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By Garland Pollard
We ran across these in the Esquire 35th anniversary edition published in October 1968. They are the L.L. Bean “Double L” moccasins. Basically, they are Bean lace up bluchers with boat soles.
Detail oriented preps will of course buy a pair of regular mocs and take them to the cobbler and have him put on boat soles. But that’s a bit extreme, eh?
They still sell a non lace up version, but the Double L has all the history. Bean also sells a Casco Bay boat shoe, but it’s nowhere near as good looking as a Top-Sider.
Are others fans of these? And are there other L.L. Bean products that you miss?
Info at www.llbean.com
5 responses so far ↓
1 Elizabeth Cogar // Sep 22, 2008 at 7:24 am
Yes, yes! I and all my cronies wore these as if they were a uniform in high school…they followed Top-Siders which were preceded by loafers in the trend continuum. Yep, corduroy Levis and Bluchers (aka, Bean shoes) were all the rage. Of course, everyone moved on to Bean boots next…still available.
2 admin // Sep 22, 2008 at 8:07 am
As I recall, the reason they got REALLY popular was when everyone in the world got Top Siders after the Preppie Handbook came out, you wanted something else. If you wanted to be really in the know, the Double L was the next step up from Top Siders, and was a secret code for cool.
3 Michael David Whaley // Sep 22, 2008 at 11:26 am
Hello JGP IV … I’m a fan of the L.L. Bean Lounger Boot … I understand it may soon be history also … Also … These types of boots are no longer called Main Hunting Shoes … Cheers! David
4 Michael David Whaley // Sep 22, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I used to wear a pair as part of my summer uniform (1979-81) … Wore the white soles out … good times …
5 Morgan Shallcross // Jan 15, 2009 at 11:44 am
Yes!!! I actually wrote LL Bean about it!
They also made a double L Moc that was sort of a driving shoe w/ no sole man I loved those!
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