About Munro American

Munro American is a family owned company that has been striving to meet the diverse footwear needs of women since 1972. Munro & Company, Inc, came to fruition through the New Hampshire-based Connors & Hoffman Footwear Company. Don Munro, the manager of the southern division of the company, which consisted of 3 shoe manufacturing plants in Arkansas, had established plants in Hot Springs, Wynn and Mount Ida in the 1960’s. These sites would later become the core of Munro & Company, producing leather shoes and boots for both men and women, to be sold in the stores of major retailers nationwide.

In the 1980’s, a majority of Munro’s competitors were choosing to move their manufacturing and operations to China to cut costs. American workers were being paid $4 to $5 dollars an hour for a 40 hour work week while their Chinese counterparts were paid $10 a month for a 56 hour work week. Don Munro refused to follow in his competitor’s footsteps and move his operations to China, which would lead to the laying off American workers. He had always believed in buying American, and always purchased American products for himself and his family.

Faced with competitor’s plunging prices, Don Munro called upon his children to assist him in changing the face of the company to allow them to maintain competitiveness in the shoe market. The change they needed came in the form of a shift in the company’s focus. They would make shoes for women whose feet fell outside the normal sizes that most shoe companies offered.

By committing to keep their operations based in the United States, Munro would no longer be able to sell in major national retailers such as Wal-Mart, Sears or JC Penny. They started their own line under the name of Munro American and started to sell their shoes in specialty retailers nationwide.

What sets Munro apart from their competitors is their wide variety of sizes, both normal and uncommon. Munro offers 75 different sizes, from 4 to 14, super slim to wide wide, in each style the company sells. Most typical mass-producing manufacturers only offer 17 different sizes per style, according to Mollie Munro, daughter of Don Munro and Vice-President of the company.

Munro’s philosophy for the shoes they produce has changed over the years. They aim to offer shoes that keep the buyer fashionable and comfortable for a long time. They know that a shoe that sits in the closet is no bargain to the consumer.