Ward Melville created the Thom McAn brand with J. Franklin McElwain, a New Hampshire shoe manufacturer.

The first Thom McAn retail store opened in New York in 1922, selling a few simple styles at a low fixed price.

[2] In 1996, Melville closed the remaining Thom McAn outlets, converting approximately 100 of the locations to the Footaction USA format.

[3] With the closure of the retail outlets, Thom McAn shoes began appearing in Kmart stores, through the footwear departments operated by Meldisco.

[6] In April 2008, Sears Holdings agreed to obtain Footstar's intellectual property, including the Thom McAn brand name.