In 1930, Samuel Katz started the family’s relationship with shoes with the founding of the Hubbard Shoe Company. After immigrating from Lithuania, he started working in a shoe store at fifteen years old. He took over a small men’s shoe factory in East Rochester, New Hampshire and grew the Hubbard Shoe Company into a vibrant business.
Fast forward to 1970, shoe manufacturing went overseas to cheaper labor markets. The Hubbard Shoe Company had to close its doors. Saul left for Brazil a week later. He went off to learn how to become a successful shoe importer instead of a shoe manufacturer. Bruce came home to help his father, which led to him selling shoes from town to town. At first, he dreamed of building his boat and travel the world with the money he earned. Instead, in 1971, his shoe sales and his father’s passion for adding a new chapter to the family legacy led them to found The Rockport Company.
Bruce’s shoe sales and his father’s passion for adding a new chapter to the family legacy led them to found The Rockport Company. Their hard work made the company an industry leader.
In 1986, after creating a revolutionary brand, it was time for a new adventure. The Katz family sold Rockport. Bruce finally had the chance to build the boat of his dreams, the Juliette. For the next 15 years, he explored the world by sea, while also running successful businesses.
Flip ahead to 2014, Bruce was faced with a new dilemma. No one was making the kind of shoes that he had made at Rockport. His young daughter asked him, “why don’t you make shoes again?” Driven forward by her question and a desire to create the perfect shoe for all of life’s journeys, he decided now was the time to continue his family’s legacy with shoes. Bruce brought together a team of similarly minded adventurers to create the Samuel Hubbard Shoe Company. They’ve been creating shoes to empower diverse journeys ever since.
Photo: Samuel Hubbard Free.
Before Samuel Hubbard shoes become a part of your journey, they have adventures of their own. The level of comfort you experience when you slip into a pair of Hubbards takes months or even years to achieve.
DESIGNED IN MILL VALLEY, CA
Everything begins in Mill Valley, California in the Bay Area. Founder, Bruce Katz calls this gorgeous part of the Golden Coast home and takes much of his inspiration from this region. He continues to honor his family’s legacy of shoemaking and his own lifetime of experience in making the world’s most comfortable shoes.
THE MATERIALS
Samuel Hubbard use only the finest materials in our craft. They searched the world for the softest, most luxurious leathers, German-made 100% Merino wool felts in a rainbow of colors, and premium shearling that would normally be reserved for the most expensive winter coats.
HANDCRAFTED BY ARTISANS
The shoes begin to take shape in Portugal and Brazil. Their skilled artisan partners bring Hubbards to life. They combine technology and scientific curiosity with generations of expertise. No detail is too small. They obsess over every batch of leather, every lining, and every stitch.
BY SEA OR SKY
Once the newest shoes are on a boat or in the air, we get really excited. The culmination of months and months of work is finally coming back home. That’s when they become a part of your journey.
Photo: Samuel Hubbard Ivy Legend.
“We are offering shoes of the very highest quality using the finest leathers from around the world. Fit and comfort are paramount in our designs and we have returned to Europe to work with some of the finest shoemakers in the world. As the third and fourth generation of a shoemaking family, we follow in the tradition of producing shoes that people love.” – Bruce R. Katz.
“OVER THE YEARS MY FATHER OFTEN SAID THAT, “WE MAKE FRIENDS WITH OUR SHOES, ONE PAIR AT A TIME”. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL AGREE AND THAT YOU WILL ENJOY MANY GREAT WALKS IN YOUR HUBBARDS.” – Bruce R. Katz
Browse our selection of Samuel Hubbard shoes, and let your feet indulge in luxury comfort, click here!
