L.L.Bean Mountain Basic Quilted Booties Evaluate

There’s no better feeling than slipping into a warm pair of down booties after a long day of skiing. Especially when the booties you’ve bought are easy to throw on and pretty much mold to your feet after a few wears.

I rocked the L.L.Bean Women’s Mountain Classic Quilted Booties during a seemingly never-ending winter here in Colorado. For the comfort, price, and stylish aesthetic of these puppies, they were well worth the $70 tag. I walked my dog for multiple miles, watched the awe-inspiring aurora borealis, and did lots of grocery shopping in the Mountain Classic Booties, finding them to be more and more comfortable after each use.

These booties certainly have a classic look to them and were the colorful addition all of my more neutral winter wear. And because they are designed with a synthetic insulation, they remain warm after getting wet. They also provided enough tread to navigate slick, icy terrain.

In short: The L.L.Bean Women’s Mountain Classic Quilted Booties have a vintage look without sacrificing the modern tech. The supportive footbed molds to your foot’s shape over time. The 200g recycled ColdShield insulation keeps your toes plenty toasty when standing in freezing temps. Available also in a men’s version, these down booties are most suitable for folks who need a daily driver when it comes to casual jaunts around town or between campsites during the winter.  

Read our full roundup: The Best Down Booties.

• Insulation
  200g recycled ColdShield (synthetic insulation)
• Weight
  16 oz. or 454 g
• Tread
  Yes, VertiGrip rubber outsole (25% recycled)
• Waterproof
  No
• Footbed
  True comfort footbed
• Liner
  100% polyester fleece interior
• Upper
  50% recycled nylon
• Toe
  Suede bumper for added durability

• 
  Footbed molds to wearer’s feet for all-day support and comfort
• 
  Available in a variety of color options
• 
  Pull tab on heel makes for easy on and off

• 
  Only available in whole sizes, so finding fit may be difficult for some
• 
  No waterproof or resistant treatments on fabric
• 
  Open-style heel can cause moisture and snow to seep in

L.L.Bean Women’s Mountain Classic Quilted Booties Review

My first thought when seeing the L.L.Bean Women’s Mountain Classic Quilted Booties for the first time was, “Whoa! These are cool-looking.” With bright color schemes and a retro aesthetic, these booties are a statement piece when it comes to winter wear. And while they look pretty rad, they are impressively warm and comfortable for the $70 price.

I tested out the women’s version — don’t worry, fellas, there’s a men’s version that’s identical — during a cold and snowy winter on the Western Slope of Colorado. From attending hockey games to après-skiing strolls with friends, these synthetic down booties quickly became my besties for their ease of wear and all-day comfort.

With a decent rubber tread and cushy midsole, these booties are easy to walk in, making them perfect for walks around town or hanging out at camp. However, because of the wide-open cuff and lack of waterproofing, I wouldn’t necessarily trudge through a snowstorm in them.

Let’s dive into why I ultimately found myself popping on these down booties almost every day this winter.

Thrown ‘Em On, Throw ‘Em Off

Oftentimes with shoes and winter boots, it takes a solid minute or two to get them on. You’ve gotta fumble with laces, tongues, and sometimes that awkward one foot hop to get them to budge. What I loved about the L.L.Bean Women’s Mountain Classic Quilted Booties was that they could be pulled on in just a split second thanks to the patterned heel pull-tab and generously sized insert opening.

I particularly loved this feature for quick walks to fetch the newspaper or letting the dog out. Especially in the dead of winter, you sometimes can’t be bothered to lace up those giant winter boots and commit to their bulkiness. The pull tabs are also uniquely patterned, adding an extra splash of creativity into these already festive booties.

And while the easy on and off is one of their best features, the large opening in the upper leaves your feet exposed to encroaching snow or moisture. I found that folding my pants over the tops of these booties helped mitigate that issue when the flurries started to come down. 

Synthetic Coziness

While I have been calling these shoes “down booties,” they are actually designed with L.L.Bean’s 200g recycled ColdShield synthetic insulation, meaning they do not use down sourced from bird feathers or other animals.

In short, synthetic insulation is a great alternative to down for its ability to insulate while wet and avoid any potential abuse in the supply chain. Synthetic insulation is inherently less insulating than a traditional down. But outdoor companies are making strides in developing artificial down that’s even warmer.

I found that the warmth in the Mountain Classic Booties to be pretty sufficient during chillier days in temps around 20 to 40 degrees F. I spent several hours in these shoes while walking my dog in blustery weather, bussing to and from the ski resort and while doing chores around my apartment.

During these iterations, my feet and toes stayed nice and warm. Even when exposed to moisture, these booties kept on insulating thanks to the synthetic fill. The nylon exterior fabric was decently quick-drying after getting rained and snowed on.

Better With Age

The one aspect of the Mountain Classic Booties that I just couldn’t get over was how comfortable they were out of the box — and how quickly the footbeds begin to mold to my feet after a few weeks of wearing them. For context, I have a wide foot with high arches, so it can be tough to find shoes that provide my soles with the right support. After breaking in these booties, I was stoked to find that even after miles of walking in them, my feet felt great.

This memory-foam feel of these booties can be attributed to L.L.Bean’s use of a True Comfort footbed, which provides extra stability and cushiness over time. After around 3 months of testing these booties, I found that the footbed has completely molded to the shape of my foot, much like a leather sandal or boot.

In terms of sizing, the L.L.Bean Mountain Classic Booties only come in whole numerical sizes. For reference, I am a true 7.5 and found that the size 8 fit perfectly, so it may be worth sizing up if you’re in between sizes. I think the 7 would have been too small and less conforming to my foot’s shape.

Durability and Tread

Typically, down booties are more slipper-like in their nature and often lack a proper tread for extensive outdoor use. I appreciated that the Mountain Classic Booties were ideal for both walks on varying terrain and while lounging inside with a good book. The blend of ruggedness and comfort was truly optimal.

Made of 25% recycled materials, the VertiGrip rubber outsole on these booties was more than sufficient for strolls on dirt, snow, ice and hardwood floors. And while I wouldn’t necessarily climb a mountain in these down booties, they became a staple in my ski bag for switching in and out of my ski boots. The waffle-like tread held up well over the multimonth testing period with some wearing down but stayed mostly intact.

A Few Shortcomings

Overall, I was impressed with these booties with only a few notes on their design. My one major issue was with the lack of a cuff closure on the upper. Although the inner fleece lining is quick-drying, snow and water seeped in from the top and caused my ankle to get a bit chilled during snowier walks. Just a simple toggle cinch would fix this issue in a jiff.

The other shortcoming I had was a lack of breathability in the Mountain Classic Booties. If I didn’t wear wool socks with these booties, my feet got quite sweaty, which took away from the insulating power and caused general discomfort.

In Conclusion

As a mountain town resident who has chronically cold feet, I was impressed and surprised by the L.L.Bean Women’s Mountain Classic Quilted Booties for their abilities to insulate despite a synthetic fill (versus a down fill). I was also happy to find that they provide long-lasting comfort in style.

With enough of a tread for long walks to and from the gondola, these booties are ideal for skiers or winter dwellers who need warmth in a foot-hammock without breaking the bank.

Folks who desire more technical features in a down booty — like an adjustable cuff closure or waterproofing — may want to pass on these shoes as they are not impervious to snow or rain. However, if you live in a more mild, dry winter climate, these would be ideal for daily use like walks around town or patio lounging.

Overall, the L.L.Bean Women’s Mountain Classic Quilted Booties are a solid, affordable choice in a typically expensive market of down booties. They can be found directly on L.L.Bean’s online storefront in women’s and men’s versions.