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A new design of Hush Puppy.
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Still in step with style
Karen Connolly31/ 7/2008
WITH their soft suede uppers and rubber soles the Hush Puppy padded into middle America in 1958.
They were worn by everyone from the Rat Pack in Las Vegas to the hip and cool of the East Coast.
Soon they arrived in Britain and were embraced by the Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
Within a few years one out of every 10 adults in this country owned a pair.
Most popular styles were the Wayne, a mens' lace-up and the Earl, a men's slip-on.
In the 90s the shoes were again made popular by Burnage-born Liam and Noel Gallagher and, Former Jam frontman Paul Weller.
"Hush Puppies have an enduring appeal due to their historical credibility and association with Oasis and Weller," says Manchester-based stylist, Jill Partington.
"Statement"
"They ensured the brand was bang up to date and made it a fashion statement.
"Along with the parka and aviators, they remain a staple of the indie boys wardrobe."
Born out of a pig tannery owned by American footwear giant, Wolverine, also behind the popular Caterpillar brand, the brand owes its name to one of the company's first sales managers who remarked his friend's noisy dogs were silenced by cornmeal balls called hush puppies.
At that time sore feet were also labelled barking dogs which were similarly soothed by comfortable shoes - so the name Hush Puppies seemed fitting. Hence the introduction in 1958 of a classic suede brogue in brown pigskin. Pitched to be casual but smart the shoes proved a huge success in America and were soon launched in Britain by Saxone.
"They were seen as fashionable and non conformist and soon became the shoe for the mod scene," says Jill.
After the mid 60s Hush Puppies fell out of style when the mods swapped their Lambrettas and Vespas for family saloons and the styles of the 70s and 80s took hold.
It took designers Paul Smith, Anna Sui and John Bartlett in the 90s to create a resurgence in the shoes' popularity by paring them with their fashions, introducing the shoes to a legion of generation X-ers.
"Quality"
And it wasn't long before women wanted to wear them. Jill said: "For women quality isn't fashionable and Hush Puppies have worked hard to tap into this market by increasing stockists to credible outlets like Kurt Geiger concessions and Schuh where their higher end range is a departure from what is stocked in other shoe shops.
"These fashions are quirky, bright and funky, yet still sensible. Perhaps, for some women, the brand may still carry a dowdy image and negative associations with social workers and unfashionable types."
Schuh in Manchester's Trafford Centre has stocked Hush Puppies for eight years and say it's a hugely popular range.
The store's ladies buyer, Nicky Shallcross said: "Their success is because they are very commercial styles at good prices. They have a talented design team that know what works.
"They interpret trends in a way that makes them more accessible to someone who isn't brave enough to go the whole hog."
In 2006 almost 19 million pairs of Hush Puppies were sold worldwide accounting for one-third of the footwear sold by parent company Wolverine.
The brand is looking forward to another 50 years of success with new styles. What about the Noel or the Liam?
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