LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. has been providing performance footwear and apparel to keep people warm, dry, and comfortable since 1897.
Originally called the La Crosse Rubber Mills, the first product manufactured was rubber horseshoes. Led by La Crosse entrepreneurs Albert Hirshheimer, Michael Funk, George Zeisler and other citizens, they began manufacturing rubber horseshoes and rainwear on the first day of operation. Twenty-five employees worked on 160 sewing machines operated by steam and running at a daily rate of up to 3500 stitches.
The horseshoes soon gave way to rubber-coated fabrics and raincoats, which the company manufactured until 1906, when it switched to rubber footwear. In 1908, the Rubber Mills made the first buckle overshoe, and by 1912, 1200 pairs of rubber footwear were manufactured daily.
In 1916, the company had one of the largest work forces in the city, but inadequate public transportation and roads made it difficult for employees to come to the plant. Their solution was to start its own bus line and transport the workers themselves.
In the 1940s some of the world's most modern equipment, including the famed conveyor system was installed in the factory. In 1963, Ankle-Fit boots were created, an innovative, ankle-gripping design that keeps the tall, heavy-duty, rubber boot from pulling loose in mud and prevents rubbing and chafing.
Another innovation occurred in 1981 when the La Crosse Rubber Mills introduced double insulation in the Iceman ™ pac boot. This innovation in cold weather footwear allowed the company to offer pac boots with superior warmth. Double insulation included a removable felt liner and insulation in the rubber shell consisting of foam and a wool-felt midsole. By the end of the decade, the first interchangeable liner "system" approach to insulation, allowing customers to customize or replace their boot insulation as conditions changed, was introduced.
The following year, shareholders agreed to sell the company to Frank J. Uhler Jr. and George W. Schneider. Schneider was married to Virginia Funk, granddaughter of founder Michael Funk. The purchase was made after it appeared that a New York shoe company planned to purchase the business and move operations elsewhere. As a result, the new owners and the United Rubber Workers Local 14 agreed to a profit-sharing program that was credited with helping the company survive foreign competition.
In order to aid marketing efforts, in 1986 the name of the company was changed to LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. At that time, the company manufactured rubber and vinyl protective footwear for dress, industrial and sporting use. Employment in La Crosse totaled 609, with another 90 employed in New Hampshire at its Claremont plant. Annual sales totaled about $35 million and it was the third-largest manufacturing employer in the city, trailing only Trane Co. and G. Heileman Brewing Co.
That same year, LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. received the Industry-Labor Appreciation Award sponsored by local labor unions, the Great La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce and the city of La Crosse. But labor problems were apparent in the 1990s.
By 1989, the company also operated plants not only in La Crosse and Claremont, New Hampshire, but Hillsboro and Clintonville, Wis. Military contracts were important to the success of the operation in 1988-1990.
In 1994, LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. acquired the Danner Shoe Manufacturing Co., founded in 1932 and a leader in high quality leather boots, to form a major force in the footwear industry. Patrick Gantert became president and CEO of the company. Footwear went public with a $17.6 million stock offering. LaCrosse introduced triple insulation with the Ice King ™. Triple insulation took the technology from double insulation and added Thinsulate ™ to the boot shell. The Ice King ™ provided superior warmth not available before.
Red Ball, Inc., a competing company, was purchased by LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. in 1996 for $5 million. Later that year, a Footwear purchased Rainfair, an outerwear manufacturer, for $10.5 million to complement the footwear products. The following year LaCrosse Footwear, Inc., acquired Lake of the Woods brand.
Precision Fit Technology ™ was introduced and patented in 2000. PFT ™ boots combined the warmth of a pac boot with the precise fit of a leather lace up. In April 2000, Footwear closed its Clintonville plant and shifted production to La Crosse and Mexico. In 1999, the company reported a loss of $2.64 million after three consecutive mild winters erode sales. By the end of 2000, Gantert resigned as CEO and the company posted a $461,000 second-quarter loss. Operations ceased at the La Crosse plant in March 2001 and about 139 jobs were eliminated with the shutdown.
In 2001, LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. moved its headquarters from La Crosse to Portland, Oregon, to join forces with its sister company Danner, Inc. Fewer than 10 jobs actually shifted to Portland which included sales, marketing and product development functions.
The following year, the company was recognized by
Sporting Goods Business magazine as one of the top 50 most valuable and well known brands in the United States.
Introduced in 2003 was the innovative Alpha product line of rubber-clad neoprene rubber boots, the fit and performance of which re-defined rubber hunting boots.
Today, LaCrosse Footwear, Inc., based in Portland, Oregon, designs, manufactures, and markets premium quality rubber, leather and vinyl footwear for sporting, recreational and occupational markets.
