Chippewa Boots, originally known as Chippewa Shoe Manufacturing Company, is an American manufacturer of

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serve the purpose of protective clothing, protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from rough ground; stability on slippery ground; and temperature. *Shoes and si ...

, principally men's work and recreational

boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...

s. It also manufactures a limited line of heavy and casual

shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...

s, and some women's footwear. The name Chippewa is taken from the local Indian tribe in the region where the company was founded. It was founded in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in 1901.

History

Chippewa was founded in 1901 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA. The company began their production at their early factory on River Street. Chippewa was the first to produce US-manufactured boots with Italian-made original vibram soles. ;WW1 & WW2 During the first world war, Chippewa supplied boots to the military. This includes high quality foot wear for the Allied Powers in Europe and later for the US military when they joined the war on April 6, 1917. In the 1930s, the Wall Street crash and Great Depression led to the creation of programs like CCC and WPA to bolster America's infrastructure. To provide the new employees with new high quality boots, Chippewa innovated work boots, including the Engineer style boot, which it is credited with inventing. During WWII, Chippewa crafted cold weather footwear for the US Army's elite 10th Mountain Division, adept in harsh terrains. Chippewa's Arctic Boots, with heel grooves for WWII ski bindings, honor these soldiers' legacy. During the Cold War, Chippewa advanced cold weather technology, creating flight boots for the US Air Force. They developed the high-altitude flight boot worn by CIA pilots of the U-2 Spy Plane.

Acquisition

In 1984, it was acquired by Justin Brands, which was in turn acquired by

Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Originally a textile manufacturer, the company transitioned into a conglomerate starting in 1965 under the management of c ...

in August 2000.Justin Boots Heritage
. JustinBoots.com. Retrieved on Dec 10, 2013. Other companies under Justin Brands include

Justin Boots Justin Boots is an American western and equestrian footwear brand. It is a division of Justin Brands, Inc., itself a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. History Herman Joseph Justin, the son of a cigar maker, started repairing boots in Spanish For ...

, Justin Original Workboots,

Nocona Boots Nocona Boots is a western boot brand and a division of Justin Brands, a Berkshire Hathaway corporation (NYSE: BRKa). Justin Brands is the world's largest manufacturer of western footwear. In addition to Nocona Boots, it owns Justin Boots, To ...

, and Tony Lama Boots.

References

External links

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Football Boots
Boots Berkshire Hathaway Shoe companies of the United States Manufacturing companies based in Wisconsin {{US-manufacturing-company-stub