Presidential Footwear Facts

• William Dudley established his footwear business in 1850 in the basement of his Newark, New Jersey, home. That same year, he handcrafted a pair of shoes for President Millard Fillmore. This started a tradition of craftsmanship that now spans more than 150 years.
• Abraham Lincoln had the largest foot of any U.S. president, wearing a size 14 shoe. This was Johnston & Murphy’s largest documented shoe produced since the company began its presidential footwear program.
• During Ulysses S. Grant’s term starting in 1869, he requested that William Dudley craft knee-high riding boots. Johnston & Murphy still has the original last, the wooden frames that help determine the shape and size of shoes, used to make President Grant’s boots.
• While in office, Rutherford B. Hayes wore a diminutive size 7. He had the smallest foot of any U.S. president.
• Before being assassinated in 1881, James Garfield selected a pair of black plain toe boots.
• Grover Cleveland, along with Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman, wore a size 9.
• In 1901, Teddy Roosevelt was probably dreaming of hiking around the national parks while he was being fitted for his size 9.5D cap toe, lace-up chukka boots.
• A dapper sort, Woodrow Wilson requested size 9 white buckskin cap toe lace-ups, better known as “bucks.” This traditionally Southern preppy shoe staple, even in the early 1900s, has recently made a strong comeback across the country. Johnston & Murphy continues to offer bucks with collections like the Brennan.
• Herbert Hoover requested his shoes in a size 11.5AA, the narrowest Johnston & Murphy has ever created for a president.
• Harry Truman was the first president to select a true classic, a size 9 black cap toe. This timeless oxford has also been the choice of many other presidents, including Dwight Eisenhower (10.5), Ronald Reagan (10.5), George H. W. Bush (11), Bill Clinton (13) and George W. Bush (10.5).
• John F. Kennedy maintained his image as a smart leader and a sharp dresser by donning a traditional black wingtip in size 10. Richard Nixon followed in Kennedy’s footsteps by making the same selection. Nixon wore his shoes so often he sent them back to Johnston & Murphy to be re-soled.
• Lyndon Johnson needed specially designed shoes to accommodate the difference between his right foot (11C) and his left foot (11.5C). During his presidency, Johnston & Murphy made several pairs of shoes for him, including a black, plain toe, slip-on and a chestnut-colored, five-eyelet lace-up.
• Gerald Ford’s selection of a size 10D slip-on, tassel chukka boot crafted from soft, brown leather was a sign of the times. Style trends in the 70s, even in the White House, veered from the traditions of the 40s, 50s and 60s.
• When Bill Clinton won the election in 1993, Johnston & Murphy crafted him size 13D classic black cap toe lace-ups, as well as a pair of blue suede shoes in recognition of his love of playing the saxophone.
• In 2001, Johnston & Murphy made President George W. Bush a sophisticated dress oxford – a six-eyelet, straight tip cap toe, bal oxford in black Italian calfskin in a size 10.5E, very similar to his father’s selection in 1989.
• In addition to the size 12 black runoff oxfords handcrafted for President Obama in 2009, Johnston & Murphy also fashioned a pair of boots inspired by the pair the company custom-made for Abraham Lincoln in 1861.