Johnston and Murphy
Encyclopedia
Johnston & Murphy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Genesco Inc. and based in Nashville, Tennessee
, United States
, designs, sources, markets and distributes footwear
, apparel, leather goods and luggage
. The Johnston & Murphy Group is divided into two operating divisions: Retail Operations and Wholesale. The Retail Operations division sells Johnston & Murphy branded products for men and women to customers in the United States and 92 foreign countries via the johnstonmurphy.com website and sell products to customers in the United States via direct mail catalogs and 160 company-owned retail shops located in malls and airports and company-owned factory stores located in outlet malls. The Wholesale division distributes footwear products to more than 2100 department stores and independent specialty shops located in the United States and 15 foreign countries.
by William J. Dudley, a European
immigrant and master craftsman
who had been schooled
in the classic tradition of English
shoemaking
.
The William J. Dudley Shoe Company specialized in quality, highly durable work shoes for men, women and children. During its first 25 years, the company's growth forced five moves to increasingly larger locations. In 1880, Newark businessman James Johnston joined the company as Dudley's partner. Johnston's vision was to expand product lines and distribution channels. The company took the durability of its work shoes and built that into a line of higher-fashion footwear, which quickly became popular. In 1881, founder William Dudley died, and Johnston assumed control of the company under a new name, The James Johnston Company.
In 1884, William A. Murphy, another prominent Newark businessman from a distinguished family was intrigued by the success of Johnston's local shoe company. A partnership
was formed, and the company became known as Johnston & Murphy.
In 1895, Murphy sold his interest in the company to Herbert P. Gleason, a former top salesman of the company. Gleason knew the value of a recognized brand name and decided to keep the Johnston & Murphy name as well as establish a national sales and marketing force. In the 1920s, Gleason's son, George Gleason, coined the company's first slogan, "The best shoes anybody can buy." He also developed a series of "handsome lifestyle" advertisements and ran campaigns in high-profile magazines such as Vanity Fair
and The Saturday Evening Post
. Ads featured the Country Club Series, a line of golf shoes, which became one of Johnston & Murphy's most popular.
Genesco (then General Shoe Corporation) purchased Johnston & Murphy in 1951. Genesco closed Johnston & Murphy's Newark, New Jersey location and moved the operations to Genesco's headquarters city of Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1971, Johnston & Murphy opened its first retail shop in Schaumburg, Illinois
. Johnston & Murphy then expanded its retail operations in specialty shops and department stores nationwide and in 1983, the company opened the first Johnston & Murphy Factory Store in Clearwater, Florida
. In the '80s, Johnston & Murphy also launched its direct mail catalog featuring men's footwear. In 1996, Johnston & Murphy started opening stores in busy airports, train stations and on prominent streets to better reach professional men on the go.
on the corner of Madison and 54th Street in New York City
and started signing licensing agreements for collections of belts, hosiery
, shoe care products, leather outerwear and small leather goods.
The company has since expanded the men's line to include business cases and luggage
.
Johnston & Murphy introduced a new line of women’s footwear, leather goods, accessories and outerwear in the fall of 2008.
Johnston & Murphy's Retail Operations division operates 160 company owned stores and sells products via direct mail catalogs and via the company's web site. The Wholesale division sells Johnston & Murphy branded shoes to more than 2,100 premier department and specialty stores, direct mail and on its web site.
Johnston & Murphy branded products are manufactured by independent, third-party contractors.
In November of 2010, to highlight a new line of Johnston & Murphy men’s comfort shoes, the XC4 collection, the brand asked consumers, by way of juxtaposition, for their most uncomfortable moments in their online Ultimate Comfort Contest. The letters in XC4 are meant to stand for “extreme comfort,” while the number alludes to four aspects of the shoes: they are moisture-wicking, light weight, have additional cushioning and include an extra removable insole to ensure proper fit. XC4 styles are available in dress casual and casual styles - representative of Johnston & Murphy's shift to offering more casual footwear in addition to traditional dress shoes.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, designs, sources, markets and distributes footwear
Footwear
Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for fashion, protection against the environment, and adornment. Being barefoot is commonly associated with poverty, but some cultures chose not to wear footwear at least in some situations....
, apparel, leather goods and luggage
Luggage
Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers which hold a traveller's articles during transit.Luggage is more or less the same concept as "baggage", but is normally used in relation to the personal luggage of a specific person or persons Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers...
. The Johnston & Murphy Group is divided into two operating divisions: Retail Operations and Wholesale. The Retail Operations division sells Johnston & Murphy branded products for men and women to customers in the United States and 92 foreign countries via the johnstonmurphy.com website and sell products to customers in the United States via direct mail catalogs and 160 company-owned retail shops located in malls and airports and company-owned factory stores located in outlet malls. The Wholesale division distributes footwear products to more than 2100 department stores and independent specialty shops located in the United States and 15 foreign countries.
History
Johnston & Murphy traces its roots to the William J. Dudley Shoe Company, founded in 1850 in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
by William J. Dudley, a European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
immigrant and master craftsman
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
who had been schooled
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
in the classic tradition of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
shoemaking
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
.
The William J. Dudley Shoe Company specialized in quality, highly durable work shoes for men, women and children. During its first 25 years, the company's growth forced five moves to increasingly larger locations. In 1880, Newark businessman James Johnston joined the company as Dudley's partner. Johnston's vision was to expand product lines and distribution channels. The company took the durability of its work shoes and built that into a line of higher-fashion footwear, which quickly became popular. In 1881, founder William Dudley died, and Johnston assumed control of the company under a new name, The James Johnston Company.
In 1884, William A. Murphy, another prominent Newark businessman from a distinguished family was intrigued by the success of Johnston's local shoe company. A partnership
Partnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
was formed, and the company became known as Johnston & Murphy.
In 1895, Murphy sold his interest in the company to Herbert P. Gleason, a former top salesman of the company. Gleason knew the value of a recognized brand name and decided to keep the Johnston & Murphy name as well as establish a national sales and marketing force. In the 1920s, Gleason's son, George Gleason, coined the company's first slogan, "The best shoes anybody can buy." He also developed a series of "handsome lifestyle" advertisements and ran campaigns in high-profile magazines such as Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
and The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
. Ads featured the Country Club Series, a line of golf shoes, which became one of Johnston & Murphy's most popular.
Genesco (then General Shoe Corporation) purchased Johnston & Murphy in 1951. Genesco closed Johnston & Murphy's Newark, New Jersey location and moved the operations to Genesco's headquarters city of Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1971, Johnston & Murphy opened its first retail shop in Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As...
. Johnston & Murphy then expanded its retail operations in specialty shops and department stores nationwide and in 1983, the company opened the first Johnston & Murphy Factory Store in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
. In the '80s, Johnston & Murphy also launched its direct mail catalog featuring men's footwear. In 1996, Johnston & Murphy started opening stores in busy airports, train stations and on prominent streets to better reach professional men on the go.
Today
In 1996, Johnston & Murphy launched its official website. In 1998, Johnston & Murphy opened a flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
on the corner of Madison and 54th Street in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and started signing licensing agreements for collections of belts, hosiery
Hosiery
Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as hose...
, shoe care products, leather outerwear and small leather goods.
The company has since expanded the men's line to include business cases and luggage
Luggage
Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers which hold a traveller's articles during transit.Luggage is more or less the same concept as "baggage", but is normally used in relation to the personal luggage of a specific person or persons Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers...
.
Johnston & Murphy introduced a new line of women’s footwear, leather goods, accessories and outerwear in the fall of 2008.
Johnston & Murphy's Retail Operations division operates 160 company owned stores and sells products via direct mail catalogs and via the company's web site. The Wholesale division sells Johnston & Murphy branded shoes to more than 2,100 premier department and specialty stores, direct mail and on its web site.
Johnston & Murphy branded products are manufactured by independent, third-party contractors.
In November of 2010, to highlight a new line of Johnston & Murphy men’s comfort shoes, the XC4 collection, the brand asked consumers, by way of juxtaposition, for their most uncomfortable moments in their online Ultimate Comfort Contest. The letters in XC4 are meant to stand for “extreme comfort,” while the number alludes to four aspects of the shoes: they are moisture-wicking, light weight, have additional cushioning and include an extra removable insole to ensure proper fit. XC4 styles are available in dress casual and casual styles - representative of Johnston & Murphy's shift to offering more casual footwear in addition to traditional dress shoes.