Thorogood
Thorogood is a Wisconsin-based, employee-owned American manufacturer of job-fitted work boots and uniform footwear serving tradespeople, public safety, and outdoor consumers under Weinbrenner Shoe Company since 1892.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1892
- HeadquartersMerrill, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Thorogood firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Thorogood
- Legal name
- Weinbrenner Shoe Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://thorogoodusa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1892
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Thorogood is a Wisconsin-based, employee-owned American manufacturer of job-fitted work boots and uniform footwear serving tradespeople, public safety, and outdoor consumers under Weinbrenner Shoe Company since 1892.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Thorogood industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Work Boots and Safety Footwear
- NAICS
- Footwear Manufacturing (3162), Footwear Manufacturing (31621)
- SIC
- Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Work, Safety & Protective Footwear Manufacturing (Steel-Toe/ESD/Slip-Resistant) (IMAOAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Work, Safety & Occupational Footwear (CRAAACAE), Boot Manufacturing (Work/Fashion/Western/Combat) (IMAOAIAF)
Keywords
Where Thorogood is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Merrill
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Thorogood business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Work Boot and Footwear Sales: Primary revenue from direct sales of work boots, uniform shoes, tactical boots, and accessories to consumers and through dealer network. One-time purchase model with premium pricing for American-made quality footwear.
- Work Boot Repair and Restoration Services: Company offers boot repair and restoration services extending product lifecycle
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Thorogood product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Thorogood designs, manufactures, and sells American-made work boots, uniform shoes, and tactical footwear for tradespeople and uniformed professionals. The company produces job-fitted boots with safety toe (steel or composite), waterproof, and insulated options, constructed using Goodyear Storm Welt and proprietary comfort technologies such as the Infinity FD compound and Poron cushioning. Products are sold directly via e-commerce, an authorized dealer network, a flagship retail store, and an outlet store, with complementary boot repair and restoration services.
Product overview
Thorogood is an employee-owned American work boot manufacturer (owned by Weinbrenner Shoe Company) that has been producing job-fitted footwear since 1892. The product portfolio centers on the American Heritage Series as the flagship line, supplemented by multiple specialized sub-brands including Genesis (anti-fatigue), Infinity FD (Flex-drive comfort), 1957 Series (heritage commemoration), and Crosstrex (athletic-style). The company offers three main footwear categories: Work Boots (encompassing Moc Toe, Safety Toe variants with steel or composite toes, Waterproof, and Insulated options), Uniform Shoes (for tactical, dress, and postal applications), and Workwear. Key differentiators include Goodyear storm welt construction, USA manufacturing at the Wisconsin facility, ASTM F2413-18 safety certifications, and proprietary comfort technologies like Poron cushioning and Ultimate Shock Absorption footbeds. Product lines are further segmented by height (6" to 14"), toe style (moc toe, round toe, square toe, Wellington), and safety features (electrical hazard, puncture-resisting, metatarsal protection). The company recently opened a new $14.5 million manufacturing facility in Marshfield, Wisconsin.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Work Boots Job-fitted work boots designed for various trades and occupations, including construction, electrical work, and industrial applications. Available in moc toe, safety toe (steel or composite), waterproof, and insulated variants.
- Uniform Shoes
Companies that use Thorogood
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Thorogood technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Thorogood partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ellis ConstructioncoreEllis Construction, a full-service construction company based in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, broke ground on Weinbrenner Shoe Company's brand-new, state-of-the-art $14.5 million manufacturing facility in Marshfield's Mill Creek Business Park. The 70,000-square-foot facility was expected to open in late 2025.
- Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW)minorThorogood donated 50 pairs of boots to Reach Out WorldWide, a nonprofit disaster relief organization founded by the late actor Paul Walker, in response to Los Angeles wildfires. This is part of ongoing partnership to support disaster relief efforts.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Thorogood competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Red Wing Shoes: American heritage work and safety boot manufacturer with overlapping job-fitted product lines (steel/composite toe, EH-rated, waterproof). Closest direct peer given shared Made-in-USA positioning, dealer network distribution, and tradesperson customer base.
- Danner Boots: Heritage American work, hunting, and tactical boot maker (now owned by LaCrosse Footwear). Overlaps with Thorogood on Made-in-USA construction, premium pricing, and public-safety/outdoor customer segments.
- Justin Brands (Justin Boots): Berkshire Hathaway-owned western and work boot manufacturer with similar premium positioning, American manufacturing heritage, and overlapping western work, agricultural, and rodeo customer segments.
- KEEN Utility: Work and safety footwear line of KEEN with overlapping composite toe, EH-rated, waterproof categories; positions toward athletic/hiker-style work boots that compete with Thorogood's Crosstrex and Infinity FD lines.
- Ariat International: Western, work, and equestrian footwear and apparel brand. Overlaps with Thorogood's Western Work, Buffalo Ridge, and Logger series and competes for ranch, agricultural, and country-lifestyle customer share.
- Georgia Boot: Heritage American work boot manufacturer (Rocky Brands subsidiary) with overlapping job-fitted, EH-rated, and logger categories. Direct competitor on Made-in-USA work boots and dealer network distribution.
- Rocky Boots: Publicly traded maker of Rocky, Georgia, and Lehigh work and outdoor footwear. Directly competes across work, public safety, hunting, and outdoor categories with broader SKU breadth.
Broad incumbents
- Wolverine World Wide: Large publicly traded footwear conglomerate owning Wolverine, Cat, Harley-Davidson Footwear, and Bates - all of which compete with Thorogood in work, safety, and uniform segments with broader portfolios and stronger lifestyle brand pull.
- Timberland PRO: Work-safety sub-brand of Timberland (VF Corporation). Competes in safety toe, EH, and slip-resistant categories with broader marketing budgets and global distribution versus Thorogood's US-only footprint.
- Caterpillar Footwear (Cat Footwear): Licensed work and casual footwear line leveraging the Caterpillar brand. Competes with Thorogood in safety toe and Jobsite-style categories with stronger casual/lifestyle crossover.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Thorogood social profiles
Digital presenceThorogood financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Thorogood leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Thorogood funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Thorogood M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Thorogood
What does Thorogood do?
Thorogood designs, manufactures, and sells American-made work boots, uniform shoes, and tactical footwear for tradespeople and uniformed professionals. The company produces job-fitted boots with safety toe (steel or composite), waterproof, and insulated options, constructed using Goodyear Storm Welt and proprietary comfort technologies such as the Infinity FD compound and Poron cushioning. Products are sold directly via e-commerce, an authorized dealer network, a flagship retail store, and an outlet store, with complementary boot repair and restoration services.
Is Thorogood a public or private company?
Thorogood is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Thorogood founded?
Thorogood was founded in 1892. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Thorogood based?
Thorogood is headquartered in Merrill, United States, in the North America region.
How does Thorogood make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Work Boot and Footwear Sales are the primary driver. The others are work Boot Repair and Restoration Services.
Who are Thorogood's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Red Wing Shoes, Danner Boots, Justin Brands (Justin Boots), KEEN Utility, Ariat International, Georgia Boot and Rocky Boots. Broad incumbents are Wolverine World Wide, Timberland PRO and Caterpillar Footwear (Cat Footwear).
Does Thorogood have an API?
No public API is recorded for Thorogood.
What industry is Thorogood in?
Thorogood's product category is Work Boots and Safety Footwear. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAIAD, Work, Safety & Protective Footwear Manufacturing (Steel-Toe/ESD/Slip-Resistant), with a secondary code of CRAAACAE, Work, Safety & Occupational Footwear. Its NAICS code is 3162 and its SIC code is 3140.