+130 Years of Work Boot Excellence
Job-focused tailored footwear has always been at the heart and soul of the company that became Thorogood. It all started in 1892, when first-generation German immigrant Albert Weinbrenner took over his father’s cobbler shop with business partner Joseph Peffer. Their focus was in making boots tailored to the jobs people were doing. By the turn of the century the partners’ investment in manufacturing and production allowed them to reach 60 new pairs of boots per day.
By 1917 the business, then known as Weinbrenner Shoe Company had 1,200 employees and was among the top footwear manufacturers in the country. It was also in 1917 that the Thorogood brand of today began, a brand that would focus on work boots that were “Job-Fitted” – meaning boots and shoes designed specifically for different jobs.
The concept was a success, and Thorogood continued to apply this magnified attention to detail to many new boot styles throughout the next century. In the late ‘30s, Thorogood began to release safety footwear for workers in dangerous professions such as firefighters and linemen. When WWII broke out, Thorogood set to work creating reliable military boots for soldiers. Many former Boy Scouts of a certain generation may recognize the Thorogood name from the company’s iconic Hike N’ Camps, which were released in 1964 as the official boots of the Boy Scouts of America. And when the terror attacks of 9/11 required the assistance of hundreds of firefighters, Thorogood expedited 500 pairs of boots to Ground Zero to aid in their work.
Experts in Work Boot Construction
Thorogood brings together quality craftsmanship with advanced technology to craft quality work boots that are highly durable and remarkably comfortable. No detail goes unnoticed by the Thorogood boot designers. Over the years, the company has perfected the art of crafting work boots by determining which features are most important to those who work in them each day in the toughest conditions.
Safety features, like steel toes and slip-resistant outsoles, provide all day protection to workers out in the field or on the job site. Advanced foot-support features, like wedge soles for better weight distribution and Poron® shock absorption footbeds, not only provide comfort throughout a long day but also help prevent painful foot issues such as plantar fasciitis and tendonitis. No matter the challenging environment of the particular job, there’s likely a pair of Thorogood built to handle the conditions with ease.
