Who didn't get shoes at Thom McAn, in the 50's, 60's, and 70's?
Posted on 01/31/2024 12:06:27 PM PST by DallasBiff
Ward Melville, in collaboration with J. Franklin McElwain, a shoe manufacturer from New Hampshire, founded the Thom McAn brand. The name drew inspiration from Scottish golfer Thomas McCann. The inaugural retail store opened its doors in New York in 1922, offering a selection of uncomplicated styles at a fixed, affordable price. Within five years, the brand expanded to 300 stores, and by 1939, it had a staggering 650 stores.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanmemorylane.com ...
Who didn't get shoes at Thom McAn, in the 50's, 60's, and 70's?
Just about all the US show manufacturers got wiped out when Clinton opened the markets to China.
When I was a kid, my shoes were bought there or at Buster Brown.
Swallowed up by Sears/K-Mart, which is itself dying now.
Going in the opposite direction, the Woolworth Company is now Footlocker.
All of our malls had a Thom McAn’s.
My Mom shopped at Sears and Penny’s. I wore Van’s tennis shoes all the time..........
Many stores of the past are no longer in business.
Such as, Schiff Shoes, Kinney Shoes, Robert Hall clothing stores, dime stores such as JJ Newberry and Woolworth’s and Kresge.
Time goes on, and businesses come and go.
True.
True of just about EVERY US manufacturer :-(
There is direct correlation of the rise of the Internet and the subsequent fall of retail stores. I know correlation is not causation, but there it is.........................
Interesting story. I just get tired of web pages that have more ads than actual content. That page has dozens of ads, many that are animated - and some that get around ad blockers.
Like all of America’s factories, they got outsourced to foreign nations so that they could screw us.
When I grew up, I liked Hahn’s; but I think they were only in the DC area. It was the nicest shoe store here for a long time.
Made John McCain happy
It’s quite logical - the internet enabled businesses to operate with FAR less overhead than local, brick-and-mortar retailers. Except for niche markets/products, and stuff needed quicker than online retailers can provide it - like grocery stores (and even that is starting to feel the pinch with delivery thanks to COVID) - brick and mortar is a dying breed.
But also fed by regulation and artificial wage demands.
Probably enriched him as well. His wife’s money wasn’t enough. Criminals are never satisfied.
I remember getting them in the 1930s...
I had these shoes, at one time.
I remember Hahn’s. I grew up in the Washington DC area.
I remember Woodies and Hecht’s. That’s a whole other subject, to talk about how many local department store chains in many cities, either went out of business or were bought out by large chains such as Macy’s.
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