Since the late 19th century, Florsheim shoes have been an American institution. From the company's founding in 1892, comfortable and stylish Florsheim shoes have been on the feet of the professionals who built this country as we know it and have helped to establish not only the modern idea of dress and business work shoes, but a successful model for the manufacturing and retail industry that is still in practice today.
When Milton Florsheim and his father Sigmund began manufacturing high-quality shoes in a small Chicago factory, they saw the need to establish a network of retail businesses by providing support to independent dealers throughout the country to distribute these shoes, a new idea that rapidly made Florsheim shoes a nationally dominant brand. Due to changes in the market, this network of Florsheim shoe stores began to close in the mid 1990s. Florsheim remained a popular brand because of the company's continued emphasis on classic designs, high-quality materials, and comfortable construction.
In 2002, the company was purchased by the Weyco Group, a company located in Glendale, Wisconsin and headed by Thomas W. Florsheim Jr., a fifth generation Florsheim. The purchase represented a return to the roots of the legendary footwear company, but the new generation of corporate leadership is as concerned with adapting to the 21st Century marketplace as it is with preserving the tradition of the company that helped to define the marketplace of the 20th Century.
While continuing to produce the classic designs and maintain the legacy of the Florsheim name, the Weyco Group also focuses on developing new styles and technology to improve their products and appeal to a new generation of Florsheim customers. Florsheim's development of "Dot Matrix" gel-injection technology to improve the comfort and support of its shoes and the company's recent construction of an advanced design center are proof that the company is dedicated to continuing its legacy of market influence and quality footwear well into this century.
When Milton Florsheim and his father Sigmund began manufacturing high-quality shoes in a small Chicago factory, they saw the need to establish a network of retail businesses by providing support to independent dealers throughout the country to distribute these shoes, a new idea that rapidly made Florsheim shoes a nationally dominant brand. Due to changes in the market, this network of Florsheim shoe stores began to close in the mid 1990s. Florsheim remained a popular brand because of the company's continued emphasis on classic designs, high-quality materials, and comfortable construction.
In 2002, the company was purchased by the Weyco Group, a company located in Glendale, Wisconsin and headed by Thomas W. Florsheim Jr., a fifth generation Florsheim. The purchase represented a return to the roots of the legendary footwear company, but the new generation of corporate leadership is as concerned with adapting to the 21st Century marketplace as it is with preserving the tradition of the company that helped to define the marketplace of the 20th Century.
While continuing to produce the classic designs and maintain the legacy of the Florsheim name, the Weyco Group also focuses on developing new styles and technology to improve their products and appeal to a new generation of Florsheim customers. Florsheim's development of "Dot Matrix" gel-injection technology to improve the comfort and support of its shoes and the company's recent construction of an advanced design center are proof that the company is dedicated to continuing its legacy of market influence and quality footwear well into this century.