Johnston and Murphy

Johnston & Murphy features a wide selection of men’s footwear, from casual and dress casual to contemporary and dress styles, as well as collections of belts, hosiery, shoe care products, leather outerwear and apparel.  Johnston & Murphy is the brand of choice for successful men who appreciate sophisticated style, innovative comfort and unsurpassed craftsmanship.

Johnston & Murphy was originally founded as the William J. Dudley Shoe Company in 1850 in Newark, New Jersey, by William J. Dudley, a European immigrant and master craftsman, who had been schooled in the classic tradition of English shoemaking. In 1850, Millard Fillmore became the 13th President of the United States. It was also the year in which he received a pair of handmade shoes from the William J. Dudley Shoe Company. Johnston & Murphy has provided shoes to every US President since 1850.

During its first 25 years, the company's growth forced five moves to even larger locations. The William J. Dudley Shoe Company specialized in quality, highly durable work shoes for men, women and children. In 1880, Newark businessman James Johnston joined the company as Dudley's partner. His vision was to expand both product lines and distribution channels. The company took the durability of its work shoes and built that into a line of higher-fashion footwear, which qickly became popular. In 1881, founder William Dudley died, and Johnston assumed control of the company under its new name: The James Johnston Company.

In 1884, William A. Murphy, another prominent Newark businessman from a distinguished family was intrigued by the success of Johnston's local shoe company. A partnership was formed, and the company became known as Johnston & Murphy.

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