March 27, 1790 - The shoelace invented.

1895 - Joseph William Foster founded J.W. Foster and Sons Limited in in Bolton, Lancashire; made shoes by hand for top runners; developed international clientele of distinguished athletes (1924 Summer Games celebrated in film "Chariots of Fire"); 1958 - two grandsons left family business, started rival company, Reebok (named for African gazelle); 1979 - Paul Fireman, partner in outdoor sporting goods distributorship, spotted Reebok shoes at international trade show; negotiated for North American distribution license, introduced three running shoes in U.S. ($60, most expensive running shoes on market); April 22, 1980 - registered "Reebok" trademark first used in February 1965 (shoes for use in athletic sports); 1981 - Reebok's sales exceeded $1.5 million; 1982 - Reebok introduced Freestyle athletic shoe, first designed especially for women, aerobic dance exercise; explosive growth followed; 1984 - acquired by group of investors led by R. Stephen Rubin of Pentland Industries and Paul Fireman; January 2006 - acquired by Adidas-Salomon in $3.8 billion transaction. 

January 24, 1899 - Humphrey O'Sullivan, of Lowell, MA. received a patent for a "Safety-Heel" ("for boots and shoes"); created to ease his aching feet as he stood all day.

February 15, 1905 - Charles H. Beckman founded Red Wing Shoe Company in a tiny corner shop in Red Wing, MN; first boot sold for $1.75; 1907 - produced 100 pairs per day; 1915 - produced 200,000 pairs annually; 1921 - J. R. Sweasy became president; 1985 - produced 2 million pairs annually, over 150 styles

1908 - Marquis Mills Converse started Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, MA; sold provided winterized rubber soled footwear for men, women, children; 1910 - produced 4,000 pairs of shoes daily, 1915 - diversified into tires; 1917 - created vulcanized rubber, canvas "All Star" shoe, first sneaker designed for basketball (put rubber ankle reinforcement patch on outside of sneaker with Converse star on it - first brand-name logo on athletic wear); 1918 - Charles H. (Chuck) Taylor, All American high school player (later played for original Celtics, Buffalo Germans, Akron Firestones), put on his first pair of All Star shoes; 1921 - Taylor joined company  as America's first player/endorser; 1923 - "Chuck Taylor" signature added to All Star basketball shoe; 1928 - fell into receivership; 1929 - acquired by Mitchell B. Kaufmann, former president of Hodgman Rubber Company (heart attack in 1931); 1933 - acquired by Joseph, Harry, Dewey Stone (from Kaufmann estate); 1937 - introduced Jack Purcell tennis shoe; 1966 - added color choices to the basic black and white "Chuck Taylor" All Star basketball shoe; end of 1960s - 90% share of basketball shoe market; 1972 - acquired by Eltra Corporation; 1975 - "Dr. J" Erving signed with Converse as testimonial; 1979 - acquired by Allied Corporation; Larry Bird, "Magic" Johnson signed as testimonial; 1980 - acquired rights to be "official sports shoe provider" of LA’s 1984 Olympic Games (promotional costs of about $10 million); 1982 - acquired in management buyout foe $100 million; 1983 - went public; 1986 - acquired by Interco. Inc.; 1987 - sales of $315 million; 1991 - 60% of stock acquired by Apollo Advisors (Interco filed for bankruptcy); November 17, 1994 - spun off by Interco, controlled by Leon Black; renamed CVEO Corporation; January 2001 - filed for bankruptcy protection; April 30, 2001 - Converse name and trademarks acquired in bankruptcy auction by Footwear Acquisition, Inc.; May 21, 2001 - name changed to Converse Inc.; September 3, 2003 - acquired by Nike for approximately $305 million.

1948 - Rudolf Dassler (brother of  Adidas founder) founded a rival company, 'Ruda', changed to PUMA Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler; PUMA Atom, PUMA?s first football shoe, introduced; 1959 - company changed to limited partnership status, named "PUMA-Sportschuhfabriken Rudolf Dassler KG"; October 19, 1965 - registered "Puma" trademark (sport shoes); 1968 - PUMA is the first manufacturer to offer sports shoes with Velcro fasteners; 1986 - PUMA limited partnership transformed into a stock corporation; 1993 - Proventus/Aritmos B.V. became majority shareholder of PUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport.

May 23, 1950 - Tony Lama (El Paso, TX) registered "Tony Lama" trademark first used December  2, 1923 (boots, shoes [and sandals]).

1958 - Harold Alfond bought old woolen mill in Dexter, ME; founded Dexter Shoe Co. (had founded Norrwock Shoe Company in 1940, sold it for more than $1 million in 1944); at peak, manufactured more than 36,000 pairs of shoes daily, 7.5 million annually; 1971 - opened factory outlet store at Dexter plant, sold imperfect shoes, discontinued lines; first of nationwide chain of 80 stores; July 13, 1976 - registered "Dexter" trademark first used in March 1962 (men's and somen's shoes, not including rain shoes); 1977 - established Harold Alfond Foundation, Maine's first private foundation; 1978 - acquired minority interest in Boston Red Sox; 1993 - acquired by Berkshire Hathaway for $420 million; 2007 - Payless ShoeSource Inc. became exclusive U.S. seller of Dexter brand shoes.

1982 - Bruce Kilgore, now Director of Advanced Research and Development at Nike,  designed Air Force 1 sneakers for Nike; first basketball shoe to use the Nike Air technology (Nike Air cushioning); 1983 - discontinued; 1986 - re-released with modern italic Nike logo, swoosh on bottom on back of shoe; 2005 - estimated 12 million pairs sold in peak year (10-11 million in 2007); Nike's most popular, sales of about $800 million a year; top selling model of Nike shoes, only behind Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars (first produced in 1917, 750 million pairs sold in 144 countries), Adidas Superstars (introduced in 1969) for most sold sneaker model in history.

September 1985 - Reebok agreed to pay $118 million in cash for privately-owned walking-shoe manufacturer Rockport.

2008 - Personal spending on shoes per capita: Hong Kong ($325 - highest average in world), Italy ($309 - highest in Europe), Greece ($245), US ($222), Kuwait ($166), United Arab Emirates ($159 - highest in Middle East), Canada ($139).

(source: Euromonitor International Florsheim; Hannah Fairfield/New York Times; http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/06/23/business/shoe-graph.jpg)

(Bata Shoe), Tomas Bata; translated by Jan Baros; foreword by John F. Bartos (1942). How I Began. (Batanagar, Bengal: Club for graduates of Bata School, 332 p. [2nd ed.]). Shoemakers; Bata, Tomás, 1876-1932.

(Bata Shoe), Thomas J. Bata & Sonja Sinclair (1991). Bata Shoemaker to the World. (Toronto, ON: Stoddard, 341 p.). Bata Shoe Company -- History; Bata, Tomás, 1876-1932; Bata, Thomas, 1914-2008.

(Bata Shoe), Tomas Bata (reflections and speeches); foreword by Milan Zeleny; introduction by Thomas J. Bata; translation by Otilia M. Kabesova. (1992). Knowledge in Action: The Bata System of Management. (Washington, DC: IOS Press, 254 p.). Bata, Tomás, 1876-1932; Bata Shoe Company -- History; Management; Organizational behavior; Industrial management -- Employee participation; Footwear industry -- Czech Republic -- History.

(C & J. Clark), Kenneth Hudson (1968). Towards Precision Shoemaking: C. & J. Clark Limited and the Development of the British Shoe Industry (London, UK: Newton Abbot, David & Charles, 109 p.). C. & J. Clark Ltd.; Shoe industry--Great Britain--History.

(C. & J. Clark), George Barry Sutton (1979). A History of Shoe Making in Street, Somerset : C. and J. Clark 1833-1903. (York, UK: Sessions, 208 p.). C. & J. Clark Ltd.--History; Shoe industry--England--Street (Somerset)--History.

(Converse Rubber Shoe Company), Elizabeth Kaufman (1966). American Story. (Penobscot, Me., Traversity Press: Penobscot, Me., Traversity Press, 114 p.). Sister of Converse Owner. Converse Shoe Company, Kaufmann, Mitchell B. 1929 - acquired Converse from Marquis M. Converse; 1931 - died of heart attack while on hunting trip.

(Converse Rubber Shoe Company), Abraham Aamidor (2005). Chuck Taylor, All Star: The True Story of the Man Behind the Most Famous Athletic Shoe in History. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 200 p.). Staff Writer (The Indianapolis Star). Taylor, Chuck, 1901-1969; Basketball players--United States--Biography. "Most famous name in sports that no one knows anything about."

(DC Shoes), Ed. Eric Blehm (2003). Agents of Change: The Story of DC Shoes and Its Athletes. (New York, NY: ReganBooks, 256 p.). DC Shoes (Firm); Businesspeople--United States--Biography; Skateboarding--United States.

(Dr. Scholl's), William H. Scholl (1995). Foot Doctor to the World. (Ware, Hertfordshire, UK: Old Hall, 165 p.). Nephew of Dr. Scholl, Former President of International Consumer Products Division (Schering-Plough Corp.). Scholl, William Mathias, 1882-1968; Scholl, William Mathias, 1882-1968; Orthopedists--United States--Biography; Humans Feet.

(Endicott Johnson), William Inglis (1935). George F. Johnson and His Industrial Democracy. (New York, NY: Huntington press, 306 p.). Johnson, George Francis, 1857- ; Endicott Johnson Corporation.

(Endicott-Johnson), Ed Aswad and Suzanne M. Meredith (2003). Endicott-Johnson. (Portsmouth, NH: Arcadia, 128 p.). Johnson, George F. (George Francis), b. 1857; Endicott Johnson Corporation--History--Pictorial works; Shoe industry--New York (State)--Encicott--History--Pictorial works; Company towns--New York (State)--Endicott--History--Pictorial works; Endicott (N.Y.)--History--Pictorial works. Emerged from  Lester Brothers Company (1854); lives of early-twentieth-century factory workers, men who guided corporation; EJ brand of "welfare capitalism".

(Hamilton-Brown Shoe Company), John T. M. Johnston, Harry Lewis Bailey (2000). The Life of A.D. Brown: The History of the Greatest Shoe Merchant in the World. (Books for Business, 220 p.). Brown, Alanson D.; Shoe Manufacturing; shoe industry--St. Louis. 

(John Lobb), Brian Dobbs (1972). The Last Shall Be First: The Colourful Story of John Lobb the St. James's Bootmakers. (London, UK: Elm Tree Books, 147 p.). John Lobb (Firm); Footwear industry--Great Britain--History.

(Justin Boot), Irvin Farman (1996). Standard of the West: The Justin Story (Fort Worth, TX: Texas Christian University Press, 260 p.). Justin, H. J., 1859-1918; Justin Industries--History; Justin Boot Company--History; Industrialists--Texas--Biography; Cowboy boots; Footwear industry--Texas--History; Spanish Fort (Tex.)--History.

(Kinney G. R. Co.), Edward Holloway (1955). Kinney Shoes: The First Sixty Years, 1894 to 1955 (240 p.). G. R. Kinney Co.

(Manolo), Colin McDowell (2000). Manolo Blahnik. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 200 p.). Fashion Historian and Writer. Blahnik, Manolo, 1942- ; Shoemakers--England--Biography. Man behind the label. 

(Morlands), Russell McDonough (1962). Sheep into Shoes: The Development of Warm-Lined Footware. (Glastonbury, UK: Morlands, 64 p.). Morlands; Footwear industry--Great Britain--History. llustrated history of Morlands warm-lined footwear published to mark the retirement of H F Scott Stokes after forty years with Morlands.

(Nunn-Bush Shoe Company), Henry Lightfoot Nunn (1953). The Whole Man Goes to Work; The Life Story of a Businessman. (New York, NY: Harper, 214 p.). Nunn-Bush Shoe Company.

(Queen Quality Shoes), Barry Hadfield Rodrigue (1994). Tom Plant: The Making of a Franco-American Entrepreneur, 1859-1941. (New York, NY: Garland Pub., 276 p.). Plant, Tom, 1859-1941; Shoe industry--United States--Biography; French Americans--Biography; Entrepreneurship--United States--Biography.

(Red Wing Shoe Company), Patrice Avon Marvin, Nicholas Curchin Vrooman (1986). Heart and Sole: A Story of the Red Wing Shoe Company. (Red Wing, MN: The Company, 293 p.). Red Wing Shoe Company--History; Red Wing (Minn.)--History.

(Shoe Biz), Jerry Miller (1984). The Wandering Shoe (New York, NY: My Goodfriends, 308 p.). Miller, Jerry; Shoe Biz (Firm) -- Biography; Businessmen -- United States -- Biography.

Mary H. Blewett (1988). Men, Women, and Work: Class, Gender, and Protest in the New England Shoe Industry, 1780-1910. (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 444 p.). Social Historian (University of Massachusetts Lowell). Shoe industry--New England--Employees--History--19th century; Shoe industry--New England--History--19th century; Working class--New England--History; New England--Economic conditions.

Claudio R. Boer, Sergio Dulio (2007). Mass Customization and Footwear: Myth, Salvation or Reality? (New York : Springer: New York : Springer, 177 p.). Director of ICIMSI the Institute for Computer Integrated Manufacturing for Sustainable Innovation; Technical Consultant for ANCI (the Italian Association of Footwear Manufacturers) and ASSOMAC (the Italian Association of shoe machinery producers). Footwear industry; Mass customization. Application of mass customization in  particular industry; analysis of relevant case studies of early mass customizers in footwear, how "mature" manufacturing sector can be renovated in business, mentality.

Alan Dawley; with a New Preface (2000). Class and Community: The Industrial Revolution in Lynn. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 301 p. [orig. pub. 1975]). Professor History (The College of New Jersey).  Shoemakers--Massachusetts--Lynn; Social classes--Massachusetts--Lynn; Shoe industry--Massachusetts--Lynn.

Bobbito Garcia (2003). Where'd You Get Those? New York City's Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987. (New York, NY: Testify Books, 280 p.). Cultural Critic, Contributing Editor - Vibe Magazine, DJ. Sporting goods industry--United States--History.

Jon Press (1989). The Footwear Industry in Ireland 1922-1973. (Blackrock, IR: Irish Academic in association with C. & J. Clark, 229 p.). Footwear industry--Ireland; Ireland--Economic conditions--1918-1949; Ireland--Economic conditions--1949-.

Ross Thomson (1989). The Path to Mechanized Shoe Production in the United States. (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 296 p.). Shoe industry--United States--History.

Tom Vanderbilt (1998). The Sneaker Book: Anatomy of an Industry and an Icon. (New York, NY: New Press, 177 p.). Footwear industry; Sneakers; Athletic shoes.

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