Sunday, February 01, 2009

These Boots Are Made For Wading

Could this be a first for a major retailer? L.L. Bean has created their new Riverkeeper Wading Boots with a specific goal in mind: make it less likely for aquatic invaders to stick to the boots and travel new locations. They did it by reducing the number of seams on the shoe, using materials that dry quickly and incorporating nonporous materials where they could. The company even includes a little brush that can be used to scrub the boots after you leave the water.

L.L. Bean consulted with a microbiologist who concluded that the boots were less likely than felt-soled boots to pick up and retain those unwanted hitchhikers. Too bad they didn't have their copywriter consult with an invasive species specialist before the catalog went to print - they bungled the spelling of both didymo and milfoil on page 12. But hey, we still get the picture:

(Tip of the virtual hat to the Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel for posting about this.)

1 comment:

Meredith said...

That is really great of LL Bean!

Great blog! I've been reading you for awhile now.