THE SURE FOOT: In 1911, Leon Leonwood Bean decided to improve the typical hunting shoe by stitching a pair of waterproof shoe rubbers to leather tops. He sold 100 pairs that first year, satisfaction guaranteed. Within weeks, they began coming back; in all, 90 pairs had their bottoms separate from their tops. L.L. quickly refined the shoe, made it stronger, and replaced all of the defective merchandise. Today's L.L. Bean Maine Hunting Shoe comes in a variety of styles and heights but still carries L.L.'s original 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.