Wikipedia

Draft:Hartt Shoe Company

  • Comment: This cites newspaper articles with surprising titles. The first of these was "Article clipped from Daily Gleaner" until I corrected it to "Shoe company began with heart and soul". If you cite a newspaper article (or more broadly, any item from a newspaper, magazine, etc) that's reproduced on a website, give the title of the original. Usually it's easy to decide what this was/is. When it isn't, ask for advice at either WP:Help desk or Help talk:Citation Style 1 (but not both). Hoary (talk) 00:01, 25 May 2026 (UTC)
  • Comment: Why are some of your wikilinks in bold? Joãohola 22:25, 22 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Comment: Very likely a notable company, but this has too many problems with style and tone. Please check out articles like International Hat Company and Allbirds for inspiration on how to improve this draft. MediaKyle (talk) 12:58, 26 October 2025 (UTC)


Hartt Shoe Company
A vintage photo of the Hartt Shoe Company original factory taken in the 1930's in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Founded1898
FounderOdber Miles Hartt
Employees500 (1903)
Export MarketsU.S., U.K., South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Caribbean.
Royal PatronageKing George VI, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
CEOAndrew Bedford
Websitehttps://hartt.ca

The Hartt Boot & Shoe Company is a Canadian goodyear welted footwear manufacturer founded in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in 1898 by Odbur M. Hartt, a Fredericton-born shoemaker and former superintendent of several major American factories.[1]

At its peak, the factory employed more than 500[1] workers, produced 2,000 pairs per day[1], and distributed nationally through major department stores and a chain of branded retail stores.[1] The company exported to the United States and countries across the Commonwealth[2].

Hartt supplied combat boots during World War I[3] and World War II, produced specialty footwear for Canadian military units and the Strathcona Boot for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.[1] The brand expanded into retail, operating stores in Canadian cities, beginning in Montreal in 1916. Hartt also maintained a national presence through catalogue houses, independent retailers and department stores.[1]

History

edit

Founding (1893–1898)

edit

Odbur M. Hartt, born in Fredericton in 1852, led a career in the American shoe industry after moving to the United States at age 22. During a visit home in 1893, he noted the absence of a local shoe factory and proposed establishing one in Fredericton. Hartt offered $10,000 of his own money if the community could raise an additional $30,000, citing local advantages such as tax exemptions, potential free water service, and access to leather from Fredericton tanneries.[1]

By 1895, Hartt had submitted a prospectus to the Fredericton Board of Trade. The project gained momentum when the Hartts returned in 1898, and Hartt publicly campaigned for the factory's creation. On September 18, 1898, a civic plebiscite saw 92% of voters support a $10,000 municipal bonus, enabling incorporation of The Fredericton Shoe Company later that month.[1]

Construction and Organization (1898–1899)

edit

Construction began in October 1898 under city architect William Minue. By year's end the structure was enclosed, and a board of directors was elected. Early in 1899, the company adopted the name The Hartt Boot & Shoe Company (Limited). Hartt remained involved throughout construction, travelling to Boston to study machinery and recruit skilled operators. By summer of 1899 the factory was completed.[1]

Early Operations (1899–1903)

edit

The factory began operations on July 26, 1899, and produced its first 2,500 pairs of shoes by the end of August. Salesmen quickly secured more orders than the plant could initially supply. By Christmas 1899, production had reached 11,000 pairs.[1]

Employment rose to 200 workers in 1900 and 300 by 1901, with daily production reaching 1,000 pairs. Hartt shoes were sold across Canada, and the company made its first shipment to England in 1901.

By 1903, the company employed nearly 500 people and produced roughly 2,000 pairs of shoes daily.

Founder’s Departure

edit

Hartt unexpectedly resigned in 1904, sold his holdings, and returned to the United States, later joining a major shoe manufacturer in Indiana. [1]

Mergers & Acquisitions

edit

On December 20, 1968, Hartt became part of Church & Co. (Canada) Limited, the Canadian subsidiary of the British shoemaker Church's[4]. The company continued to produce footwear under the Hartt name during this period.[5]

Prada S.p.A. acquired Church's in 1999 while the Hartt brand was part of the Church & Co. (Canada) Limited, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Church's.[6]

Prada S.p.A. decided to close the Canadian division of Church's. As a result, the Hartt Boot & Shoe Company factory closed its doors during the summer of 2000.[7]

Locations

edit

Hartt operated various retail locations including in Montreal,[8] Winnipeg,[9][10] and Ottawa.[11][12][13][14] Hartt also operated an outlet store at its factory building.[citation needed]

In addition to supplying many military and police services,[2] their footwear was carried in major outlets including Simpson's,[15] Sears,[16] The Hudson Bay Company,[17] Eaton's,[18] and Morgan's.[19]

Factory building

edit

The Hartt factory at 401 York Street in Fredericton is listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places under a local designation as having heritage value under New Brunswick's Community Planning Act. It was recognized on February 14, 2005; they cite Hartt's role in "Fredericton's successful, early industrial development" in its designation.[20]

In 2004, the building was expected to be demolished and was added to the Heritage Canada Foundation's list of most threatened historic places the following year. In 2006, Fredericton developer Dave Davis purchased the building and started renovating it with the intention to convert it into apartments and for commercial use.[21]

Notable Customers

edit

The following are a selection of notable customers of the Hartt Shoe Company:

Individuals

The shoes were exported globally, largely through the Commonwealth.[2]

Media Appearances

edit

The Porter TV Show

edit

In 2022, the Hartt Shoe Company supplied period-appropriate footwear based on archival designs for the CBC/BET+ drama The Porter, recreating 1920s designs from its archives and producing a limited edition two-tone style, the Popsy Oxford, for the cast. The collaboration was highlighted in Canadian media.[29]

In Canadian Parliamentary Tradition

edit

In Canada, it is a long-standing tradition for the federal Minister of Finance to wear new shoes on budget day as the federal budget is presented, a tradition that often garners media attention.

During the 1989 federal budget, Finance Minister Michael Wilson noted this tradition in the House of Commons. When Liberal MP George Baker, representing Gander—Grand Falls (Newfoundland and Labrador), questioned the cost of the Minister's new shoes—describing them as “a $162 pair of luxury Hartt shoes”[30]—Wilson responded:

“Mr. Speaker, my shoes were made in New Brunswick.”[25]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Jones, Ted (2000-12-23). "Shoe company began with heart and soul". Daily Gleaner. pp. B6. Retrieved 2025-11-18 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Early history of the Hartt Shoe Company exports and notable customers". Telegraph-Journal. 1949-02-26. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  3. ↑ "Hartt manufactures Stratchcona Officer's boot for duty in France in WW 1". Daily Gleaner. 1915-03-04. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  4. ↑ "Hartt parent company, A.H. Mastron is purchased by U.K. firm Church & Co". The Montreal Star. 1964-06-20. p. 20. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
  5. ↑ "Canadian Trademarks Details: THE HARTT SHOE AND HEART DESIGN — 0067684 — Canadian Trademarks Database - Intellectual property and copyright - Canadian Intellectual Property Office - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada". Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  6. ↑ "History". Prada S.p.A. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  7. ↑ Fraser, Elizabeth (November 22, 2017). "If the shoe fits: Hartt Shoe Company resurrected". CBC News. Retrieved 2025-09-13. 2 Fredericton-born entrepreneurs buy the name and invest in tradition of quality shoes
  8. ↑ "Hartt Shoe - Montreal store opens on St. Catherine Street West in 1916". The Montreal Star. 1916-10-19. p. 21. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  9. ↑ "Opening of the Winnipeg Hartt Shoe store at 289 Portage Avenue on October 28, 1920". Daily Gleaner. 1920-10-28. p. 7. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  10. ↑ "Closing of the Winnipeg Hartt Shoe store". The Winnipeg Tribune. 1931-05-05. p. 5. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  11. ↑ "Announcement of Ottawa store in 1923". The Ottawa Citizen. 1923-12-14. p. 18. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  12. ↑ "Announcement of Ottawa store in 1923". The Ottawa Citizen. 1923-12-14. p. 18. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  13. ↑ "Hartt Store opens in Ottawa in 1923 - The Ottawa Citizen". The Ottawa Citizen. 1923-12-15. p. 28. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  14. ↑ "Ottawa Hartt Shoe store is remodelled in 1949 to celebrate 25 years since the store opened". The Ottawa Journal. 1949-01-15. p. 13. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
  15. ↑ "Simpsons ad referring to Hartt as the "Famous Hartt Shoe" in 1968". The Montreal Star. 1968-12-31. p. 18. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  16. ↑ "Hartt made Gold Bond Shoe in U.S. Sears stores in 1954". The Minneapolis Star. 1954-10-20. p. 43. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  17. ↑ "HBC Advertisement - Hartt Athlone Blucher - 1948". The Vancouver Sun. 1948-04-09. p. 30. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  18. ↑ "Hartt Golf Shoe Ad for T. Eaton Co Limited - Montreal (Eaton's) - The Gazette, June 5, 1926". The Gazette. 1926-06-05. p. 19. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  19. ↑ "Morgan's Newspaper Ad Featuring Hartt Shoes". The Montreal Star. 1923-11-08. p. 7. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  20. ↑ "HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca". www.historicplaces.ca. Archived from the original on 2024-08-14. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
  21. ↑ "'Ingenuity' can save endangered station: developer". CBC News. April 19, 2006. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  22. ↑ Montague, Derek (January 2, 2024). "Stepping forward: the return of The Hartt Shoe Company". Atlantic Business Magazine (Flipbook of PDF). Vol. 35, no. 1. p. 47. Retrieved December 31, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ↑ MacDonald, Glenn (August 9, 2025). ""Canada has lost a great citizen': Day remembered as distinguished business leader, Thatcher's privatization czar"". The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved November 22, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ↑ How, Costello, Douglas, Ralph (1993). K.C. : the biography of K.C. Irving. Toronto, Ontario: Key Porter Books. p. 307. ISBN 1550134930.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. 1 2 Wilson, Hon. Michael (April 26, 1989). "April 26, 1989 (34th Parliament, 2nd Session)". HANSARD - LIPAD (Linked Parliamentary Data). 34 (2) – via LIPAD - Linked Parliamentary Data.
  26. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  27. ↑ Montague, Derek (January 2, 2024). "Stepping forward: the return of The Hartt Shoe Company". Atlantic Business Magazine. p. 46. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  28. ↑ Montague, Derek (January 2, 2024). "Stepping forward: the return of The Hartt Shoe Company". Atlantic Business Magazine. p. 45. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  29. ↑ McLean, Tyler (2022-02-10). "How An N.B. Shoe Company Stepped Up To Outfit The Cast Of 'The Porter'". Huddle.Today. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
  30. ↑ Baker, George (April 26, 1989). "M.P. George Baker - April 26, 1989 (34th Parliament, 2nd Session)". HANSARD - Lipad (Linked Parliamentary Data). 34 (2) – via LIPAD - Linked Parliamentary Data.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Hartt_Shoe_Company&oldid=1358183107"