Thom McAn
| Company type | Brand |
|---|---|
| Industry | Footwear |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Founder | Ward Melville, J. Franklin McElwain |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Leather dress shoes, casual footwear, sneakers (Tm Sport) |
| Owner | Sears Brands, LLC (since 2008) |
Thom McAn is a historic American footwear brand and former retail chain, recognized for its leather dress shoes, casual footwear, and sneakers marketed under the Tm Sport label. Once among the United States' most longstanding and extensive shoe retailers, its merchandise was distributed through Kmart and Sears outlets. Since late 2008, the brand has been owned by Sears Brands, LLC.
History
Founded in 1922 by Ward Melville and J. Franklin McElwain, Thom McAn was named after the Scottish golfer Thomas McCann. The inaugural store launched in New York, featuring affordable fixed-price shoe styles. The chain quickly grew to 300 locations within five years and expanded further to over 650 stores by 1939.
In 1952, Melville Corporation acquired Miles Shoes, increasing its holdings to 850 stores and operating 12 manufacturing plants by 1955. To service shoe departments in discount department stores, Melville established Meldisco in 1960, a leasing and supply subsidiary. By the late 1960s, Melville managed approximately 1,400 stores, positioning itself as the largest footwear retailer in the U.S.
Throughout the 1980s, Melville diversified into businesses such as Chess King and CVS Pharmacy while simultaneously reducing its number of Thom McAn stores and closing shoe factories. The company purchased the athletic footwear chain FootAction in 1988. By 1992, Thom McAn's footprint had contracted to 730 stores, with Melville announcing plans to shutter an additional 350 locations. By 1996, all remaining Thom McAn outlets were closed or converted—about 100 became Footaction USA stores. Subsequently, Melville separated its footwear operations into Footstar to concentrate on CVS Pharmacy.
Following the retail closures, Thom McAn products continued to be sold via Kmart through departments operated by Meldisco. In 2003, Footstar broadened its distribution network to include 1,500 Walmart stores. In 2005, Sears Holdings reached an agreement with Footstar—then in bankruptcy—to manage Kmart shoe departments until 2008. Afterward, Sears acquired remaining inventory and purchased Footstar's intellectual property rights, including the Thom McAn trademark.
See also
- G.R. Kinney Company, also known as Kinney Shoes