Freeman, Hardy and Willis

[1] Its subsidiary, the Leicester-based British Shoe Corporation, went on to own the Trueform, Curtess, Dolcis, Manfield, Saxone, and Lilley & Skinner brands.

During the early 1960s the paper bags used to wrap the shoes were imprinted with the FHW letters and the legend "For Happy Walking".

In the early 1990s the British Shoe Corporation converted approximately half of the 540 Freeman Hardy Willis branches into Hush Puppies shops and sold the remainder to Stephen Hinchliffe, an entrepreneur from Sheffield.

He was subsequently jailed after it was found that he bribed bank officials to obtain loans to buy the company.

[3] In more recent years, the Freeman Hardy & Willis name has reappeared online, now owned by Gardiner Bros & Co (Leathers) Ltd.