Dr. Scholl's
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Footwear, Orthopedic foot care |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Founder | William Scholl |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Owner | Yellow Wood Partners (via Scholl's Wellness Company) |
Dr. Scholl's is a brand specializing in footwear and orthopedic foot care, originally established in the United States and known as "Scholl" in various international markets. Since 2021, the global ownership has been under the investment firm Yellow Wood Partners through its subsidiary, Scholl's Wellness Company. This entity acquired the North American rights from Bayer in 2019 and secured the international rights from Reckitt in 2021.
History
The brand was founded in 1906 by podiatrist William Scholl, who is credited with designing more than 1,000 foot care products. The company was listed on the Fortune 500 and became publicly traded in 1971.
Dr. Scholl's brand
In 1979, Schering-Plough purchased Dr. Scholl's, and later, in 2009, Merck & Co. acquired Schering-Plough, thereby obtaining Dr. Scholl's. During Merck’s ownership, manufacturing shifted to China, and a distribution agreement for North American footwear was made with Brown Shoe Company (currently known as Caleres). Bayer acquired Dr. Scholl's in 2014 through its purchase of Merck’s consumer health division, gaining control over the brand’s rights across North and South America.
Bayer divested Dr. Scholl's to Yellow Wood Partners in July 2019 for $585 million. Subsequently, Yellow Wood Partners established Scholl's Wellness Company to oversee the brand's operations.
Scholl brand
The global Scholl brand and non-North American activities were sold by Schering-Plough to European Home Products (which later became SSL International) in 1984. This company handled manufacturing and distribution of footwear and foot care products under the Scholl name outside North America.
In 2010, Reckitt Benckiser Group acquired the Scholl brand from SSL International. By 2014, German private equity firm Aurelius purchased the international rights to Scholl Footwear from Reckitt Benckiser, excluding territories in the Americas.
In June 2021, Reckitt transferred ownership of Scholl, including the Amope line, to Yellow Wood Partners. This transaction reunited the Scholl and Dr. Scholl's brands for the first time in over four decades.