Middle-aged folks will remember when Hush Puppies were the rage. All of sudden, in this retro fashion era, they're back with a frenzy.
Hush Puppies are manufactured by Wolverine World Wide Inc., founded in 1958 by Victor Krause. A lot of people thought Krause made a major contribution to the footwear industry by bringing casual shoes to a market dominated by constricting wingtips.According to lore, Jim Muir, a Wolverine salesman, was dining with a friend in Tennessee when he noticed that when the dogs barked, his friend fed them "hush puppies," an authentic Southern dish of fried cornmeal balls.
Feet were often referred to then as "dogs," and aching feet were "barking dogs." Muir got the bright idea that if the corn hush puppies would quiet the dogs, why couldn't the same idea apply to human feet?
In this way, he advertised Wolverine's new line of pigskin shoes.
Today, the company estimates 35,000 pairs of Hush Puppies are sold every day in 61 countries. Part of the reason for the resurgence was the amazing popularity of "Forrest Gump," in which Tom Hanks donned a pair. The puppies were also seen in "Beverly Hills Cop III" - and recently, in a GQ fashion spread, as well as in a splashy segment on TV's "Entertainment Tonight."
Actually, it was probably the menswear designer John Bartlett who fueled the comeback by featuring Hush Puppies in his 1994 fall fashion show.
Whatever the cause, people who are wearing them say they like them because they're classic and comfy. So far, the shoes seem to have a good deal of staying power. Some people are saying if you take good care of them, they'll last 40 years. (Does anyone keep shoes that long?)
One of the most popular numbers right now is the Wayne, the Hush Puppies original classic suede oxford, known as Houn' Dog, considered just great for the all-American casual look. It is based on the company's original 1958 classic oxford.
Then there is the Newport, a whipstitch casual camp moccasin with lace-through collar, designed for comfort and appropriate for weekend wear. Finally, there is the Decksider, also making a comeback, a hand-sewn boat shoe in two-tone brown leather and nubuck.
But Hush Puppies are not the only casual shoe attracting interest.
After a decade of dominance by the athletic category, non-athletic shoes are now outselling athletic styles. According to footwear executives, American consumers bought almost 970 million pairs of shoes last year.
Here are some of the most popular among the casual picks. Dockers Footwear offers a Weathersuede collection, featuring a waterproof suede that is virtually maintenance free. Dockers also sells a navy blue canvas shoe with white cotton laces and a cool, comfortable cotton twill upper and genuine siped sole for traction.
Or there is the Island/Nantucket, a three-eye tie oat shoe in an oak and sand nubuc with the Dockers bride boat sole. Many consider it a classic for afterwork hours and active weekends.
The Georgia Boot is a classic men's oxford combining smooth brown unlined hickory harness leather with a brown-sugar cushion cork sole. It creates a unique look in today's marketplace. Those who are into hiking this summer may want to check out the men's Cliffhanger Hiker from Northlake Outdoor Footwear. It's designed for hard-core use with crossover appeal for fashion.
Georgia Boot is also taking its city looks across the country with the new ankle engineer boots from its Home Mades Collection. These boots are intended to add a country twist to an urban style.
The Sperry top-sider has expanded its popular Bal Harbour collection with new colors and styles designed to appeal to the comfort-conscious consumer. Designed with Sperry's razor-siped, slip resistant sole, these comfortable casuals are the perfect authentic accessory for today's nautical-inspired fashions.
Sperry also just introduced the sporty Captiva, a top-sider with a padded collar, contrast stitching and a high sidewall.
Finally, Wolverine has a leather hiker with a built-in comfort technology called durashocks and thermal insulation. The Trapper is a waterproof intrepid hiker made of great looking breathable weather tight pigskin leather.
So, in shoes, as in everything else this year, retro is raging. Whether you like the look or not, you can't knock its comfort.