SAN
ANTONIO, Texas—Craftsman, shoemaker and
co-founder of San Antonio Shoemakers (SAS),
Terry Armstrong, was inducted into
the National Shoe Retailers Association Hall of Fame on November 14 at a
ceremony in Boston, MA. Armstrong’s posthumous induction marks the first time a
shoemaker has been named to the Hall of Fame.
Says SAS CEO Nancy Richardson, of the honor, "Terry
changed the retail landscape in the 1980s with the introduction of the
ever-popular Siesta. His vision and ingenious designs launched the SAS brand
and set the company on a path of success.” The accolade recognizes Armstrong’s
contribution in the area of excellence in shoemaking, combined with his
leadership in retail, and personal and professional integrity.
"I am honored to accept the award on behalf of my
grandfather,” said Tyler Remmert, who works in the manufacturing department of
SAS. "His passion and legacy will continue to live on through the SAS brand,”
he added.
Armstrong joins the likes of former NSRA President William
Boettge, author and footwear historian William Rossi and retail leader Lloyd W.
Nordstrom, all who have had a tremendous impact on the footwear industry.
Disappointed in the diminishing quality and move to foreign manufacturing that occured in the 1970s, Terry Armstrong and Lew
Hayden founded SAS in 1976 in San Antonio, Texas. They began making shoes that set a new
standard: superb craftsmanship and extraordinary comfort. With Armstrong and
Hayden’s enduring legacy, SAS continues to produce shoes with the same
painstaking care and to exacting standards with the very best materials
available. The company now operates locations throughout the United States and
sells products throughout its distribution network across the country and
internationally.
About San Antonio
Shoemakers (SAS)
In 1976, San Antonio Shoemakers (SAS) started a
quiet revolution in footwear offering superb craftsmanship and extraordinary
comfort. Co-founders Terry Armstrong and Lew Hayden countered a national trend
of diminishing quality and cheap foreign manufacturing when they began making
shoes that set a new standard in footwear. Today, the company still makes
hand-crafted shoes in Texas to exacting standards with the very best materials
available, making its own shoe forms so that it can offer an unparalleled
fit—73 sizes for women and 89 for men—and astonishing comfort. Carried in 200+
SAS stores and in retailers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia,
Korea, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Israel—the San Antonio Shoemakers brand is a
humble American success story, and continues to be a family-owned enterprise
driven by an obsession with fit and quality. Inspiring an ardent customer-base
for decades, San Antonio Shoemakers continues to take extra steps, so customers
can too. SAS. Keep Moving.