Johnston and Murphy Shoes

The Johnston and Murphy Company has quite a history that is sure to be inspiring. Johnston and Murphy has been designing, manufacturing and distributing for quite a long time and with this cumulative experience of both its owners and the craftsmen, you can be sure that each product is made with dedication and a high quality craftsmanship.

Genesco Inc owns Johnston and Murphy as a subsidiary and is based in Nashville Tennessee.  They have been expertly designing a variety of products and that includes Johnston & Murphy shoes, apparel, leather goods and luggage bags. Johnston & Murphy shoes are known for their elegance and class but remaining casual and functional.

History of Johnston & Murphy Shoes

During its initial stages, the company was first known as the William J. Dudley Shoe Company, founded in 1850 in Newark, New Jersey by William J. Dudley, a European immigrant and expert craftsman who had been trained in the classic tradition of English shoemaking which would lead to the creation of the modern Johnston & Murphy shoes. The William J. Dudley Shoe Company was known for specializing in quality, highly durable work shoes for men, women and children. The company's growth forced five moves to increasingly larger locations during its first 25 years and the original Johnston & Murphy shoes designs started gaining popularity amongst the masses. 1881 was when founder James Dudley died and his partner, a Newark business man, James Johnston, took over the reins in running the company and renamed it as The James Johnston Company. Another well-known businessman from Newark, William A. Murphy, became enchanted by the highly popular shoes that would become Johnston & Murphy shoes and the rising success of Johnston’s local shoe company, and it was then that the partnership was created and Johnston and Murphy was officially created.

Later on, Murphy made the decision to sell his interests to a former top salesman of the company named Herbert P. Gleason. Instead of changing the name of the company, Gleason decided to keep the company name for the reason of knowing the value of a recognized brand name and established a nationwide sales and marketing force with Johnston & Murphy shoes. In 1951 the company was bought by the General Shoe Corporation and continued the manufacture of high quality Johnston & Murphy shoes, Genesco closed Johnston & Murphy's Newark, New Jersey location and moved the operations to Genesco's headquarters city of Nashville, Tennessee.  

After the 1^st retail outlet in Schaumburg, Illinois was opened in 1871, Johnston & Murphy shoes along with the company expanded to specialty boutiques and department stores nationwide with its retail operations. After opening the first Johnston & Murphy Factory Store in Clearwater, Florida in 1983, the company launched a direct mail catalog featuring men’s Johnston & Murphy shoes retail shops expanded to airports and train stations and other places target for the busy man who is always on the move.

Johnston & Murphy shoes are not the companies only product today, you can also choose from a variety of leather products like, luggage bags, belts, shoe products, leather outer wear and a lot more. And with the advent of the Digital Age, you can now order these products online from distributor sites like http://www.fashionsuitoutlet.com, it is without a doubt an easier and more convenient way of shopping for shoes today.

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