The word “cute” is, probably, the best way to describe the products of Hush Puppies – and their logo as well. It would be surprising to know, that Hush Puppies actually were created, when their mother company was working on a method of colouring army leather boots.
The company, that today enjoys worldwide popularity and 90% brand recognition in over 100 countries around the world, was created in 1958 as a daughter company for Wolverine Worldwide. Hush Puppies had to promote the idea of casual, very comfortable pig-leather shoes. At first the line was aimed at the people of the suburbs, that do not follow the vagaries of fashion, but simply want their feet to feel comfortable. But in 1995 Hush Puppies products suddenly became the top of fashion for discos and bars, and became extremely popular among the young people. This is the beginning of the company’s flourishing, that hasn’t yet ended by now.
The initial name of the line was supposed to be "Lasers." Hush Puppies appeared, when one of the company’s managers tried a breakfast of cornballs on a sales trip in a southern town. The local people explained to the manager, that the cornballs were called hushpuppies, for when the dog is barking, you just have to throw ball at it – and it will be calm. “Barking dogs” was at that day a popular idiom for “sore feet”, so the name was absolutely apt.
