Carolyn Beem

Anyone hoping to survive winter the quintessentially Boston way may be without one key item this shopping season — L.L.Bean's signature bean boots. Between 60,000-100,000 people have placed orders for the boots that won't be delivered until after the holidays, according to L.L.Bean Spokesperson Carolyn Beem. In all, the company said it anticipates selling "in the range" of 450,000 pairs of bean boots this year, a significant increase over last year. Why the increase in sales? Well, blame teens and millennials. "Younger people are buying them," Beem said. "They're all over college campuses and high schools."