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Jul 2, 2022 · Bruce Katz, who with his father started the Rockport Shoe Company in 1971 and established walking shoes as a vibrant footwear category, died on June 26 in Greenbrae, Calif. He was 75.
Bruce Richard Katz (February 17, 1947 – June 26, 2022) was an American entrepreneur who co-founded The Rockport Shoe Company in 1971 and served as its CEO until its sale to Reebok International in 1986.
Jul 11, 2022 · Bruce R. Katz, the founder of the Rockport Shoe Company and Samuel Hubbard Shoe Company, has passed away. CREDIT: Courtesy of Samuel Hubbard Shoe Company. “He was the ultimate visionary.”
Founded in Marlborough, Massachusetts, in 1971 by Saul L. Katz and his son, Bruce R. Katz, the company marketed walking as a healthy alternative to running. In 2023 the Rockport Group was acquired by Authentic Brands Group.
Bruce R. Katz, who revolutionized the shoe industry as the founder of the Rockport Shoe Company and Samuel Hubbard Shoe Company, took the final step of his journey on June 26, 2022, after suffering a head injury from a fall at his home in Mill Valley, California, according to his family.
If there’s such a thing as a shoemaking gene, Bruce Katz has it. As a third generation shoemaker, he’s learned a few things over the years: technique and craftsmanship, quality, materials, how to treat people, and how to weather a storm.
The Rockport story begins when Father and Son team Saul and Bruce Katz purchased 3000 pairs of specially developed moccasins by shoe developer Walter Dryer in Rockport Massachusetts.
