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.
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.
1971
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.
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.
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. We’ve been creating shoes to empower diverse journeys ever since.