90th Anniversary Bean Boot.

L.L Bean flagship store in Freeport Maine
L.L.Bean was founded in 1912 by avid hunter and fisherman Leon Leonwood Bean—born October 13, 1873, in Greenwood, Maine—who had developed a waterproof boot (a combination of lightweight leather uppers and rubber bottoms) that he sold to hunters. He obtained a list of nonresident Maine hunting license holders, prepared a descriptive mail order circular, set up a shop in his brother's basement in Freeport, Maine, and started a nationwide mail order business. By 1912, he was selling the "Bean boot," or Maine Hunting Shoe, through a four-page mail-order catalog, and the boot remains a staple of the company's outdoorsy image. Defects in the initial design led to 90% of the original production run being returned: Bean made good on his money-back guarantee, corrected the design, and continued selling them. Leon L. Bean died on February 5, 1967, in Pompano Beach, Florida. The company passed into the directorship of Bean's grandson, Leon A. Gorman, from that time until 2001, when Gorman decided to take the position of Chairman of the Board, leaving the position of CEO to Christopher McCormick, the first non-family member to assume the title.[1]

L.L.Bean has a history of high quality manufacturing processes and products as well as excellent customer service. Their return policy is noted as being one of the best for any retailer. It is not uncommon to hear stories of L.L.Bean giving a customer a brand new product after one is brought in for repair.