Genesco
Genesco is a Nashville-based specialty retailer and wholesaler of branded and licensed footwear and accessories.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Genesco is an American specialty retail and footwear company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Its business combines direct-to-consumer retailing, wholesale distribution, brand licensing, and the operation of branded footwear chains. The company is best known for Journeys, Johnston & Murphy, Schuh, and its Dockers footwear business, while its portfolio has also included Journeys Kidz and Little Burgundy. Although Genesco is often encountered by consumers through individual retail banners rather than through the corporate name, it operates as a multi-brand footwear group serving different age groups, styles, price points, and geographic markets. The company was founded in Nashville in 1924 as Jarman Shoe Company by James Franklin Jarman, J.H. Lawson, and William Hatch Wemyss, who had previously worked as salesmen for Carter Shoe Co. It initially operated as a footwear manufacturer and expanded rapidly. In 1933, it adopted the name General Shoe Corporation, and it completed an initial public offering in 1939. During the 1950s, the company operated factories in a number of Southern communities, particularly in Tennessee, and was a significant domestic footwear manufacturer. The business later diversified beyond manufacturing. Under the leadership of W. Maxey Jarman, the company entered additional product and retail categories as footwear production increasingly shifted overseas. Its activities at various points included sports products, department-store ownership, and other retail formats. Genesco owned or operated businesses such as Bonwit Teller, S. H. Kress & Co., Henri Bendel, and Flagg Bros., in addition to its Jarman footwear operations. This expansion created a broad but complex corporate portfolio, and the company subsequently experienced difficulties associated with over-diversification and prolonged weakness in domestic manufacturing. The name Genesco was adopted in 1959, two years after the company was selected as one of the stocks included in the first S&P 500 Index. The company underwent a period of family-related management conflict in the 1970s. In 1973, Franklin M. Jarman became chief executive while his father, W. Maxey Jarman, had previously led the company. In January 1977, the board removed Franklin M. Jarman as president and chief executive officer while retaining him as chairman, and appointed William M. Blackie as interim chief executive while it searched for permanent leadership. A major strategic transition occurred in 2002. Genesco closed its Johnston & Murphy manufacturing plant in Nashville and ended its remaining United States-based footwear manufacturing operations. The company thereafter relied on independent offshore manufacturers for its branded and licensed footwear. This marked a shift from vertically integrated domestic production toward brand management, sourcing, wholesale, and retail operations. Genesco's retail platform expanded internationally through its June 2011 acquisition of Schuh, a United Kingdom footwear retailer and web business. In 2015, it acquired Little Burgundy, a Montreal-based footwear retailer aimed at fashion-conscious teenagers and young adults. Journeys, which opened its first store in 1986, became a central part of the company's youth-oriented retail strategy, while Johnston & Murphy continued to serve a more traditional adult customer through footwear, apparel, luggage, leather goods, stores, and wholesale channels. Genesco therefore evolved from a regional shoe manufacturer into a portfolio-based footwear retailer and wholesaler with operations in North America and the United Kingdom.
History
Genesco traces its origins to 1924, when James Franklin Jarman, J.H. Lawson, and William Hatch Wemyss founded Jarman Shoe Company in Nashville, Tennessee. All three founders had previously worked as salesmen for Carter Shoe Co. The new business began as a footwear manufacturer and grew quickly. In 1933, it changed its name to General Shoe Corporation, and the company went public in 1939. During the 1950s, General Shoe operated factories across the Southern United States, with a particularly strong manufacturing presence in Tennessee. Its original business model was based on domestic production, but the company gradually broadened its activities as footwear manufacturing began shifting to lower-cost overseas locations. W. Maxey Jarman, the son of co-founder James Franklin Jarman, led the company through a period of diversification into additional product categories and retail businesses. These activities included sports products and ownership of retail operations such as Bonwit Teller and S. H. Kress & Co. The company adopted the name Genesco in 1959. Two years earlier, it had been selected as one of the companies represented in the first S&P 500 Index. Genesco later expanded its retail portfolio through businesses including Jarman's Shoes, Bonwit Teller, Henri Bendel, and Flagg Bros. The breadth of these activities eventually contributed to concerns about over-diversification, while the company's continuing domestic manufacturing operations placed pressure on results. Management succession became contentious in the 1970s. In 1973, Franklin M. Jarman, the grandson of the original founder, became president and chief executive officer while also serving as chairman. On January 2, 1977, Genesco's board removed him as president and chief executive officer, although he remained chairman with authority limited by the interim chief executive and the board's leadership structure. William M. Blackie was appointed interim chief executive while directors sought a permanent replacement. In 2002, Chief Executive Ben Harris announced the closure of the Johnston & Murphy plant in Nashville. The decision followed a sustained decline in demand for welted shoes as consumers adopted more casual clothing and footwear. The closure eliminated 40 positions and represented the end of Genesco's United States-based shoe manufacturing. From that point, Genesco used independent third-party manufacturers located offshore to produce its branded and licensed footwear. Genesco increasingly emphasized retail banners, wholesale distribution, and brand management. Journeys, a youth-oriented footwear chain, opened its first store at Rivergate Mall in Nashville in December 1986. Johnston & Murphy remained a core adult footwear and accessories business, serving customers through company-operated stores and wholesale accounts. Dockers footwear was marketed under license from Levi Strauss & Co. and distributed through department and specialty stores. International expansion accelerated in 2011, when Genesco acquired Schuh, a United Kingdom retail and online footwear business. In 2015, it acquired Little Burgundy, a Montreal retailer serving fashion-conscious teenagers and young adults. These transactions reinforced Genesco's portfolio approach: Journeys and Little Burgundy targeted younger consumers, Schuh provided a major United Kingdom retail platform, Johnston & Murphy occupied a more traditional adult and premium position, and Dockers extended the company's wholesale licensed-brand activities. Genesco's modern identity is therefore that of a publicly owned specialty retailer and wholesaler rather than a vertically integrated domestic shoe manufacturer.
- 2015
Little Burgundy is acquired
[1]Genesco acquired the Montreal footwear retailer Little Burgundy, strengthening its presence in youth and trend-focused retail.
- 2011
Schuh is acquired
[1]Genesco acquired the United Kingdom footwear retailer and its web business.
- 2002
Domestic footwear manufacturing ends
[1]Genesco closed the Johnston & Murphy factory in Nashville and moved fully away from company-operated United States footwear manufacturing.
- 1986
First Journeys store opens
[1]Genesco opened the first Journeys store at Rivergate Mall in Nashville, establishing a major youth-oriented retail banner.
- 1977
Board removes Franklin M. Jarman as CEO
[1]The board removed Franklin M. Jarman as president and chief executive officer and installed William M. Blackie as interim chief executive.
- 1973
Franklin M. Jarman becomes chief executive
[1]Franklin M. Jarman assumed the additional role of chief executive officer during a period of family-led management.
- 1959
Corporate name changes to Genesco
[1]The company adopted the Genesco name, reflecting its increasingly diversified business activities.
- 1957
Selected for the first S&P 500 Index
[1]General Shoe was selected as one of the stocks included in the first S&P 500 Index.
- 1939
Initial public offering
[1]General Shoe Corporation completed its initial public stock offering.
- 1933
The company becomes General Shoe Corporation
[1]Jarman Shoe Company adopted the General Shoe Corporation name as its footwear manufacturing business expanded.
Products and positioning
A multi-brand footwear retail and wholesale group spanning youth fashion, casual footwear, traditional adult footwear, and licensed branded products.
Footwear, apparel, luggage, and leather goods
Johnston & Murphy
Johnston & Murphy is Genesco's traditional adult-oriented footwear and accessories business. It sells men's and women's footwear along with apparel, luggage, and leather goods through branded retail stores and wholesale distribution to department and specialty stores. The business historically included domestic manufacturing, but Genesco closed its Nashville plant in 2002 and subsequently sourced production from independent offshore manufacturers.
Youth footwear retail · 1986
Journeys
Journeys is a specialty footwear retailer aimed primarily at teenagers and young adults. It carries a broad selection of branded and fashion-oriented footwear and operates as one of Genesco's principal consumer-facing retail banners. The first Journeys store opened at Rivergate Mall in Nashville in December 1986.
Children's footwear retail
Journeys Kidz
Journeys Kidz extends the Journeys retail concept to children. Its stores offer many of the brands and styles associated with Journeys in smaller sizes, giving Genesco a dedicated format for children's footwear and family shopping occasions.
United Kingdom footwear retail
Schuh
Schuh is a United Kingdom footwear retailer and e-commerce business acquired by Genesco in 2011. It sells branded footwear and related products through physical stores and online channels, giving Genesco a significant international retail platform.
Youth and fashion footwear retail
Little Burgundy
Little Burgundy is a Montreal-based footwear retailer focused on fashionable products for teenagers and young adults. Genesco acquired the business in 2015, adding a Canadian youth-oriented retail banner to its portfolio.
Licensed casual footwear
Dockers Footwear
Dockers Footwear is marketed under a license from Levi Strauss & Co. and represents Genesco's licensed-brand wholesale activity. The line focuses on casual footwear distributed through department stores and specialty retail accounts.
Brand decisions
2015
Acquisition of Little BurgundyM&ABackground
Genesco continued building its portfolio of youth-oriented and fashion-focused specialty footwear retailers.
Action taken
The company acquired Little Burgundy, a Montreal-based retailer serving trend-conscious teenagers and young adults.
Aftermath
The acquisition added a Canadian retail banner to Genesco's branded specialty footwear group.
2011
Acquisition of SchuhM&ABackground
Genesco sought to expand its specialty footwear retail platform beyond North America.
Action taken
The company acquired Schuh, including its United Kingdom retail chain and web business.
Aftermath
Schuh became an international component of Genesco's multi-banner footwear portfolio.
2002
Exit from United States footwear manufacturingStrategyBackground
Demand for welted shoes had weakened as consumers adopted more casual clothing, while Genesco's domestic manufacturing operations had been weighing on performance.
Action taken
Genesco closed the Johnston & Murphy plant in Nashville, eliminated 40 positions, and began using independent offshore manufacturers for branded and licensed footwear.
Aftermath
The decision completed Genesco's transition from a domestic footwear manufacturer toward outsourced production, brand management, wholesale distribution, and specialty retailing.
Recent events
Genesco appoints John F. Lambros to its board[2]
Reported:
Genesco announced that John F. Lambros was appointed to its board of directors, effective October 28, 2020; he was also appointed to the compensation committee.
Genesco completes acquisition of Togast US assets[3]
Genesco announced that it had closed its acquisition of the US assets of Togast LLC.
Genesco enters US footwear license agreement with Levi's[3]
At the closing of its Togast acquisition, Genesco entered a new US footwear license agreement for men's, women's and children's footwear for Levi's and renewed and extended its men's Dockers footwear license.
Sources3 sources
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