Kinney Shoes - Life in America

A look back at the great American shoe company, Kinney Shoes.

George Kinney had a thorough knowledge of the shoe business, clerking for some of the biggest shoe manufacturers in New York state, including the Lester Shoe Company.

In 1884, due to financial troubles, Lester sold an outlet in Waverly, New York to Kinney. Kinney invested his savings into stocking it with merchandise that he could sell to working Americans at reasonable prices.

Kinney had a reputation for superb customer service and the best footwear prices anywhere. With his high volume and low priced shoes the GR Kinney Company grew into the largest footwear chain in America.

From his modest start, with careful and efficient management, other stores were opened growing his company to 62 stores. But in 1919, George Kinney died at his home at the age of 53. Succeeding Kinney was his friend and associate, Ed Krom.

During the 1920s, the Kinney Company began manufacturing shoes and this helped to expand the company further. Stores began to popup everywhere, numbering over 300 by the end of the decade.

The 1950s brought Kinney Shoes to the suburbs. Stores opened in strip malls and suburban shopping centers and catered to families. At this point, Kinney was one of the largest retailers in the country, but the company was short capital and was looking for a merger.

An attempt was made to merge with Brown Shoe Company of St. Louis, but the merger was rejected in 1962, due to monopoly laws, which was decided by the Supreme Court. Brown was then ordered to sell Kinney.

In 1963, Woolworths bought the shoe company for $39 million dollars and renamed it the Kinney Shoe Corporation.

Kinney continued growing and adding divisions through the 1960s and 70s. Foot Locker was a sports division that was added in 1974.

By 1980, there were 2,115 stores in operation, however sales and profits were shrinking. As Woolworths began to lose traction, so too did Kinney.

On September 16, 1998, Woolworth announced that they were closing Kinney Shoes, but would keep the Foot Locker brand. So in a sense, Kinney Shoes lives on in Foot Locker, with superb customer service and the best athletic footwear for the price.

Видео Kinney Shoes - Life in America канала Recollection Road