Fusing functionality and style has always been a strong point for L. L. Bean, and nothing epitomizes that knack more than the company’s signature rubber-and-leather duck shoes.

Leon Leonwood Bean invented duck shoes after he’d slogged home from duck hunting with soggy shoes and wet feet one too many times. Attaching leather uppers to rubber bottoms resulted in the ideal hybrid for trekking through the swamps, keeping you dry like rubber boots did, but letting your foot breathe like comfortable leather shoes.

Hunters loved the new footwear. Bean put them in his next clothing catalogue, and they became a perennial favorite, not just with hunters but with outdoorspeople of all kinds. Parents got them for their kids, who could now splash around in puddles and mud without getting their feet wet. And they turned up on rainy city streets too.

With boot models joining low shoes in LL Bean’s duck shoe lineup, there was a pair for everyone, and either way they looked funky-cool. Whether shooting ducks in the swamp, birdwatching on the shore, or girl- or guy-watching at the mall, you’re prepped for the elements and rigged for action in your duck shoes.