# Hanover Shoes: A History with Pics



## Cardinals5 (Jun 16, 2009)

I've been more than tardy with a second installment of my brief histories of American shoe companies. Today I offer a brief history with lots of pics of one the unsung heroes of American shoe companies - Hanover.

Installment 1: Nettleton Shoes (https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=101215&highlight=Nettleton+shoes)

Please enjoy and *add pics of other Hanovers*.

*Hanover Shoes*

Harper Donelson Sheppard (1868-1950), with C.N. Myers, founded the Hanover Shoe Company in 1899 in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Sheppard was born in Pitt County, North Carolina on October 9, 1868, the 13th of 15 children. In his youth, he was educated in Noth Carolina and assisted his uncle in overseeing 3 plantations during the Reconstruction era. At age 17, Sheppard ventured to Baltimore and worked as a stock clerk. In 1892 he took a job for no pay with the Charles Heiser Shoe Company thus beginning his career in the shoe industry. By December of 1896, Harper married Henrietta Dawson Ayres from Accomac, Virginia. Sheppard was then working for a shoe company based in Boston as a traveling salesman with his route taking him from Delaware to Key West. In 1898, Sheppard's old employer, Heiser, asked him to investigate a floundering factory in the town of Hanover, Pennsylvania. After visiting Hanover in 1899, Sheppard convinced the Board of Directors to hire him to run the company. Sheppard then entered into a financial partnership with C.N. Myers and they leased the manufacturing operation from the company. Together they took charge of the factory on December 26th, 1899 with a common vision: sell the best shoes possible for one price, $2.50 a pair, and eliminate the middle-man by selling directly to the public. They opened their first store in York, PA, in June of 1900; within fifteen years the Hanover Shoe Company had 61 stores from Indianapolis to New York City.

The Sheppards had two sons: Lawrence Baker Sheppard (of LB Sheppard Signature fame) in 1898 and Richard Harper Sheppard in 1912. L.B. Sheppard ran the Hanover Shoe Company after his father's retirement and death in 1950, took the company public in March 1956, ran it until his own death in 1968 - though most of his attention seems to have been focused on the famous Hanover Shoe Farms horse racing stables. 

The original Hanover Shoe Factory closed its doors in 1974 and the name and right to manufacture Hanover Shoes was purchased by C. & J. Clark Ltd (the British firm of Clarks shoes, who make Wallabees, desert boots, etc.) in 1978. In 1979, Clark also purchased the Bostonian operations. In 1996 Clark moved the production of Hanover shoes from Hanover to West Virginia. During this period, from the late 1970s until the 1990s, Hanover and Bostonian shoes were manufactured at the same factory. 

Original Factory Location: Carlisle Street, Hanover, PA. The factory was transformed into apartments in 2002/2003 and the building is known as "Residences at Hanover Shoe."

Factory in 1903










Factory in 1912










Recent picture of old factory - now apartments










Hanover employee cutting leather


Shell cordovan saddles










Shell cordovan ptbs










ravello shell ptbs










Well-worn shell ptbs (mine)


black shell lwbs










burgundy shell lwbs (mine)


shell ptbs










burgundy shell lwbs











faded burgundy shell lwbs










Pebble-grained ptbs










Imperial captoes (mine)


black lhs beefroll pennies



burgundy lhs beefroll pennies - insole detail










burgundy calf lwbs










pebble-grained lwbs












burgundy calf lwbs










pebble-grain ptbs


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

I owned the beefroll pennies.

Great shoe!!

At least Hanover is still the Nation's snack food capital!!


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

This is a very nice little piece you've put together Cardinals5.

The story of yet another one time American success. I don't think I saw one model that I wouldn't wear.


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## Pundit (May 14, 2008)

Thanks for sharing such an interesting story. I owned a few pair of Hanover shoes back in the 80's and they were a quality product.


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## Nick V (May 8, 2007)

Interesting.....thanks.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

What an absolutely grand presentation, Cardinal5. Your picture of those tan calf, pebble grain long wings brought back some very fond memories of my first pair of "real" Gunboats! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!


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## Got Shell? (Jul 30, 2008)

Awesome contribution, thanks. Some of those offerings are amazing!


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## frosejr (Mar 27, 2010)

Wonderful story and pictures. I too owned at least one pair of the beefroll pennies, when my dad said I should go buy some "grown-up" shoes. I went to the store on the square in Hanover and took home a pair in that classic brown box. I didn't buy any brogues though - at age 18 in 1983, I thought they were "old guy shoes". Now I wish I had every pair in this post!

Thanks for the post. Great stuff.


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## greekgeek (Mar 19, 2009)

Great read, Thanks Cardinal!

Here is a Hanover Imperial Shell Cordovan Tassel Loafer, all leather shoe.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

So the family had a horse farm, eh? That explains all the shell.


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## Cardinals5 (Jun 16, 2009)

Patrick06790 said:


> So the family had a horse farm, eh? That explains all the shell.


From a bit of other reading I did, it appears LB spent most of his time developing his stables rather than running the factory. Maybe someone is wearing shells from a past champion 

Here's a decent read about the stables: https://www.horseracing.com/horse-farms/hanover-shoe/


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## TheWGP (Jan 15, 2010)

Really interesting history! Plenty of shoe porn - great to see old models still holding up well!

Any thoughts on installment #3? :icon_smile_wink:


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

Wonderful photo essay, Cards. I had completely forgotten Hanover, but I got choked up a little when I saw those pebble-grained brown longwings: my first pair of good shoes, bought when I was a highscool junior in '63. They were all the rage. If it wasn't for my unfortunate participation in pickup basketball games on asphalt courts, wearing whaever was on my feet at the time, I'd probably still have them.


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## Cardinals5 (Jun 16, 2009)

TheWGP said:


> Any thoughts on installment #3? :icon_smile_wink:


I'll take requests. Florsheim or J&M would be easy ones, but I've got some material for French Shriner, Howard & Foster, and Walk-Over.


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## mcarthur (Jul 18, 2005)

Cardinals5 said:


> I'll take requests. Florsheim or J&M would be easy ones, but I've got some material for French Shriner, Howard & Foster, and Walk-Over.


nephew,
A+ for your work on this subject matter. From my youth how about Lloyd and Haig


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## TheWGP (Jan 15, 2010)

mcarthur said:


> nephew,
> A+ for your work on this subject matter. From my youth how about Lloyd and Haig


Awesome selection!

Dexter would also be interesting to hear about - I've read the guy himself was an interesting story.


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## ZachGranstrom (Mar 11, 2010)

Wow.That was a good story, and thank-you for taking the time to compile this story together.:icon_smile_big:


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## dport86 (Jan 24, 2009)

Great thread. Now I understand why the Hanover LWB's I picked up were less than impressive--probably manufactured after the original factory closed. I for one would love to see a thread on French Shriners, another quality shoe that fell on hard times.


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## well-kept (May 6, 2006)

mcarthur said:


> From my youth how about Lloyd and Haig


My understanding of Lloyd and Haig is that they were a retail operation but not a manufacturer, putting their name in shoes from many suppliers. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Enjoyed the Hanovers. Cardinals5, if you can put together any definitive info on the Golden Age of Florsheim you'll be doing a real service. Nobody, including the present company operating under that name, seems to know much about the past or its products. Maybe a place to start would be all the vintage advertising tear sheets available on eBay.


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## dport86 (Jan 24, 2009)

^+1. I have a pair of handsewn grade vintage florsheim's I'd love to date.


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## Leather man (Mar 11, 2007)

Very interesting thread, thanks. Sad to think of how many good shoemakers have gone under in the last 30 - 40 years both here in England and in the States.

The shoes speak for themselves!


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## greekgeek (Mar 19, 2009)




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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

Sweet!


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## The Deacon (Nov 25, 2006)

GG's Hanover Plain Toes are about identical to the Bostonian shell 12EEE I tried to sell on both forums a few months back. They eventually sold to a guy in Canada for $79. I bought them near new for $105 from a guy who moved to Thailand and was clearing out his shell cordovan collection. I also bought a pair of Bostonian Black Plain toe shells nar new for $90 and he also sold a pair of RL Shell chukkas near new for $70 that I just missed.

Great Hanover informational thread!

I'm still looking for pics of my sublime Hanover Shell Cordovan (non-LB Shep.) wingtips!


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## The Deacon (Nov 25, 2006)

The Deacon said:


> GG's Hanover Plain Toes are about identical to the Bostonian shell 12EEE I tried to sell on both forums a few months back. They eventually sold to a guy in Canada for $79. I bought them near new for $105 from a guy who moved to Thailand and was clearing out his shell cordovan collection. I also bought a pair of Bostonian Black Plain toe shells nar new for $90 and he also sold a pair of RL Shell chukkas near new for $70 that I just missed.
> 
> Great Hanover informational thread!
> 
> I'm still looking for pics of my sublime Hanover Shell Cordovan (non-LB Shep.) wingtips!



























and after I wore them for a year, they mellowed into the patina I miss so much...
















I bought them on ebay from a seller on Christmas day 3 years ago for $100 and sold them for $300 a year later.


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## Cardinals5 (Jun 16, 2009)

Wow! Great pics and lovely patina on those - and a substantial profit on resale to boot.


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## Kingstonian (Dec 23, 2007)

Cardinals5 said:


> burgundy calf lwbs


Really shoddy design. Join on the outside of the calf longwing shoe.


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## Cardinals5 (Jun 16, 2009)

Kingstonian said:


> Really shoddy design. Join on the outside of the calf longwing shoe.


It is a crappy design feature, but it's also the easiest way to spot a pair of Hanovers (their shell models have the same seam) so I've come to like its dowdiness.


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## well-kept (May 6, 2006)

Hanovers were less expensive than the brands their models resembled. They economized in ways visible and invisible. The seam on longwings, two seams actually, or four if you count the pieced heel counter, allowed them to use smaller pieces with less waste. In other ways - the warm color of many of their shells - they look better than their rivals.


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

Cardinals5 said:


> It is a crappy design feature, but it's also the easiest way to spot a pair of Hanovers (their shell models have the same seam) so I've come to like its dowdiness.


Funny you should say that: as I believe I've previously mentioned ("These tedious old fools" -Hamlet about Polonius) my first real shoes were Hanover longwings bought in the mall with my own money in '63, so I naturally memorized every line, and have been enjoying a gentle shock of recognition today looking at that seam the photos in your recently revived Hanover thread, Cards. Yes, some wonderful warm colors, in calf as well as shell.


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## andrel42 (Sep 7, 2011)

A recent eBay find, LB Shepard signatures in burgundy shell - Me very happy!


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## Bandit44 (Oct 1, 2010)

Those look like new. Nice find.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

The Rambler said:


> Wonderful photo essay, Cards. I had completely forgotten Hanover, but I got choked up a little when I saw those pebble-grained brown longwings: my first pair of good shoes, bought when I was a highscool junior in '63. They were all the rage. If it wasn't for my unfortunate participation in pickup basketball games on asphalt courts, wearing whaever was on my feet at the time, I'd probably still have them.


Rambler: I think I bought that same Hanover 'gunboat' design in the fall of 1966 at a mall just outside of State College, PA. They were indeed built to last forever, but alas, a few years later I had picked those Hanovers up from a shoe repair shop (new soles and heels) in State College and had gone directly to one of my AM classes at the university. Finding myself seduced into the typical intellectual funk by a less than stellar statistics teacher, the shoes were forgotten and left in the book well of my student des, at the end of class...never to be seen again! I find myself still mourning the loss.  :crazy:


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## andrel42 (Sep 7, 2011)

Hanover 25th Anniversary Cap Toe Oxfords


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

I've just received a pair of Hanover boots that I bought on ebay. Anyone got an idea as to their age?
The seller claimed they're from the 60's or 70's. 
These have cleaned up nicely and I polished them this afternoon.
Original ebay pics.


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## Orgetorix (May 20, 2005)

Based on the logo and style, I'd say late '60s or '70s.


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

Odradek said:


> I've just received a pair of Hanover boots that I bought on ebay. Anyone got an idea as to their age?
> The seller claimed they're from the 60's or 70's.
> These have cleaned up nicely and I polished them this afternoon.
> Original ebay pics.
> ...


Strangely, after examining these boots more closely, it seems someone has overlaid, or stencilled a Hanover logo on top of the name E.T. Wright.
Checking E.T. Wright boots on Google I find these are actually boots.
Why someone would want to disguise them as Hanover is another question.
Would it be a store, or maybe the ebay seller I bought them from?



> *E.T. Wright Men's President Boot*
> _For more than 20 years, this distinctive Italian-crafted calfskin leather stirrup boot has been one of our best-selling boots. Trimly tailored, yet indulgently comfortable with a cushioned insole and E.T. Wright's exclusive Arch Preserver support system. • European Calfskin Leather Upper • Side Zipper • Cushioned Arch Preserver Support System • Leather-Covered, Cushioned Insole • Leather Lining • Leather Outsole_


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## Shiny (Jan 7, 2013)

andrel42 said:


> Hanover 25th Anniversary Cap Toe Oxfords
> 
> View attachment 5463


Nice!


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## Cuttington III (Nov 15, 2008)

Beautiful shoes...


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## Zhiyuan Deng (Sep 14, 2015)

greekgeek said:


>


Last weekend, I got a pair of Hanover shell PTBs same as these for $58 in a thrift shop. They were in excellent condition, barely worn. Couldn't be happier!


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## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

I'm about to consign a great pair of Bostonian Crown Windsor shell PTBs which must date to the time when they were made at the Hanover factory – they have that distinctive skin-stitched seam on the flaps.


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## Guest (Apr 24, 2020)

I cannot seem to find a picture of a Hanover sneaker that everyone use to wear in the mid 60's. If I remember right they came in three colors. White Black and Burgundy. The Burgundy was a popular color back then and you could buy Burgundy T shirts along with Jeans and that special Hanover sneaker that came in the same color. Anyone have a picture of that sneaker to share.?


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## drpeter (Nov 21, 2008)

I have several pairs of Hanovers, mostly eBay finds. Excellent shoes.


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2021)

Anyone have a pic of those marvelous Hanover high top black sneakers of mid-late 40's? The "must have" of kids that could afford them at $4.99 a pair! Saved/sold many a pice of scrap metal to pay for them.


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

The U.S. had a proud tradition of shoe manufacturing with Union Apprenticed Journeyman craftsmen being paid living wages while raising their families.

Several companies competed to create world class products.

I proudly own and wear examples purchased New Old Stock from all of these companies. Their top line models are all remarkable in terms of fit and finish and leather grades but high end Nettleton and Footjoy stand out.

FootJoy of Brockton, MA.
Nettleton of Syracuse, NY
Hanover, of Hanover PA.
Bostinian of Whitman MA.
Of course Florsheim of Chicago. (Factories all over our Midwest.)
Nunn-Bush of Milwaukee, WI.
Johnston & Murphy of Newark, NJ and in 1951 to Nashville, TN.
Stuart McGuire of Salem, Virginia
French Shriner and Urner of Boston, MA.
*(And a couple of dozen more,...)*

Several others as explained by the wonderful website, (No affilitation.) "vcleat."
https://vcleat.com/vintage-made-in-usa-brands/
David at a website called "VCleat" is a wealth of information on American Shoe Manufacturing.

Here are links to several vintage catalogs:

https://vcleat.com/category/catalogs/
[HEADING=2][/HEADING]


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## drpeter (Nov 21, 2008)

127.72 MHz said:


> I proudly own and wear examples purchased New Old Stock from all of these companies.


I agree wholeheartedly. I too have a number of NOS and second-hand shoes acquired online and in thrift shops from several of these companies: Nettleton, Bostonian and J&M, but especially Florsheim. Some of these are solidly crafted shell cordovan brogues and longwings. I've had several also recrafted with new soles and heels. They are beautful shoes and they were all made in the US.

With the notable exception of Alden and Allen Edmonds, most of the classic shoemakers have gone into history, or been acquired, transformed and sent overseas for manufacturing. This has also happened to some other famous companies, namely Clarks of England.


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