History | Wolverine Worldwide 1900 1901 – Krause organizes the Rogue River Electric Light and Power Company and brings electricity to Rockford, Michigan from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily. 1903 – Now a family business, Krause and his sons build a shoe factory in Rockford, Michigan. It makes 300 pairs of shoes daily. 1908 – The Krauses build the Wolverine tannery and begin supplying their shoe factory with tough, durable horsehide. 1910 1914 – The Wolverine brand name is chosen for shoes made of Wolverine horsehide leather. Because of their durability, they're called "1,000 Mile Shoes." 1919 – Wolverine begins national advertising: Wolverine work shoes are sold by one of the earliest national sales forces and become a household name. 1920 1921 – Flush with success, the company changes its name to Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Corporation. 1928 – The company begins selling shares to its own employees, becoming one of the nation's first profit sharing plans.

1941 – During World War II, the Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Company begins to work for the U.S. Navy, developing pigskin gloves. 1946 – At war's end, company engineers build a factory to produce their new leather called "pigskin suede." 1950 1952 – With horses disappearing from the American landscape, Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Corporation searches for new ways to use pigskin suede. G.A. Krause's son, Victor, leads the charge. 1957 – A breakthrough comes via the creation of soft, suede casual shoes. America would never be the same. 1958 – The casual brand shoe, Hush Puppies , is born, having gotten its name from the treats Southerners used to quiet barking dogs. 1959 – Wolverine launches the Hush Puppies brand with a heavy marketing and advertising campaign. 1959 – Hush Puppies signs its first licensee: Greb Shoes, Ltd. of Canada. Plans for international expansions ensue. 1963 – Sales of Hush Puppies shoes go through the roof with an average of one in ten American adults owning a pair of Hush Puppies.

1964 – The company chooses a more fitting name: Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. (WWW). 1965 – Company stock goes up on the "Big Board" and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time. 1980 1986 – The company funds the Biomechanical Engineering Laboratory at Michigan State University and forms the International Design Center in Montecatini, Italy. 1989 – The company's international business reaches record levels. The total value of the wholesale sales of international licensees surpasses the level of wholesale business in the states. 1990 – Wolverine Worldwide begins building its future, beginning with a dynamic new image for Hush Puppies: "We Invented Casual." 1992 – Hush Puppies introduces DuraShocks, the first true comfort system for work boots. 1994 – Wolverine Worldwide introduces the world to Cat Footwear . The new "Walking Machines" are quickly liked and a new fashion finds its way onto city streets. 1995 – Hush Puppies are voted Fashion Accessory of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

1997 – The company purchases the Merrell brand and begins the process of developing the leading global brand in performance outdoor footwear. 1998 – Wolverine Worldwide acquires the global license for footwear from the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, which becomes one of the company's top performing brands. 2000 2001 – Wolverine Worldwide acquires European Caterpillar and Merrell businesses, creating the company's first owned wholesale businesses on the continent. 2003 – The company purchases Sebago , the authentic American brand featuring handsewn dress casual and performance marine footwear, including Docksides. 2005 – Company sales top one billion dollars for the first time. 2009 – The company acquires the Colorado-based footwear brand, Chaco 2009 – Wolverine Worldwide receives the "Excellence in Lifestyle Branding" award from the American Apparel and Footwear Association 2012 – WWW acquires the PLG group from Collective Brands, Inc. This adds Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Stride Rite and keds to the existing brand family. 2012 — Wolverine Worldwide receives prestigious industry recognition and is named Company of the Year by Footwear News.

2013 — Wolverine Worldwide receives Company of the Year at the Footwear Plus Awards for Design Excellence. Rockford Independent September 14, 2009 Rockford Independent September 14, 2009 : Page 1 Monday, September 21, 2009 HARVEST FESTIVAL The 33rd annual Harvest Festival, sponsored by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, is slated to begin this weekend. A full schedule for all three weekends can be found on page 13. Pages 11-13 Living History Association brings past to life BY VALERIE CLARKE The West Michigan Living History and Educational Association brought history to life last weekend, Sept. 19-20, at the 23rd annual Grand Rogue Living History Encampment on West River Road. A timeline of history from Colonial times through modern day was presented to the public featuring mili- tary and civilian actors. At the encampment, historical re-enactors wore authentic period clothing and camped in period shelters. Traditional artisans demonstrated their historic skills such as blacksmithing and woodworking, Colonial surveying, music and story- telling.

Multi-period military tac- tical demonstrations and re- enactments were fired throughout the weekend as knowledgeable participants showed off their wares and talents true to their time period in history. Each par- ticipant had a role which was played to a tee in their speech, music, costume, mannerisms, and knowl- edge. Gun enthusiasts and his- tory buffs alike enjoyed shooting highlights such as the firing of an authentic six pound British field gun. Skirmishes from all wars were also played out. Blanks were used as shot. All in all, it was difficult to say who had more fun - the re- enactors or the audience. Rockford Independent/Valerie Clarke Photo above: This local actor played the role of a French-Canadian fur trapper who fought with the Indians in the French and Indian War. He holds a beaver pelt which held high value in its day as beaver hats were the height of fashion among European women. He explained the process of not only trapping and tanning the pelts, but also of making the hats.

As he explained it, mercury was used to soften the hairs down close to the skin, thus causing many European hat-makers to go insane from breathing mercury fumes.This is where the term "mad-hatter" originated. Photo left: A local Celtic musician, Lee Mulder, plays the role of a Scottish woman who married a French fur trapper during pre- Revolutionary times. It was very common for Scottish women to marry French men back then, according to Mulder, because of the anti- Catholic sentiment in England. Scotland was still very Catholic just like France. She entertained civilians and military alike with her musical talents. (More photos on page 2.) The Krause family starts a shoe empire – Part III: The ‘Dog Days’ BY JEANNIE GREGORY The Krauses and their employees battled the Great Depression with a deter- mined effort. It could not have been easy to pay a working crew when very little revenue was coming into the Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Corporation coffers. The Krauses had a business plan and followed it, keeping their lines working. They stored the durable work shoes for better days to come.

There came a time when the work week and hours had to be shortened, Back in Time but no one lost their jobs during these tough times. Wolverine took good care of its employees during these times. A company ben- efit association was formed for employees who became sick or passed away. It was not a mandatory program, but those who joined paid 15 cents per week for the cover- age. The death benefit pay was $500 in 1933. Also founded during the Depression years was the Rockford Home Builders Association. In Rockford at that time there were 350 res- idential buildings and a pop- ulation of 1,600. Under the association, 88 homes were built by 1933. The associa- tion required the borrower to pay 10 percent down and one percent a month until the balance was paid in full. Another program available to employees was the avail- ability of trees and shrubs at CULINARY Reds on the River Executive Chef Glenn Forgie shares his secrets. Page 5 SCHOOL Rockford students score well in ACT. Page 7 cost through the company to beautify their new homes.

According to company annals, the invention of the car diminished the supply of horsehide in America. The powers at Wolverine knew they needed to find a new source of hides, and weren’t all that impressed with cowhide, when pigskin was brought to their attention. At around this same time, the U.S. federal government WATER POLO Rockford comes up big in the pool. Page 22 FOOTBALL Rams top the Jenison Wildcats to stay undefeated. Page 21 turned to Wolverine to sup- ply gloves to the troops as the U.S. entered WWII. The pigskin tanning process left something to be desired at that time. The company found it very difficult to skin the hides and remove the flesh without damaging the skin. Victor Krause was the catalyst behind finding a pro- PLEASE CONTINUE ON PAGE 8 Serving more than 32,900 residents in Rockford, Belmont and the townships of Cannon, Plainfield, Courtland, Algoma, Grattan and Oakfield Volume 14 Issue 38 POSTAGE PAID Permit # 6 Rockford, MI 49341 PRSRT STD MAIL U.S.

Association Brings The West Michigan Living History and Educational Association brought history to life last weekend, Sept. 19-20, at the 23rd annual Grand Rogue Living History Encampment on West River Road.<br /> <br /> A timeline of history from Colonial times through modern day was presented to the public featuring military and civilian actors. At the encampment, historical re-enactors wore authentic period clothing and camped in period shelters.<br /> <br /> Traditional artisans demonstrated their historic skills such as blacksmithing and woodworking, Colonial surveying, music and storytelling.<br /> <br /> Multi-period military tactical demonstrations and reenactments were fired throughout the weekend as knowledgeable participants showed off their wares and talents true to their time period in history. Each participant had a role which was played to a tee in their speech, music, costume, mannerisms, and knowledge.<br /> <br /> Gun enthusiasts and history buffs alike enjoyed shooting highlights such as the firing of an authentic six pound British field gun.<br /> <br /> Skirmishes from all wars were also played out.

Blanks were used as shot.<br /> <br /> All in all, it was difficult to say who had more fun - the re- enactors or the audience. The Krause Family Starts A Shoe Empire - Part III: The The Krauses and their employees battled the Great Depression with a determined effort.<br /> <br /> It could not have been easy to pay a working crew when very little revenue was coming into the Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Corporation coffers. The Krauses had a business plan and followed it, keepingTheir lines w o r k i n g .<br /> <br /> They stored the durable work shoes for better days to come.<br /> <br /> There came a time when the work week and hours had to be shortened, but no one lost their jobsDuring these tough times.<br /> <br /> Wolverine took good care of its employees during these times. A company benefit association was formed for employees who became sick or passed away.

It was not a mandatory program, but those who joined paid 15 cents per week for the coverage.<br /> <br /> The death benefit pay was $500 in 1933.<br /> <br /> Also founded during the Depression years was theRockford Home Builders Association. In Rockford at that time there were 350 residential buildings and a population of 1,600. Under the association, 88 homes were built by 1933. The association required the borrower to pay 10 percent down and one percent a month until the balance was paid in full.<br /> <br /> Another program available to employees was the availability of trees and shrubs atCost through the company to beautify their new homes.<br /> <br /> According to company annals, the invention of the car diminished the supply of horsehide in America. The powers at Wolverine knew they needed to find a new source of hides, and weren’t all that impressed with cowhide, when pigskin was brought to their attention.<br /> <br /> At around this same time, the U.S. federal government turned to Wolverine to supply gloves to the troops as the U.S. entered WWII.

The pigskin tanning process left something to be desired at that time. The company found it very difficult to skin the hides and remove the flesh without damaging the skin.<br /> <br /> Victor Krause was the catalyst b e h i n d f i n d i n g a p r o -Ductive way for the pigskin processing development.<br /> <br /> The “dog days” of Wolverine It is remarkable that the first boon to Wolverine was a durable, tough work shoe and the next boon was dependent on a soft, supple casual shoe. The birth of Hush Puppies came from the pantented process that Victor Krause worked so tirelessly on. The companyThen produced a casual man’s shoe with a soft pigskin upper and a crepe sole.<br /> <br /> The National Shoe Fair in Chicago was the launching pad for the new casual invention in October of<br /> <br /> 1958.

According to companyHistory, “Reaction was immediate and overwhelming.<br /> <br /> Retailers flocked to the booth, intrigued by the casual lifestyle positioning, innovative styling, brushed suede uppers and lightweight crepe soles.” The company was prolificIn its production of the shoe.<br /> <br /> Wolverine had produced more than one million pairs by 1959 and, according to company history, one-in-ten American adult males owned a pair by 1963. A woman’s line was introduced in 1961.<br /> <br /> What’s in a name?<br /> <br /> The Hush Puppies logo is one of the most recognized in the world, but where did the name come from? It seems that some of the best ideas come from a simple thought. Wolverine salesManager Jim Muir took a trip to Tennessee and sat down to a dinner of catfish and deep-fried corn fritters with friends. When he found out that the fritters were called hush puppies and used by farmers to quiet their boisterous barking dogs, the name inspired him.

At that time in history tired feet were known as barking dogs and the tie was too big for Muir to ignore.<br /> <br /> The Hush Puppies trademark was born on July 1,<br /> <br /> 1958. According to company history, they purchased thePhoto of the basset hound for $50 and began to use it on their shoe boxes and in their advertising.<br /> <br /> Hush Puppies goes international The casual shoe also gained national recognition, with its distribution and exposure growing along with the years. The first international licensee was our friend to the north, Canada, in 1959. The United Kingdom became dog-crazy in 1962, South Africa joined the ranks in 1963, withAustralia following in 1964 and Japan became a licensee in 1965.

According to the company, by “2006, nearly 19 million pairs of Hush Puppies shoes were sold in 136 countries around the globe.”<br /> <br /> Brand becomes famous with the famous The Hush Puppies brand has enjoyed its own celebrity throughout history.<br /> <br /> British royalty – Prince Philip - wore the casual shoeOn a visit to the U.S. and future American President Gerald R. Ford gifted President Dwight D. Eisenhower a pair. Johnny Carson’s television show was one of the vehicles Wolverine used to tout its new casual footwear. Movie stars helped spread the word about Hush Puppies – Warren Beatty, Perry Como and members of the “Rat Pack” were seen sporting the casual beauties.<br /> <br /> Hush Puppies can also be found in movies.

ForrestGump wore them in the movie by the same name, and the brand appeared recently in Austin Powers.<br /> <br /> The brand received air wave attention when Jimmy Buffet sang the line, “I got my Hush Puppies on.”<br /> <br /> Brand continues to look toward future<br /> <br /> True to company history, company executives continue with forward planning and not settling for current success. Wolverine has evolved due to its ability to change with the times.

The company did this from its inception, through the Krause ownership from1883-1965, and under its current leadership.<br /> <br /> Dani Zizak, vice president of global marketing for Hush Puppies, explained this forward outlook in an interview with Business Review reporter Olivia Pulsinelli in May of 2009: “The Hush Puppies brand will be celebrating its 51st birthday this year, and that makes for an interesting dynamic in a men’s and women’s casual fashion brand.“The thing I really learned in the past six months is there really is this true passion for the Hush Puppies brand and an adoration andLove for it around the world.<br /> <br /> ... What I found interesting is retailers and consumers all have really good things to say about the brand, and there’s incredible brand awareness.<br /> <br /> “My task is to make sure we’re positioning the brand and allowing the consumer a look into the brand that’s really representative and accurate.

We are current, and we are fashionable, and the foundation of everything we do in the Hush Puppies brand is comfort, so you don’t have to trade off comfort for fashionable look and for stylish footwear.”<br /> <br /> WWW, Inc. today Wolverine continues to grow and adjust to a changing economy and the lifestyles of its customers.<br /> <br /> Just like its founders, executives continue to plan for the future to stay ahead of the natural turn of popularity one minute and obscurity the next.<br /> <br /> The company has done this by purchasing other brands to bolster its sales and its market share. Some of its purchases are Merrell, Sebago, Track ‘N Trail, Bates, Cushe, Cat and Harley Davidson. It has also been challenged to bolster sales and protect its viability in a growing recession.<br /> <br /> A controversial move was the closing of the tannery in the spring of 2009.

The strategic restructuring plan hit close to home when the company announced their plans to outsource leather processing.<br /> <br /> According to a press release, when fully implemented, the company expects the restructuring plan will result in a net reduction of approximately 450 positions and will generate an annualized pretax benefit in the range of $17Million to $19 million.<br /> <br /> “Wolverine is a dynamic global company with a 125- year heritage, and we have the right brands, the right products and the right team to weather the current economic storm and emerge as a more powerful force in our industry. We are confident that the restructuring plan is the right balance of actions, and position the company well for future growth.” There is no question that the history of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. is a colorful one and was born of hard work and a drive to always produce a quality product.<br /> <br /> Due to the ambition, vision and hard work ethic the company “on the hill” is a global success.<br /> <br /> And it all started with a vision by G.A. Krause so many years ago.

Flash from the Past: Kitchener plant made Hush Puppies Flash from the Past: Kitchener plant made Hush... | Mar 22, 2013 | Vote 0 0 Flash from the Past: Kitchener plant made Hush Puppies Greb Valentine plant Record photo A 1957 view of the Greb Shoe Co. Valentine plant at Breithaupt and St. Leger streets in Kitchener. Years earlier it was the Canada Trunk & Bag Co. Mansion Street plant Courtesy of Walter Daub Walter Daub, a former Greb employee, provided this old family photo showing the Greb plant at Mansion and Chestnut streets in Kitchener, now converted to condominium apartments. Daub's father and grandfather also worked for Greb. next play/pause pre Waterloo Region Record The Greb Shoe Co. helped put Kitchener on the map in the late 1950s when it began making Hush Puppies, a popular shoe brand that continues to this day. Related Stories Flash from the Past: Do you... Last week’s “mystery” photo from 1957 shows the company’s Valentine plant at Breithaupt and St.

Leger streets, one of two production sites it had at the time. The other site, called the Greb plant, was nearby at Mansion and Chestnut streets. It made boots; the Valentine plant made shoes. Greb Shoe got started in 1916 when Erwin Greb acquired the struggling Berlin Shoe Co. It was then on Queen Street South near King Street (in the building that now holds Misty Mountain Coffee), but in 1919 the firm moved to the Mansion Street building. In 1939 Greb acquired Valentine and Martin Ltd., a shoe company at Bridgeport and Regina streets (now the Bridgeport Lofts site) in Waterloo. It closed that plant in 1950 and moved the workers to 300 Breithaupt St., the building in our picture. Greb’s head office was at this plant for much of the 1950s. Several readers with ties to the plant called or emailed this week.

“I was really thrilled to see that picture,” said Josephine Rohe, 91, of Waterloo, who phoned to say she was as secretary at Greb from roughly 1938 to 1945, working for Harry Greb, one of Erwin’s sons and a later Greb’s president. Paul Smith emailed to say he worked at the Valentine plant for a year in the mid-1960s. “We knew it colloquially as the Hush Puppy plant, because that was where the comfortable, suede-topped, soft-gummed soled, ankle-high shoes were made,” Smith wrote. He later moved to a job at Bauer Skate on Victoria Street, a firm Greb acquired in 1965. Rosemarie Knight emailed to say that the Greb truck driver visible in the picture is her late father, Stewart Schagena. “He drove a truck locally for the Greb Shoe company for 25 years, starting around 1949. Later on my two brothers also were employed at Greb, but at a different location.

Great memories of this time, when employees were treated like family.” Jim Patenall of New Hamburg emailed to say his late father, Horace (Horry for short), was a Greb employee for most of his life. “During summer holidays (in the 1960s) I would bike to the plant on Friday nights while he worked the 3 to 11 shift and walk home with him, to behind the K-W Hospital. My dad never had a car until later in his life; he walked every day back and forth to work. I can still smell leather as I write this.” Hush Puppies were made under licence to the Michigan firm, Wolverine World Wide. In the 1960s, Patenall recalled, Greb employees could buy factory “seconds” the firm wouldn’t sell. “Our whole family wore Hush Puppies for years.” Walter Daub, 89, of Kitchener phoned to say he was a Greb employee for 17 years, including two as a foreman on Breithaupt Street.

Not only that, his father, Milt, and grandfather, Fred, were both longtime Greb superintendents, in Fred’s case going back to the firm’s Queen Street days. A photograph of the three Daubs appears in a 2008 company history, The Greb Story, by Tom Briggs and Charles E. Greb. The Breithaupt Street plant held several other firms before Greb acquired the building. At first it was the Canada Trunk & Bag Co. (originally Berlin Trunk & Bag), a firm launched in about 1914 by Albert L. Breithaupt, a member of the same Kitchener family that was behind the Breithaupt Leather Co., which among other things made shoe leathers. It’s interesting that Albert Breithaupt had ties to the shoe industry. He was an early investor in the Berlin Rubber Co., set up in 1900 to make rubber boots. And he later started the Shoe Findings Co., which sold shoemaking tools (findings). He was 84 when he drowned in 1955 after a boating collision on Georgian Bay.

In the late 1920s Canada Trunk & Bag was just one of several firms at 300 Breithaupt St. Among the others were the Galt Shoe Co., and Bogdon & Gross wood workers. Galt Shoe specialized in shoes for children. It was launched in Galt (now Cambridge) in 1922 by Dr. Joseph Radford and his son-in-law Andrew M. Stuart, but moved to Kitchener after a fire destroyed its plant. Radford was a prominent physician. Over the years he was Galt’s medical officer of health, school board chair and first chair of the public library board. He was also Galt’s mayor from 1895 to 1899. In the 1940s Galt Shoe moved from Breithaupt Street to the York Trading building at King and Madison streets. It later moved to Whitney Place and in 1961 became Bonnie Stuart Shoes Ltd., which made shoes until the late 1990s. As for Bogdon & Gross, which was started by Peter Bogdon and Karl Gross in 1927, it’s now BG Furniture (Bogdon & Gross Furniture Co.

Ltd.) of Walkerton, where the firm relocated in 1938. The Greb family sold Greb Shoe (by then Greb Industries) in 1974 and the firm left the Breithaupt Street plant not long after. In the 1980s the building held a division of New Balance Shoes. Today it provides space for numerous small businesses. Hush Puppies - Fashion Brand | Brands | The FMD Hush Puppies A word from the EIC Partnerships / Cooperations Become a fashion editor on FMD Content / Usage Questions Why am I listed on FMD? How can I submit content? Credifair (credit for your work) DMCA + Content MGMT the pure fashion news agency January 18th Ralph Lauren and Karl Lagerfeld to dress Melania Trump? ASAP Rocky and Boy George Star in Dior Homme's New Campaign Irina Shayk Lands Two Vogue Brazil Covers Weekly News roundup: Jan 9 - Jan 13 Wolverine World Wide about Hush Puppies is an American legend. In 1958 Hush Puppies created the worldï¿½s first casual shoe, signaling the beginning of todayï¿½s relaxed style.

By utilizing supple suede in combination with lightweight crepe soles, Hush Puppies created a soft, breathable and very comfortable shoeï¿½an innovation that would ultimately change the kind of shoes we wear. In an era when footwear choices were limited, Hush Puppies provided the world with a new alternative. A modern shoe embraced for its authentic style and casual flair. Relaxed and classic in design, Hush Puppies has always defined what it means to be modern and casual. Today, Hush Puppies continues to innovate, bringing technical excellence and genuine style to over 120 countries. A revolutionary ideaï¿½born fifty-two years agoï¿½continues to inspire us today. Hush Puppies is a division of Wolverine World Wide, the world's leading maker of casual, work, and outdoor footwear. Hush Puppies is headquartered in Rockford, Michigan. history The origins of the Hush Puppies name are decidedly low-tech.

A company sales manager sat with a friend for a dinner of catfish and deep fried corn fritters called ï¿½hush puppys.ï¿½ Intrigued by the name, the salesman discovered that farmers also used these hush puppys to quiet barking dogs. At the time, tired feet were known as ï¿½barking dogsï¿½ and the salesman reasoned that his soft, lightweight comfortable shoes could quiet them, too. The rest is history. The Hush Puppies trademark was registered on July 1, 1958 and soon after, the company purchased, for just $50, the photograph of a soft-eyed basset hound that would become its logo and grace millions of shoes, boxes, ads and displays. Hush Puppies were introduced to the industry at the National Shoe Fair in Chicago in October 1957. Reaction was immediate and overwhelming. Retailers flocked to the booth, intrigued by the casual lifestyle positioning, innovative styling, brushed suede uppers and lightweight crepe soles.

By mid-1959 the company had produced its first million pairs and by 1963 one-in-ten adults in the United States owned a pair of Hush Puppies. It didnï¿½t take long for the rest of the world to discover Hush Puppies. Celebrities like Warren Beatty, Perry Como and the ï¿½Rat Packï¿½ found them as early as 1959. Hush Puppies became the look for the swinginï¿½ set and were advertised on the Tonight Show with its new host, Johnny Carson. Prince Phillip of Great Britain chose Hush Puppies to wear on a 1959 visit to the United States. (It would be another two years before Hush Puppies offered a womenï¿½s line for Queen Elizabeth.) Future US president Gerald Ford presented a pair of Hush Puppies golf shoes to President Dwight Eisenhower. And Hush Puppies was the official dress footwear of the 1960 Summer and Winter games in Rome and Innsbruck. Hush Puppies were a hit from Capitol Hill to the Hollywood Hills and from royalty to rock `n roll.

1960ï¿½s ï¿½British Invasionï¿½ bands wore Hush Puppies on tour. A new generation also embraced the comfort of Hush Puppies. Tye-dyed shirts, beads, bell bottom jeans, long sideburns and Hush Puppies defined San Franciscoï¿½s ï¿½Summer of Loveï¿½ in 1967. In 1974, Jimmy Buffett sang, ï¿½Iï¿½ve got my Hush Puppies on,ï¿½ and reached #3 on the charts. By 1990, Hush Puppies became so popular that Mikail Gorbachev invited the brand to become the first American company to manufacture and sell footwear in the Soviet Union. Hush Puppies helped the world relax... but it took a bit of work to get there. The history of Hush Puppies is rooted in comfort innovation ï¿½ from the first casual shoe with Worry-Free Suedeï¿½ to the many patented technologies that make shoes more comfortable and lightweight.

From the beginning, the revolutionary use of Scotchgardï¿½ leather protector, added during the tanning process, made Hush Puppies leather scuff, stain and water resistant and changed suede footwear forever. Water beaded up and rolled away, leaving feet dry and the suede soft, supple and looking like new. Hush Puppies made ï¿½worryfreeï¿½ a benchmark of its shoes and its brand attitude. In the 1980ï¿½s, Hush Puppies combined ï¿½computer modeling, biomechanical design and state of the art shoe craftingï¿½ to introduce the Hush Puppies ï¿½Body Shoeï¿½ï¿½ and ushered in the walking shoe era. With dual-density soles and ï¿½memory foamï¿½ insoles, they ï¿½fit like your footprint in the sand.ï¿½ Hush Puppies again helped ï¿½make walking easierï¿½ in 1990 with the introduction of Bounceï¿½ technology.

Working with the Michigan State University Biomechanics Evaluation Laboratory, the patented Bounce outsole ï¿½absorbed the shock of walking impact while gently moving you forward through your step.ï¿½ Bounce Technology remains a cornerstone of Hush Puppies product development. Today, Hush Puppies continues to innovate through technological advancement. From lightweight Zero Gï¿½ styles to reverse action WaveReflexï¿½ technology to the environmentally friendly Harmonyï¿½ initiative, Hush Puppies world-renowned comfort continually evolves. The search for a new ï¿½spokesbassetï¿½ ended in the late -1980ï¿½s when a plucky house pet became the new Hush Puppies mascot to reinforce the fun, irreverence and optimism of the Hush Puppies brand. Ads placed him in unusual situations for a basset hound but true to the Hush Puppies casual promise... like relaxing on a hammock or cooling in front of a fan. Paying homage to Marilyn Monroe, the Hush Puppies basset posed on a subway grate as air from the train below blew his ears over his head.

The spot won the Golden Lion award at the 1989 Cannes Advertising Festival and was named one of the Top 50 TV Commercials of All Time. Movies from Forrest Gump to Austin Powers featured Hush Puppies product cameos. As Hush Puppies became topical, articles ran above the mastheads of major world newspapers, in magazines and on television. From 1992 through 1997, over three billion Hush Puppies consumer impressions were made. After a decade of corporate conformity, the world began again to see things the Hush Puppies way in the mid-1990ï¿½s. A relaxing of corporate dress standards led to the creation of ï¿½casualï¿½ work days and ï¿½business casualï¿½ attire. And Hush Puppies ï¿½ the brand that ï¿½invented casualï¿½ ï¿½ was there. When IBM and Ford announced ï¿½casual days,ï¿½ Hush Puppies ran full page congratulatory ads in USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. Classic American style re-emerged with fashion designers interpreting the easy-going suburban sophistication of mid-century America.

Tailored European design gave way to a more relaxed, casual and Western-influenced attitude. Fashion trend spotters noticed that kids in New Yorkï¿½s East Village were scouring thrift shops looking for classic, vintage Hush Puppies patterns. The influential young designer, John Bartlett, asked Hush Puppies to recreate its signature classic patterns in bright, optimistic colors for his February 1995 NY Fashion Week show. Later, so many editors were seen wearing Hush Puppies that photographer Bill Cunningham featured the trend in his regular New York Times column ï¿½On The Streetï¿½. Hush Puppies remained casual while becoming a world wide fashion accessory. The Council of Fashion Designers in America named Hush Puppies its 1995 Accessory Product of the Year. Hush Puppies was named Company and Brand of the Year in the US and UK by trade magazines. 1996 Academy Awardï¿½ winners Nicholas Cage and Kevin Spacey wore Hush Puppies to receive their statues. And Hush Puppies was granted an audience with Diana, Princess of Wales, who requested a special collection of shoes. What makes a product an icon?

A powerful idea that touches the lives and imaginations of people everywhere. A compelling product that meets needs and wants. A strong identity that resonates with values and aspirations. And a vision that will allow it to grow. Casual style is an idea as powerful to todayï¿½s global economy as it was when Hush Puppies introduced it in 1958. And it is an idea Hush Puppies shared with the world to become one of the five largest global brands of casual footwear. Hush Puppiesï¿½ global reach began when Canada became the first Hush Puppies international licensee in 1959. Global partners grew to include the UK in1962, South Africa in 1963, Australia in 1964, and Japan in 1965. By 1980, the brand was established throughout South and Central America. Year by year, country by country, the world grew more casual with Hush Puppies. In 2006, nearly 19 million pairs of Hush Puppies shoes were sold in 136 countries around the globe. Hush Puppies also found casual a home.

From the first Hush Puppies store in 1963 to today, where Hush Puppies are sold in over 365 concept stores, 654 shop-in-shops and some of the worldï¿½s best retailers like Harrods, Macyï¿½s, and Takashimaya. The Hush Puppies family has also grown to include relaxed apparel and accessories with the same easy going style that made Hush Puppies a global icon. Casual style. An original idea, born fifty years ago, continues to inspire the world today. Profile

Question: What brand name was registered by the Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Company in 1961?
Answer: Hush Puppies