Thorogood

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

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

• Work boot manufacturing
• Safety footwear
• American-made boots
• Industrial work boots
• Uniform and tactical shoes

Headquarters

HQ city

Merrill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ellis ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2024Ellis 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThorogood 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/ThorogoodUSA
• Instagraminstagram.com/thorogoodusa
• Xx.com/thorogood_usa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thorogood-shoes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thorogood