OVER 175 YEARSOF FINE SHOEMAKING

1850

At 19 or 20 William J. Dudley left Northampton, England for Newark, New Jersey & started the William J. Dudley Shoe Company ultimately becoming Johnston & Murphy (J&M)

Crafted shoes for President Millard Fillmore, beginning a presidential tradition that continues today.

1861

J&M made “ankle boots” for Abraham Lincoln. J&M previously made shoes for Presidents Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan.

1881

James Johnston concentrated the company’s production on handmade Goodyear welt, cable wire, and English-riveted boots and shoes for “gents and boys.”

1884

William A. Murphy became a partner in the James Johnston Company. The name was changed to Johnston & Murphy Shoe Company.

1887

J&M now employed 250 workers, who made nearly 2,000 pairs of “Fine Shoes” weekly.

1889

J&M sent custom-made shoes to President Benjamin Harrison.

1890s

J&M played an integral role in the industry’s efforts to better working conditions. Before 1890, shoemakers put in ten-hour days, six days a week. J&M was the first shoe plant in New Jersey to enact the 55-hour work week.

1909

After the conclusion of his presidency, Theodore Roosevelt went on safari in Mombasa, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to company lore, J&M boots “trekked through the jungles with Teddy Roosevelt.”

Master craftsman Phil Herb recalled, “Teddy was having us make a riding boot, a blucher, and high shoes. Nothing fancy for Teddy. He liked plain, long-wearing stuff.”

1917–1918

J&M manufactured boots for U.S. Army officers during World War I that were popular with cavalry units.

1918

J&M instituted an 8-hour-day and 44-hour work week. J&M’s president at the time later said, “We found that we lost nothing by the change to shorter working hours. Other shoe plants had to follow suit.”

1920s

The first J&M golf shoes were produced. Early varieties included the Highland Golf Oxford, a wing-tip oxford with rubber-studded sole and the Golf Oxford with metal golf studs.

1921

J&M made custom-made shoes for President Warren G. Harding that featured “white kid linings.” According to the Newark Star-Ledger, Harding bought plain black kid shoes from Johnston & Murphy, two pairs at a time.

1923

Made custom-made shoes for President Calvin Coolidge.

1929

J&M issued salesmen and distributors its “Gentleman's Guide to Correct Dress” and “A Manual of Practical Sales Suggestions for Johnston & Murphy Dealers and Their Salesman.”

Life magazine featured a J&M ad for Golf Oxfords: “Approved by notable players, this shoe offers the same high quality and skillful design so characteristic of J&M footwear for sports, dress and business.”

1930s

J&M employed 300 people, including 80 women, on five-day-a-week schedules through the worst of the Great Depression. At a time when manufacturers regularly laid off all women, preferring to give jobs to men, and offering all employees only part-time work, J&M found a way to keep a full schedule. It emerged from the Great Depression as Newark’s most prominent shoe manufacturer.

1940s

Moccasins became popular among men and boys in the Northeast. J&M hired Fred Little Oak, “a 38-year-old Native American from Maine,” to be the head of its new “moccasin department.” Fred Little Oak was a member of the Penobscot tribe. He was recruited for his moccasin-making skills to supervise the moccasin department. The moccasins were hand-sewn, in the J&M tradition.

1946

Master craftsman Domenich DiMeola joined Johnston & Murphy as an apprentice. He would go on to custom-make shoes for several U.S. presidents and other famous clients including Jackie Gleason, Frank Sinatra, Liberace, Tommy Lasorda, Al Gore and David Letterman.

1950s

J&M began sending traveling salesmen to Ivy League colleges and country clubs, selling a line of Johnston & Murphy updated classics from steamer trunks.

1951

Genesco (then General Shoe Corporation) acquired J&M, and then in 1957 moved its operations from Newark, NJ to its headquarters in Nashville, TN.

1953

President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s office sent a letter to J&M saying the president “would be willing to accept a pair of your shoes.” President Eisenhower received a custom-made pair of black, brogued, cap-toe shoes.

1961

J&M custom-made black wingtip shoes for President John F. Kennedy.

1960s–1970s

Slip-ons became an area of growth for J&M, representing a break with the lace-up formality of shoes from previous generations.

1967

Because of a cultural shift away from formal clothing, especially for men, J&M launched After Hours, a casual line of men’s shoes. For the next decade, J&M shifted away from its traditional line of shoes.

1969

J&M custom-made several shoes for President Richard M. Nixon: cordovan lace-up shoes; black lace-up, brogued, cap-toe shoes; brown wingtip shoes; and black lace-up, partially brogued shoes.

1970s

J&M’s golf pro advisory staff expanded its ranks to include golf greats like Hale Irwin, Mason Rudolph and Tom Weiskopf.

1971

J&M opened its first retail shop in Schaumburg, Illinois.

1976

President Gerald Ford greeted representatives of J&M in the Oval Office. He received a “casual brown shoe as well as a sporty golf shoe.

1977

J&M custom-made black wingtip shoes for President Jimmy Carter.

1982

J&M introduced a women’s shoe line of “quality products designed for affluent career women.”

1989

J&M custom-made a pair of black lace-up, brogued, cap-toe shoes for President George H.W. Bush.

J&M custom-made a pair of black cap-toe shoes for former President Ronald Reagan after he had left office.

J&M opened a store in Tokyo, its first shop outside the U.S.

1993

President Bill Clinton received custom-made J&M blue suede Aristocraft loafers with tassels, in homage of his love for jazz. Clinton also received a pair of brown Passport lace-up shoes, black lace-up shoes, and cap-toe shoes.

1994

J&M launched the Domani product line Produced by some of Italy’s most skilled craftsmen using the world’s finest leathers, Domani shoes offered European styling to the fashion-conscious consumer who demanded elegance and sophistication in his footwear.

1995

J&M created the shoes for Robert DeNiro’s character in Casino. Seven pairs of custom-made shoes were made for DeNiro in light pink, gray, turquoise, royal blue, and beige as well as two pairs in brown and white.

1996

Boxing champion Joe Frazier, pro-football coach Joe Gibbs, golfer Annika Sorenstam, basketball player Jason Kidd, basketball coach Phil Jackson, baseball manager Tommy Lasorda, baseball player Orel Hershiser and baseball hall-of-famer Mike Schmidt became notable customers of J&M.

J&M, in partnership with GQ, celebrated the grand opening of the Johnston & Murphy flagship location at Madison Avenue at 54th Street.

1997

J&M launched the marketing campaign A Gentlemen’s Evening: the Johnston & Murphy Cigar and Cognac Tour. The tour included seven company stores and was described as an “appreciation of the finer things in life; hand-crafted shoes, Remy Martin cognac, and premium cigars.”

1998

J&M partnered with the National Park Service to fund the mile-long Mount Rushmore Presidential Trail. Johnston & Murphy donated a portion of proceeds from all shoes sold during the spring 1998 season with a total donation of to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Society.

1999

Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, sports commentator Bryant Gumbel and Pittsburgh Steelers football player Rocky Bleier became notable customers of J&M.

2000

J&M custom-made a black lace-up, cap-toe shoe for President George W. Bush.

J&M celebrated its 150th anniversary. J&M partnered with Jazz at Lincoln Center to sponsor the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra’s 25-city national “For Dancers Only” Tour. The company also donated to the Julliard Scholarship Fund.

The Backstreet Boys wore J&M shoes at a concert in Ohio.

2005

Musician Ziggy Marley and actor Ron Livingston became the new faces for J&M, who launched an “all-new look and logo” as part of a brand rejuvenation campaign.

Professional athlete Tiki Barber, professional BMX rider Mat Hoffman, actor Jeremy Piven and actor David Duchovny also became involved.

2009

J&M custom-made a “modern black dress shoe” with a run-off toe for President Barack Obama. J&M also sent custom ankle boots based on the ankle boots made for Abraham Lincoln that are in the company’s collection. Obama’s shoes were presented in a koa wood box from Hawaii, in honor of his home state.

2012

J&M displayed 13 pairs of presidential shoes as a part of the American Presidential Experience exhibit in Charlotte, North Carolina. The exhibit featured presidential replica shoes from several presidents spanning from Lincoln to Obama. The exhibition included a replica of the Oval Office, Harry Truman’s 1951 limousine, and personal artifacts from John F. Kennedy.

2017

J&M custom-made a pair of cap-toe oxford shoes for President Donald Trump. The company also provided Trump with custom golf shoes featuring a “patriotic flair.”

2021

J&M re-entered the golf world with the launch of a luxe collection of golf shoes “blending throwback designs with modern performance elements.” Shortly after, J&M released a women’s golf shoe collection.

2023

J&M is named to Newsweek’s 2023 list of America’s Best Retailers. J&M was honored as the #1 Single-Brand Footwear Retailer.