COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 316219

Other Footwear Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

22companies1825–1999founding years21still active1no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedC&J Clark International Ltd.
1825
FoundedBrown Shoe Company, Inc.
1881
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedRed Wing Shoe Company, Inc.
1905
FoundedSaucony Inc.
1910
FoundedBrooks Sports Inc.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedHummel International A/S
1923
FoundedFila Holding S.p.A.
1926
FoundedEram SA
1927
FoundedThe Timberland Company
1933
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedASICS CorporationFoundedMaxwell Shoe Company, Inc.Foundedadidas-Salomon AG
1949
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedEcco Sko A/S
1963
FoundedK-Swiss, Inc.
1966
FoundedOakley, Inc.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedNine West Group, Inc.
1977
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedThe Hockey Company
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedDC Shoes, Inc.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

C&J Clark International Ltd. →
Active · founded 1825 · United Kingdom
C&J Clark International Ltd.
Brown Shoe Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1881
Brown Shoe Company, Inc., is a retailer, wholesaler, and licenser of men's, women's, and children's footwear.
Red Wing Shoe Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1905
Red Wing Shoe Company, Inc.
Saucony Inc. →
Active · founded 1910
Saucony Inc.
Brooks Sports Inc. →
Active · founded 1914
Brooks Sports Inc.
The Stride Rite Corporation →
Active · founded 1919
Founded in 1919 as Green Shoe Manufacturing Company, the Stride Rite Corporation has become a major designer and…
Hummel International A/S →
Active · founded 1923 · Denmark
Hummel International A/S is one of the world's oldest sportswear designers and manufacturers.
Fila Holding S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1926 · Italy
Early 1980s:[fsps*2.5]SNIA BPD S.p.A.
Eram SA →
Active · founded 1927 · France
Eram SA is the leading manufacturer of shoes in France, producing more than 11 million pairs of shoes per year.
The Timberland Company →
Active · founded 1933
Early 1980s:An Italian craze for Timberland boots turns Timberland into a fashion brand and ignites an explosion in…
Puma AG Rudolf Dassler Sport →
Active · founded 1948 · Germany
Puma AG is among the world's leading manufacturers of athletic shoes, sportswear, and accessories.
ASICS Corporation →
Active · founded 1949 · Japan
ASICS Corporation is one of Japan's top makers of sport shoes and other equipment.
Maxwell Shoe Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1949
Maxwell Shoe Company, Inc.
adidas-Salomon AG →
Active · founded 1949 · Germany
German-based adidas-Salomon AG is the second largest manufacturer of sporting goods in the world.
Ecco Sko A/S →
Active · founded 1963 · Denmark
Ecco Sko A/S is one of the world's top ten shoemakers and a worldwide leader in the "comfort" shoe segment.
K-Swiss, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Founded in 1966, K-Swiss, Inc.
NIKE, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Founded as an importer of Japanese shoes, NIKE, Inc.
Oakley, Inc. →
Active · founded 1975
Oakley, Inc.
Nine West Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Nine West Group, Inc.
The Hockey Company →
Active · founded 1991 · Canada
The Hockey Company is the world's largest manufacturer of hockey equipment, producing and distributing hockey products…
DC Shoes, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Australian surfwear manufacturer Billabong International Ltd.
SSL International plc →
Defunct · founded 1999 · United Kingdom
SSL International plc is one of the United Kingdom's major healthcare companies.
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