Calling all LLBean Katahdin Iron Works Boots owners

Just to help folks with sizing: my "true" size seems to be a 9E (from the little foot measuring things) and I'm a 9 in sperry's (but they only fit well with bare feet), a 9 in chucks (though they're tight with anything but thin socks), and a 9.5 in florsheim dress shoes (snug but not tight width-wise).

Just got a pair of the katahdins in 9.5W but I think they're a little too loose for me. I just put in an order for a 9W pair and will keep whichever one fits best.

Note regarding returns. I talked to the LLBean agent on the phone (great CS, instantly got a human!) and was told I can return the boots at any store, even if it takes me a month before I'm near one. Helps save on the hassle/price of shipping the return out if you have a store nearby.

I am a true 10D in dress shoes, 9.5 in chucks. I ordered a 10D in the Katahdin and they fit perfect with thick-ish socks and mmmaybe a tiny bit large with dress socks, but certainly still wearable.

I am 9.5 slightly wide...I usually buy boots in 9-9.5D and buy slimmer dress shoes in 9.5E-EE.
9.5D in these Katahdin work well for me.

When I first got them I was too anxious to try them, but all I had in the house was a bottle of silicone (the one with the cottonball-looking applicator on the metal stick). They darkened up a bit but it didn't change the distressed look at all. When they need to be redone, I will use sno-seal or that Obenauf's. I haven't used that silicone stuff since I was a teen so I have no idea how long it lasts.

I haven't worn them all that much, so they are still a bit stiff, but they seem to get more comfortable after wearing, like a lot of people have already said.

Has anybody here tried putting a shine on them with polish?

So, regarding width, they run normal? I remember reading on the Bean page that they run wide.

If im a RW 11 EE, is that = 12 EE in Kathadin?

Originally Posted by SuperBobo

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So, regarding width, they run normal? I remember reading on the Bean page that they run wide.

If im a RW 11 EE, is that = 12 EE in Kathadin?

I would say they are true to size, every-so-slightly wide.

The only Red Wing boot I have to compare it to is a size 10D lumberjack:



and they fit longer but narrower than the 9.5D Kathadins do.

Why sweat sizing? Order a pair and make an exchange if you guessed wrong. Or order two pairs and return the one you don't like. LL Bean is one of the easiest companies to deal with. You could not pay me the shipping return charge to study the sizing posts and somehow divine my true size.

Originally Posted by Dewey

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Why sweat sizing? Order a pair and make an exchange if you guessed wrong. Or order two pairs and return the one you don't like. LL Bean is one of the easiest companies to deal with. You could not pay me the shipping return charge to study the sizing posts and somehow divine my true size.

Right on! I mean +1

Originally Posted by Dewey

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Why sweat sizing? Order a pair and make an exchange if you guessed wrong. Or order two pairs and return the one you don't like. LL Bean is one of the easiest companies to deal with. You could not pay me the shipping return charge to study the sizing posts and somehow divine my true size.

They certainly are great to deal with, but you must think yourself quite the big deal to say that reading a few posts to educate your guess is too much time to spare in exchange for 10 or 20 odd bucks and several days shipping.

Originally Posted by SuperBobo

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So, regarding width, they run normal? I remember reading on the Bean page that they run wide.

If im a RW 11 EE, is that = 12 EE in Kathadin?

I didn't feel they ran all that wide (at least in the toe box, where I have a lot of my width problems). I went true to my dress shoe size and found that between the 11.5D and 11.5EE the double E was the best fit. I wear RW in sizes 11EE to 11.5D for comparison.

Originally Posted by asdf

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They certainly are great to deal with, but you must think yourself quite the big deal to say that reading a few posts to educate your guess is too much time to spare in exchange for 10 or 20 odd bucks and several days shipping.

Originally Posted by MarketOpportunity

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Anyone know of a thread or anywhere that shows a way to expedite boot aging/patina developmnet? I don't feel like waiting 60 years - and all Google comes up with when I search for "shorten boot aging time" is how to speed up windows vista "boot" time - get it..?
http://www.google.com/cse?cx=partner...styleforum.net Those are awesome looking.

return shipping for ll bean is only $5, they give you a label, and there are free shipping codes all over the internet to get the boots to you for free. so just order whichever sizes you want and find out the easy way which size you are.

I've been trying to decide between Katahdins and Red Wing GT's. I love the color of the cherry GT's, but the Katahdin's flatter, less-bulbous toe box and general profile look a lot better on my size 7 feet (they're more comfortable too). Is it possible to dye them a reddish color, kind of like the GT's? (I know the finish will be different)

I don't think you could dye them, sorry. The leather is a totally different type too.

I have both the GT and the Katahdin, they are both nice but I honestly prefer the Katahdin but that may be partly because it fits me better. Still, I like the Katahdin more overall as well I think.

If I don't really care about hitting a particular shade, but just want something dark with a red hue, would I be risking disaster by using some mahogany Fiebing's, then applying some Oberlauf's? Worst-case, would it just end up darker than I wanted?

http://kentuckyleatherandhides.com/d...shes_KRK3.html