As tough as those iconic L.L. Bean hunting boots are reputed to be, even the huge ones standing outside the company’s storefronts are apparently no match for a tractor-trailer.
The giant boot sculpture outside the L.L. Bean outlet store in Dedham, Massachusetts, was struck and seriously damaged by an 18-wheeler Tuesday. The crash moved the boot about 6 feet and cracked the rubbery coating between the toe and the laces, exposing the white concrete base material underneath.
“Alas, the poor little boot did get smooshed,” said company spokeswoman Carolyn Beem. “Bam! Bummer.”
No human injuries were reported. The boot, which is about as tall as a kayak and as heavy as a compact car, is now covered by a brown tarp.
Beem said the company has yet to determine whether the boot, which is manufactured by a company in Arizona, can be repaired. If not, it will be replaced, she said.
J. Kiely Jr., a professional photographer who works near the shopping plaza where the store is located, said he was walking with his dog, Tige, on Tuesday morning when he saw the damaged boot.
“You know, it looks solid, and you see it get run over by a tractor-trailer, and it doesn’t look solid anymore,” he said.
The boot is a model of the all-weather Maine Hunting Shoe, which has been a symbol of the company since the boot’s commercial launch in Freeport in 1912. The company’s founder, Leon Leonwood Bean, designed the boot with a local cobbler after returning from a hunting trip with cold, damp feet.
Besides the company’s flagship store in Freeport, L.L.Bean has 23 stores nationally, and four more scheduled to open this year. The Dedham store is one of three stores in Massachusetts.
The company displays the giant, stationary boot sculptures near store entrances. In addition, the company owns two motorized boot mobiles that travel around the country.
Kiely published a photo of the damaged boot on his Facebook page. Several commenters noted that replacing the boot should not be a problem because L.L.Bean has a lifetime warranty on its products.
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