The Frye Company

The Frye Company is an American manufacturer of shoes, boots and leather accessories. Founded in 1863, it claims to be the oldest continuously operated American shoe company.[1][2]

The Frye Company
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryLeather Goods
Founded1863
FounderJohn A. Frye
Headquarters
New York
,
USA
Productsshoes, boots, bags
ParentAuthentic Brands Group
Websitethefryecompany.com

History

In 1863, John A. Frye opened the first Frye shop on Elm Street in Marlborough, Massachusetts.[3] In the 1890s, Marlborough manufactured more shoes than any other city in the U.S. During that time, and Frye was one of the largest and most successful footwear companies in the entire country.

During the 1960s Frye made custom boots for Jackie Kennedy, Bing Crosby, Jerry Lewis, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Ann-Margret, Walt Frazier, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Candice Bergen, Liza Minnelli, Carole King, Gene Autry, and President Richard Nixon.[3]

In 1944, John Frye retired and the Frye family sold the company to Don Ireland five years later.

The company also introduced the Harness Boot in the 1960s, inspired by Union cavalry in the Civil War.

In 1977, Don Ireland sold the company on to the Alberto-Culver Company.

The business was again sold in 1985, by Alberto-Culver to Stanley I. Kravetz.[4] Two years later, in 1987, a subsidiary of Reebok (The Rockport Company) acquired Frye from Kravetz, though Kravetz remained in position as president. Under Kravetz' leadership, the Frye brand was licensed to the Jimlar Corp, a footwear company that produced Coach shoes under license,[5] in 1993. In 1998, Kravetz bought back the label and sold it on to Jimlar Corp for an undisclosed amount.[4]

In 2010, Jimlar was acquired by Li & Fung.[6] Li & Fung spun off its brand management as Global Brands Group in 2014.[7]

In 2017 Authentic Brands Group (ABG) acquired a majority stake (51%) in Frye for $100 million, with GBG retaining a minority share in the business.[8][9][1][10] A 2017 campaign entitled Made in the USA, featured a number of American actors and models showcasing their use of Frye footwear, including Supermodel Emily Ratajkowski,[11] Selah Marley, Christopher Abbot and Luka Sabbat.[12]

On 29 July 2021, GBG USA commenced voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings and is putting its apparel and footwear brands up for sale with help from a $16 million bankruptcy loan.[13] The license owned by GBG for Frye, was then passed to Footwear Unlimited by ABG.[14]

Stores

The Frye Company opened its first retail store in 2011 in SoHo, New York City.[15] In 2013, Frye opened stores on Newbury Street in Boston, Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, D.C., and Chicago.[16]

In 2015, Frye opened stores at Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, NorthPark Center in Dallas, and Tysons Corner in Fairfax County, Virginia.

On March 27, 2020, all Frye Company retail stores were officially permanently closed.[17]

Shoes

The James Wingtip (2015)

The Gates High (2015)

The James Crepe Oxford (2015)

The William Monk Chukka (2015)

The Norfolk Moccasin (2015)[18]

Archives and records

See also

References
  1. US, FashionNetwork com. "Authentic Brands Group acquires majority stake in Frye". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  2. Burke, Owen. "These Frye boots are the best shoe purchase I've ever made — I still wear them 15 years later". Insider. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  3. "The Frye Story - Timeline". www.thefryecompany.com. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  4. Bell, Jennie (2023-06-09). "Stanley Kravetz, Former Executive at Timberland, Frye Boots and Rockport, Dies at 90". Footwear News. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  5. Binkley, Christina (2007-06-22). "The Boots That Kicked Off an Era Are Back". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
  6. Henning, Amanda Kaiser, Tadas Stonis, Kristen (2010-08-12). "Li & Fung, Jimlar Deal Lauded". Footwear News. Retrieved 2016-11-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Chan, Vinicy (2014-07-09). "Global Brands Begins Trading After Li & Fung Spinoff". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
  8. Blomquist, Christopher (2022-09-16). "JCPenney Introduces Frye and Co. Collection". Sourcing Journal. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  9. Palmieri, Jean E. (2017-04-27). "ABG Acquires Controlling Stake in Frye Brand". WWD. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  10. McDonald, Samantha (2019-04-25). "6 Shoe Companies That Have Gone Bankrupt in the Past Year — & How They're Faring Now". Footwear News. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  11. "Emily Ratajkowski Talks Ugly Shoes, Sexy Boots, and Her Biggest Footwear Faux Pas". Vogue. 2017-10-20. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  12. "How Frye Boots Are Made Inside Its Arkansas Factory - Coveteur: Inside Closets, Fashion, Beauty, Health, and Travel". coveteur.com. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  13. Scurria, Andrew (2021-07-29). "Global Brands Group's U.S. Footwear, Apparel Business Files for Bankruptcy". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
  14. Lockwood, Lisa (2021-09-29). "ABG Assigns Frye License to Footwear Unlimited". WWD. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  15. Alfs, Lizzy. "See inside new Nashville Frye boot store in the Gulch". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  16. "Store Locations". www.thefryecompany.com. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
  17. McDonald, Samantha (2020-08-05). "Frye Will Shutter All of Its Stores as it Moves to Digital". Footwear News. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  18. Diab, Emma (2015-03-27). "The Frye Company's Essential Footwear Staples You Need This Spring". Thrillist. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
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