Thom McAn is an American brand of shoes and was formerly a retail chain. Its shoes have been sold in Kmart and Sears stores. It consists of leather-dress, casual, and sneakers (under its Tm Sport label). Until the 1990s, Thom McAn had hundreds of retail stores in the US, and was one of the oldest and best-known shoe retailers in the country. As of late 2008, the brand was controlled by Sears Brands, LLC.
History
Ward Melville created the Thom McAn brand with J. Franklin McElwain, a New Hampshire manufacturer. The name was inspired by Scottish golfer Thomas McCann. The first Thom McAn retail store opened in New York in 1922, selling a few simple styles at a low fixed price. Within five years, 300 stores were open, and by 1939 there were over 650 stores.[1]
In 1952, the Melville Corporation acquired the 151-outlet Miles Shoes chain; by 1955, the company operated 850 stores and 12 factories. In 1960, Melville created Meldisco, which was dedicated to leasing and supplying family shoe departments in self-service discount department stores. By the end of the 1960s, Melville was the largest US shoe retailer, operating 1,400 stores.[1]