The Frye Company

In 1863, John A. Frye opened the first Frye shop on Elm Street in Marlborough, Massachusetts.{{cite web |title=The Frye Story - Timeline |url=https://www.thefryecompany.com/our-story/timeline |website=www.thefryecompany.com |accessdate=3 February 2019}} 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.{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}}

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.

In 1944, John Frye retired and the Frye family sold the company to Don Ireland five years later.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

The company also introduced the Harness Boot in the 1960s, inspired by Union cavalry in the Civil War.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

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.{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Jennie |date=2023-06-09 |title=Stanley Kravetz, Former Executive at Timberland, Frye Boots and Rockport, Dies at 90 |url=https://footwearnews.com/business/business-news/stanley-kravetz-obituary-timberland-frye-1203475443/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Footwear News |language=en-US}} 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,{{Cite news |last=Binkley |first=Christina |date=2007-06-22 |title=The Boots That Kicked Off an Era Are Back |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118238443611942728 |accessdate=2016-11-25 |issn=0099-9660}} in 1993. In 1998, Kravetz bought back the label and sold it on to Jimlar Corp for an undisclosed amount.

In 2010, Jimlar was acquired by Li & Fung.{{Cite web| last = Henning| first = Amanda Kaiser, Tadas Stonis, Kristen| title = Li & Fung, Jimlar Deal Lauded| work = Footwear News| accessdate = 2016-11-25| date = 2010-08-12| url = http://footwearnews.com/2010/business/news/li-fung-jimlar-deal-lauded-73406/}} Li & Fung spun off its brand management as Global Brands Group in 2014.{{Cite news| last = Chan| first = Vinicy| title = Global Brands Begins Trading After Li & Fung Spinoff| work = Bloomberg.com| accessdate = 2016-11-25| date = 2014-07-09| url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-07-09/global-brands-begins-trading-after-li-fung-spinoff}}

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.{{Cite web |last=Blomquist |first=Christopher |date=2022-09-16 |title=JCPenney Introduces Frye and Co. Collection |url=https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/denim-brands/jcpenney-launches-frye-and-co-collection-jeans-authentic-brands-group-372032/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Sourcing Journal |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Palmieri |first=Jean E. |date=2017-04-27 |title=ABG Acquires Controlling Stake in Frye Brand |url=https://wwd.com/feature/authentic-brand-group-abg-global-brands-group-frye-10876079/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=McDonald |first=Samantha |date=2019-04-25 |title=6 Shoe Companies That Have Gone Bankrupt in the Past Year — & How They're Faring Now |url=https://footwearnews.com/business/retail/shoe-retailers-companies-bankruptcy-payless-nine-west-1202773815/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Footwear News |language=en-US}} 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,{{Cite web |date=2017-10-20 |title=Emily Ratajkowski Talks Ugly Shoes, Sexy Boots, and Her Biggest Footwear Faux Pas |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/emily-ratajkowski-frye-boots-campaign |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}} Selah Marley, Christopher Abbot and Luka Sabbat.{{Cite web |title=How Frye Boots Are Made Inside Its Arkansas Factory - Coveteur: Inside Closets, Fashion, Beauty, Health, and Travel |url=https://coveteur.com/2017/11/29/inside-frye-arkansas-factory-how-boots-made/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=coveteur.com |language=en}}

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.{{Cite news|last=Scurria|first=Andrew|date=2021-07-29|title=Global Brands Group's U.S. Footwear, Apparel Business Files for Bankruptcy|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-brands-groups-u-s-footwear-apparel-business-files-for-bankruptcy-11627572954|access-date=2021-07-30|issn=0099-9660}} The license owned by GBG for Frye, was then passed to Footwear Unlimited by ABG.{{Cite web |last=Lockwood |first=Lisa |date=2021-09-29 |title=ABG Assigns Frye License to Footwear Unlimited |url=https://wwd.com/feature/abg-frye-license-footwear-unlimited-1234954416/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}

The Frye Company opened its first retail store in 2011 in SoHo, New York City.{{Cite web |last=Alfs |first=Lizzy |title=See inside new Nashville Frye boot store in the Gulch |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2016/10/17/see-inside-new-nashville-frye-boot-store-gulch/92288954/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}} In 2013, Frye opened stores on Newbury Street in Boston, Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, D.C., and Chicago.{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefryecompany.com/stores|title=Store Locations|website=www.thefryecompany.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-20}}

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.{{Citation needed|date=December 2015}}

On March 27, 2020, all Frye Company retail stores were officially permanently closed.{{Cite web |last=McDonald |first=Samantha |date=2020-08-05 |title=Frye Will Shutter All of Its Stores as it Moves to Digital |url=https://footwearnews.com/business/retail/frye-closing-stores-online-1203036803/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Footwear News |language=en-US}}

• [http://id.lib.harvard.edu/ead/bak00963/catalog J.A. Frye Shoe Company ledgers] at Baker Library Special Collections, Harvard Business School.

• Allen Edmonds
• Horween Leather Company

{{reflist}}

• {{official website}}

{{Authentic Brands Group}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frye Company}}

Category:Shoe companies of the United States

Category:Manufacturing companies based in New York City

Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1863

Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021