Walk-Over shoes is a historic shoe brand in the U.S. It was founded in 1874 by George Eldon Keith under the name George E. Keith Co.[1][2][3] He donated land to Brockton, Massachusetts and Keith Park was named for him.[4]
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Shoemaking was a family business, though the brand gained recognition and popularity over the years, with George E. Keith (February 5, 1850–December 8, 1920) opening a factory and expanding the business.[5][3] In 1899, a store was established in London, and in 1902, a women's shoe line was introduced.
By 1920, Walk-Over had multiple production plants, factories, a distribution center in St. Louis, and stores in England and France.[5]It also had stores in various cities, including Detroit and Chicago, with the Detroit store located at 152 Woodward Avenue.[6][7][8] Walk-Overs were even sold by L.L. Bean when it operated as a shop.[9]
The shoes were made in the Campello section of Brockton, Massachusetts,[10] as well as Middleboro, Massachusetts.[11] In 1919, Keith gave a talk at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City about Walk-Over's export business.[12] The company filed an unfair competition suit against a store selling shoes as Walk-Overs that were not from the company.[13]
Walk-Over also made shoes under contract for department stores.[14] Walk-Over released a postcard set of 24 famous Americans to advertise its shoes.[15]
References edit
- ^ Made in the USA: The Complete Guide to America's Finest Products. National Press Books. May 17, 1997. ISBN 9781882605330 – via Google Books.
- ^ Maddigan, Mike. "The World's Greatest Shoe-Maker Makes Middleborough's Greatest Factory". southcoasttoday.com.
- ^ a b Shoe and Leather Reporter. Shoe and Leather Reporter. May 16, 1920. pp. 40, 91.
- ^ Larocque, Marc. "Brockton park fountain brought back to life". Milford Daily News. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- ^ a b Shoe and Leather Reporter. Shoe and Leather Reporter Company. May 23, 1920. pp. 39, 56 – via Google Books.
- ^ Trade: A Journal for Retail Merchants. May 16, 1906 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Shoe Retailer and Boots and Shoes Weekly". May 16, 1908 – via Google Books.
- ^ Industry, Chicago Association of Commerce and (May 16, 1922). Buyers' Guide and Industrial Directory of Chicago – via Google Books.
- ^ Gould, John (May 17, 1995). Maine's Golden Road: A Memoir. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393038064 – via Google Books.
- ^ Wheeler, Edward Jewitt; Funk, Isaac Kaufman; Woods, William Seaver (May 16, 1913). The Literary Digest – via Google Books.
- ^ The Shoe Workers' Journal. Boot and Shoe Workers' Union. May 16, 1920 – via Google Books.
- ^ Company), Batten, firm, advertising agents, New York (1920 George Batten (May 16, 1920). Report, Convention of Clients of George Batten Company Incorporated, November 6-7, 1919, Hotel Commodore, New York. McGraw-Phillips Printing Company – via Google Books.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ The United States Patents Quarterly. Associated Industry Publications. May 16, 1944 – via Google Books.
- ^ Made in the USA: The Complete Guide to America's Finest Products. National Press Books. March 23, 1993. p. 53. ISBN 9781882605019 – via Google Books.
- ^ Miller, George; Ryan, Dorothy B.; Miller, Dorothy (May 16, 1976). Picture Postcards in the United States, 1893-1918. Crown Publishers. p. 78. ISBN 9780517524008 – via Google Books.