Nokona Athletic Goods Company

Nokona Athletic Goods Company
Company type	Private
Industry	Sporting goods, leather goods, apparel
Founded	1926 in Nocona, Texas, United States
Founder	Storey family
Headquarters	Nocona, United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Jeff Beraznik (President), Rob Storey (Executive Vice-President)
Products	Baseball gloves, leather goods (belts, wallets, bags, backpacks), footwear (boots, flip-flops), apparel (t-shirts, caps)
Website	www.nokona.com

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Nokona Athletic Goods Company, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 25 July 20251 source

Nokona Athletic Goods Company is an American manufacturer based in Nocona, Texas, primarily known for producing baseball gloves. It holds the distinction of being the last significant baseball glove manufacturer operating in the United States. In addition to gloves, Nokona has broadened its offerings under the "Nokona Leather Goods" brand, which includes domestically crafted leather accessories such as belts, wallets, bags, backpacks, and footwear like boots and flip-flops. The company also manufactures apparel items including t-shirts and caps.

Origins & Leadership

Established in 1926 by the Storey family under the name Nocona Leather Goods in Nocona, Texas, the business originally focused on wallets, purses, and belts. The Nokona baseball glove trademark was registered in 1934, with a modified spelling adopted due to restrictions on using town names for trademarks.

The company’s entry into sporting goods began in 1932 when Robert E. (Bob) Storey, a former Rice University baseball player and then company president, expanded the product line to encompass leather footballs, helmets, and baseball gloves. Bob Storey remained at the helm until 1976 before passing leadership to his son Bobby. Bobby was succeeded by his brother J.W. (Jim) Storey until his passing in 1991. Afterwards, Rob Storey—Bobby’s son and Bob’s grandson—was appointed president. In 2010, Jeff Beraznik took over as president while Rob Storey continued serving as Executive Vice-President. The Storey family continues to play a pivotal role in steering Nokona’s strategic direction and growth.

Major Developments at Nokona

During World War II in 1942, Nokona obtained a government contract to manufacture gloves for the U.S. Military, which boosted daily production from approximately 50–100 units to around 1,000 gloves per day. This surge necessitated factory expansions in 1944 and again in 1947. Following the war, the rise of sports popularity prompted Nokona to diversify its product range by the late 1940s to include leather volleyballs, soccer balls, basketballs, striking bags, and boxing gloves. In 1957, Nokona became a pioneer by introducing kangaroo leather into baseball gloves—a material that remains integral to its products today.

While many competitors moved their manufacturing overseas during the 1960s to reduce costs, founder Bob Storey opted to maintain all production within the United States, making local manufacturing a cornerstone of Nokona’s business philosophy. After Bob Storey’s death in 1980, he was honored with induction into the National Sporting Goods Hall of Fame in 1982 for his contributions to innovation and leadership. Nokona’s vintage gloves gained renewed attention through appearances in films such as Field of Dreams (1989) and A League of Their Own.

In 1992, Rob Storey became the third-generation leader of the company. On July 18, 2006, an overheated fan caused a fire that destroyed the company’s 80-year-old factory building and resulted in losses exceeding $5 million. The blaze consumed the entire 60,000 square-foot facility within eight hours. Despite this significant setback, Nokona rapidly resumed operations by moving into a former boot factory in Nocona within just ten days—preserving jobs and salvaging critical manufacturing dies. By 2008, Nokona had relocated to a permanent new facility; by 2017 it established its headquarters at the site of the old boot factory, incorporating retail space, a museum, and guided factory tours—thereby enhancing its brand visibility and customer engagement within its core market.

Showbelts

In 2018, Nokona introduced a pioneering custom belt program tailored specifically for Major League Baseball athletes. Crafted at Nokona’s manufacturing facility located in Phoenix, AZ, these belts are available via the company’s online custom belt configurator. Numerous professional players sport Nokona ShowBelts, which are prominently showcased at prestigious events such as the Home run Derby and the All-Star Game. The brand name "ShowBelts" signifies the high caliber associated with reaching “the show” in MLB.

Nokona Leather Goods

Nokona broadened its product range in 2019 by reviving Nokona Leather Goods, a collection that pays tribute to the company’s heritage dating back to 1926. Produced by hand in the United States utilizing Nokona’s signature ballglove leather, this assortment features wallets, totes, bags, footwear, belts, and outerwear, thereby extending Nokona’s footprint beyond traditional sporting equipment.

Play Catch Movement

As part of its commitment to corporate social responsibility and brand positioning, Nokona sponsors the Play Catch Movement, an initiative aimed at enhancing life quality through the simple act of playing catch. This campaign complements Nokona’s leadership role in the sporting goods sector by highlighting the emotional and social advantages of engaging in the game.

Professional endorsements

Nokona boasts endorsements from prominent MLB figures including infielder Todd Walker, pitchers Jorge Sosa, Jeff Fulchino, and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. Renowned players such as David Ortiz, Miguel Cabrera, Vladimir Guerrero, and Miguel Tejada have also utilized Nokona wooden bats, strengthening the brand’s standing among elite athletes.

MLB players

Current Major League Baseball athletes who use Nokona gloves include:^[1]

↑ "Pro Athletes". nokona.com. Retrieved 14 April 2019.

[1] "Pro Athletes". nokona.com. Retrieved 14 April 2019.

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