The Frye Company
The Frye Company is a manufacturer of shoes, boots and leather accessories. Founded in 1863, it claims to be the oldest continuously operated American shoe company.
 | |
| Industry | Leather Goods |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1863 |
| Founder | John A. Frye |
| Headquarters | , USA |
| Products | shoes, boots, bags |
| Parent | Global Brands Group |
| Website | www |
History
In 1863, John A. Frye opened the first Frye shop on Elm Street in Marlboro, Massachusetts.[1] In the 1890s, Marlboro manufactured more shoes than any other city in the U.S. During that time, and Frye was one of the largest and most successful footwear companies in the entire country.
During the 1960s Frye made custom boots for Jackie Kennedy, Bing Crosby, Jerry Lewis, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Ann-Margret, Walt Frazier, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Candice Bergen, Liza Minnelli, Carole King, Gene Autry, and President Richard Nixon.[1]
The company also introduced the Harness Boot in the 1960s, inspired by Union cavalry in the Civil War.
In 1998, Frye was acquired by Jimlar from the Kravetz Group, a footwear company that produced Coach shoes under license.[2] In 2010, Jimlar was acquired by Li & Fung.[3] Li & Fung spun off its brand management as Global Brands Group in 2014.[4]
Stores
The Frye Company opened its first retail store in 2011 in SoHo, New York City. In 2013, Frye opened stores on Newbury Street in Boston, Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, D.C., and Chicago.[5]
In 2015, Frye opened stores at Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, NorthPark Center in Dallas, and Tysons Corner in Fairfax County, Virginia.
On March 27, 2020, all Frye Company retail stores were officially permanently closed.
References
- "The Frye Story - Timeline". www.thefryecompany.com. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- Binkley, Christina (2007-06-22). "The Boots That Kicked Off an Era Are Back". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
- Henning, Amanda Kaiser, Kristen (2010-08-12). "Li & Fung, Jimlar Deal Lauded". Footwear News. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
- Chan, Vinicy (2014-07-09). "Global Brands Begins Trading After Li & Fung Spinoff". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
- "Store Locations". www.thefryecompany.com. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
External links
Archives and records
- J.A. Frye Shoe Company ledgers at Baker Library Special Collections, Harvard Business School.