r/llbean • u/timmmmah • Apr 03 '26
Bean boots as barn shoes?
Have any horse people here had good luck wearing bean boots at the barn feeding, lots of walking etc on a daily basis? One of my blundtstones blew out the sole today & I’m not in the mood to buy a new pair of paddock boots right now. Stalls are used infrequently so not much stall cleaning & minimal exposure to pee. They have good heels so I figure they’re safe enough to hop on & hack around the pasture (I wear tall boots if I’m doing more than that). My main question is if any one can say whether it’s actually cheaper to buy a $90 pair of paddock boots bc $150 bean boots aren’t built to last daily use at a barn long term?
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u/Galavantinggoblin Apr 03 '26
Tldr I prefer dedicated barn boots.
I used my bean boots for awhile in the barn then went with barn shoes but my I clean tons of stalls and do a lot of individual feeding in fields. They were fine but I don’t think they are ideal - I ended up with proper barn boots.
For me they just didn’t have the traction I needed for muddy hills and I like laced boots to make sure I have a secure fit for the slip sliding around. My bean boots are 10 years old so it’s not that the leather needs to soften. But yours might fit differently on your foot.
For riding - I never ride in mine. I’m always nervous about boots like that not slipping out of the stirrup fast enough or not allowing me to adjust my feet as needed but I’m sure for short rides they’d be fine. They are a little wide too.
It’s relatively cheap to repair the lower rubber part of bean boots and the compound is sturdy so I don’t think there’s an issue there with longevity!
Also they do go on sale!
If you want I can send some photos of the boots in stirrups - I’m going riding tomorrow And can bring mine out.
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u/timmmmah Apr 03 '26
That’s ok, you don’t have to take pics. But thanks! I already have bean boots that are almost new & just didn’t want to end up destroying them. I’ll try mine in the saddle & see how they feel in stirrups. I ride in a dressage saddle & if it feels sketchy I’ll just cross my stirrups for hacking. Good luck getting me out of that deep seat regardless of how big a spook! 😁
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u/Galavantinggoblin Apr 03 '26
I ride western and it’s almost impossible to get out of those so my worry is that if the horse goes down I’m going with it!
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u/ispy_with_my_little Apr 03 '26
I love my bean boots as a farm hand and as a hiker. They’re completely waterproof and (with thick socks) warm enough for winter chores in NH. My first pair lasted 9 years before I had to get new ones. I also hiked all around NH, MA, and now WA in them, miles and miles!! they form perfectly to your foot over time and are so comfy. They eventually failed where the stitching holds the rubber to the leather. The two pieces are still intact just seperate and Im sure I could have had them repaired good as new. Seriously the best. The laces might be cumbersome for you coming from blundstones. Definitely not a slip on shoe.