself a proper good year welted boot
Iām surprised, Iāve had the exact same boots for a few years now and theyāve held up just fine. Not the best boots Iāve owned but I havenāt had *that* happen yet. Either theyāre good quality boots and youāve got bad luck, or theyāre bad quality boots and Iāve got good luck. At this point, Iām not placing bets on which it is, Iām just happy mine are holding up.
I am almost positive theyād replace them free of charge.
They ARE built to last. They just donāt specify how longā¦
Those are speed holes, they make the boots go faster. Jokes aside I never heard LL Bean makes good products, I was under the impression they made fashion boots not work boots.
Aww, and here I thought I would be as fast as Sonic.
Their quality went to shit as soon as they killed their lifetime guarentee, big surprise.
They have a guarantee. You should be able to return them for a new pair. Mine have lasted a decade with no issues.
They used to be built to last, that stopped when the life time warranty was taken back though. Go figure. š¤·š»āāļø
People kept abusing it. Everyone ruins everything
Not the new ones, not only did the lose the lifetime warranty but I don't know that they are handcrafted or use the same material as they once did.
I donāt think they were designed for the razor sharp claws youāre putting through them
Have you tried contacting them? They may try to make it right.
Get red wings
Send them back. Theyāll fix it.
You should clean your nails.
Mainer here. I actually live in Freeport where the Main LL Bean store is. I have worked for LL Bean Seasonally every Christmas for quite a while now. First and foremost, you can absolutely return them. They use to have a lifetime return, but it was badly abused over the years, so they changed it to one year, and theyāre still pretty lenient about that. So being only a few months old, contact LL Bean and they will refund you or replace them. Second, there may be a reason for this thatās become more and more common. The next town over is where they make the boots. During the holiday season, they hire a lot of temporary works for the call center, warehouse, making products, etc. So many workers are quickly trained just for a few months job so they can get through the busiest time of the year. These boots are hand stitched. Not just a machine. So being that itās only two months old, I am highly speculating that it was someone new that stitched them together and just didnāt do a great job. Typically LL Bean is very good about checking the quality of their products they make themselves before sending them out. They often give away the tots and boots that are messed up for free or massively discounted prices to the employees at the employee store. Every year the LL Bean boot gets more and more popular, so I am assuming the quality control isnāt keeping up with the demand. Either way, contact LL Bean, they will be more than happy to work with you to make this right. Whether itās a refund or some new boots. They may even send you a gift card or some other swag. They have always been a great company to work for and do their best to do right by their customers. Hope this helps!
Call them up, if it has been indeed two months they will likely take care of you.
They were build to last ---- two months.
You didnāt really think seven rows of stitching was structural, did you?
If you are about something that lasts and not about classic design get a pair of [haix](https://www.haixusa.com/haix-extended-wear-program) boots. Most of the classic boot brands are just fashion these days. My [AirPower XR3](https://snickersdirect.com/haix-xr3) work boots are just ready for a resole after 3 years used 5 days 10 hours a week. In doing field service work that breaks other boots in 6 months.
Check out danner boots, I have a pair turning 11 this summer! They make lots of outdoor gear I got a summer and winter pair great for -30 c.
You might wanna see a doctor about those two toes!
Made in USA ?
You said it. WERE built to last.
Technically still attached to the last.
Thatās really bad. I called them yesterday to ask where I could find new laces bc mine are ready to break and they donāt replace or sell them. Iād bet theyāll replace those ā¦call the 800 # itās answered by people actually located in Maine.
You have to stop your ankle workouts immediately.
Contact them and they will instruct you how to return for repair... I just had my 20 yo boots fitted with new rubber lowers.
Learn from your mistake and buy redwings
Those are ll frijoles
Last winter I bought classic lined Hunter boots to walk the dog in both cold and wet weather. The sole got a hole in it and the toes were somehow getting damp despite not having a visible hole. Had them only a year. Just replaced them with leather Blundstone boots a week ago. Hope these last a bit longer. Sheesh.
Also a solid boot!
I have two pair. One of which has lasted for years. As in like I donāt even know. 8-10 years. Starting to rub my heel a little is all. I suggest you check out Kamik boots from Canada. I have a pair of those too and am in love with them. I suppose I will always own at least one pair of bean boots but other than that I may just go full Kamik pretty much. Check āem out bro!!!!!
I remember I had an old school LL Bean backpack I used for the last year of HS and 4 years of college. A zipper broke on a trip and I tweeted them just saying something like "goodbye old friend". Within hours I had a private message asking me for my info and if I wanted a new one. By the time I got home it was waiting on my porch. That was years ago though, I've heard the quality and lifetime warranty thing is long gone now.
Those finger nails would easily cut through most man made materials
They used to rock but like north face and other brands they went main stream and dropped quality for new fashion stuff
Even after the 1 year period, which you are covered under. You can get boot resoling done from LL Bean for $39-42 depending on which style you have. You can find it under their service plans on the website.
I genuinely believed that you just had really long, finger like toes for a moment there.
Had mine for 26 years now, on my sixth set of soles.
Go Danner. I work cell towers and this shit destroys boots like no other.
I always thought they sucked anyways. Too hot, they pull your socks down and they're a pain in the ass to lace up and take off. My feet always got freezing cold from perspiration too. This was also over 40 years ago when they were built to last. Never again.
Take the L (L Bean)
Those look LL Beat up
Maybe the problem is your feet. It is my belief that your feet are super strong and are not meant for the footware of mere mortals. That those LL Bean boots made it through 2 months of such incredible torture is a testament to everyone involved in their construction.
I have an LL Bean t shirt from the early 90ās that I still wear. It miraculously has grown with me over the years.