L.L.Bean Overhauls Its Other Most Iconic Shoe With a Heritage Construction

Should we call it the Bean shoe?

Brown leather moccasin shoe with visible stitching and tied laces on a blue background.L.L.Bean

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Few brands are more strongly associated with a single product than L.L.Bean. The iconic American outfitter’s public image is so firmly tied to the Maine Hunting Shoe that it changed the official name to the Bean Boot, a nickname earned over generations of use.

But there is another definitively American style of footwear that L.L.Bean played a significant role in popularizing. The camp moc stands right behind the Bean Boot within the brand’s history, and a new generation of the signature Casco Bay Boat Mocs comes with some notable upgrades.

Brown leather boat shoes with dark laces worn with beige pants outdoors on stone and greenery.
L.L.Bean played a significant role in popularizing camp mocs or boat shoes in the twentieth century.
L.L.Bean

L.L.Bean makes a wide range of moccasin-style shoes, ranging from the Wicked Good house slippers to the lug sole Allagash Mocs, but the Casco Bay Boat Mocs best fit the traditional boat shoe mold.

The Casco Bay Boat Mocs can be traced back to 1926, when L.L.Bean started selling rubber-soled moccasins with double eyelets and rawhide laces. A century later, the Casco Bay Boat Mocs II retain the classic look while improving performance with new materials in each layer.

Navy blue leather boat shoes with tan laces and white soles worn with beige pants.
The Casco Bay Boat Mocs II come in dark brown, tan and navy blue.
L.L.Bean

The most notable improvement in the second generation of these legendary mocs is higher-quality leather for the upper. It is not disclosed which tannery the leather comes from, but it is noticeably thicker and stiffer than the previous generation, resulting in more durability.

The metal eyelets holding the rawhide laces, which wrap around the collar, are now larger and with the L.L.Bean wordmark.

Making the bed

L.L.Bean enhanced the comfort of its boat mocs with a redesigned, multilayer insole. A molded EVA foam base sits under a leather footbed.

The top layer molds to the owner’s foot with use, while the bottom layer provides cushioning.

Brown leather boat shoe with moc toe stitching and tied laces, viewed from above.
The Casco Bay Boat Moc II comes with a new footbed design.
L.L.Bean

The leather panel is perforated to assist with ventilation, and the whole thing is replaceable when it wears out.

Get a grip

You wouldn’t know from looking at it, but the outsole is improved as well. It is still stitched to the upper beneath the footbed, a staple of moc construction, and siped for sturdy traction on wet surfaces.

However, the rubber outsole is now lighter and more flexible, easing the strain on your arches as you walk.

Brown rubber sole of a shoe with L.L.Bean logo and stitched edge.
The Casco Bay Boat Moc II has a new, lighter, more flexible rubber outsole.
L.L.Bean

Hand-Mained

Maine is home to one of America’s last great shoemaking communities. Brands like Rancourt, Easymoc, Yuketen and Quoddy are keeping the hand-sewn moccasin tradition alive.

L.L.Bean is unquestionably the state’s most famous brand, but the previous generation of the Casco Bay Boat Moc wasn’t living up to the local standard.

Rear view of a brown leather boat shoe with visible stitching and a rubber sole.
The Casco Bay Boat Moc II features hand-sewn construction.
L.L.Bean

The Casco Bay Boat Moc II features a distinctive weave along the toe box that connects to the vamp, revealing traditional hand-sewn moccasin construction.

Combined with the improved leather, it makes for a boat moc that meets the high standard of Maine shoemaking.

Availability and pricing

L.L.Bean’s new and improved Casco Bay Bot Moc II is available now from L.L.Bean for $100, which is notably $10 cheaper than the previous generation despite the material improvements. It debuts in dark brown, tan and navy blue.

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