Here at Jack Schwartz Shoes, LLC. we are more than just a footwear company – we are a family owned establishment that takes great pride in our craft. Our mission has always been to provide fashionable, comfortable and durable products. With 4 generations of family, and 8 decades of experience, our versatility and unparalleled perseverance are the keys to our success.
80 YEARS
OF INNOVATION
COMPANY HISTORY
Jack Schwartz Shoes, LLC. (JSS) is a family-owned business that has been an American manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer of footwear for over 80 years. With offices in Midtown, New York and Guangzhou, China, JSS currently manufactures Lugz Footwear and British Knights Sneakers and holds the exclusive men's footwear license for Emeril Lagasse and Ben Sherman. 2012 saw the first licensing agreement for JSS – to become a licensee of Andrew Marc / Marc New York Men’s footwear. Since then, JSS formed a partnership with Chef Emeril Lagasse to provide footwear for professionals in the restaurant industry and Artist Guy Harvey to provide boating and coastal casual footwear. Recently, JSS entered a partnership with Ben Sherman to produce Ben Sherman footwear. JSS continues to look for more opportunities to provide manufacturing capabilities to existing brands.
Jack Schwartz Shoes was founded at the height of the depression on March 1, 1936. The first storefront was located at 115 West Broadway in New York City. In 1940, the business moved to 138 Duane Street and stayed at that location for 50 years until moving to their Soho location in 1990. The office recently moved to a new location in mid-town Manhattan. In the early days, JSS was a wholesaler of well-known brands such as Kent Howard and Charles Walker. Jack Schwartz passed away at the early age of 44 in 1944 and his son, Donald, stepped in and kept the family’s dream alive. Jack’s other son Bernard completed college and joined the business in 1946 and was chairman of the company until he passed away in 2014. Donald’s son Jack joined the company in 1972 and is now the current chairman.
In 1976, JSS saw an opportunity to branch out and launched their first branded line of footwear – Pro Players. In 1980, Bernard’s daughter Janet Feldman joined the family business as Vice President, overseeing all Production and Operations, inclusive of both the China Offices and New York Offices. With the success of Pro Players, they launched their second brand British Knights in 1983 with the introduction of a boat shoe. In 1985, Donald’s other son Larry Schwartz joined the company.
1985 was also the year fashion athletic footwear was added to the British Knights brand, along with a full apparel division. Larry oversaw all marketing, utilizing high profile artists and athlete endorsers such as Kool Moe Dee, MC Hammer and Derrick Coleman in TV, print and radio. With the huge success of British Knights, JSS moved in 1990 to their current headquarters on Avenue of the Americas. It was also the year that British Knights expanded internationally.
As the brown shoe market took off in the 90’s, the Lugz brand was introduced in 1993 to take a lead in this new fashion trend. In addition to footwear, the brand also had huge success with their full apparel line, inclusive of denim, fleece and outerwear. In 2001, David Schwartz, Jack’s son, joined the company as a salesman and has worked in the production and design departments of the company. David is the 4th generation of his family to work at JSS and is currently the President, overseeing production and new business development.
Lugz has been endorsed by some well-known celebrities such as Erick Sermon, Snoop Dogg, FunkMaster Flex, Birdman and the Orange County Choppers. Lugz is trademarked throughout the world for both footwear and apparel. Amidst the success of Lugz, a 4th brand name was developed and in 2005, the Sneaux skate fashion footwear line was introduced. Sneaux was launched with Steve-O of Jackass fame as its endorser and gained ground in the skate fashion arena.
BRANDS
BEN SHERMAN
Ben Sherman and Jack Schwartz Shoes, LLC. announced a new footwear licensing deal for North America. Established in 1963, and synonymous with British youth culture, the Ben Sherman brand has been a fixture across generations of style movements. Now a new line of footwear will add to its illustrious history with JSS at the helm. The brand-new Ben Sherman footwear line will span across athletic, causal, trend, canvas, and boot styles within men’s and kids’ footwear categories. Inspired by Ben Sherman’s heritage, while presenting new interpretations of modern classics utilizing branding elements like the vertical mod stripe.
EMERIL FOOTWEAR
Chef Emeril Lagasse and Jack Schwartz Shoes,LLC. announced a partnership to produce a new shoe line specially designed for professionals in the restaurant industry. Culinary icon Emeril Lagasse, the founder of twelve restaurants and star of popular shows Emeril Live and Top Chef, brings to the footwear industry his years of restaurant experience and an intimate understanding of the particular demands of culinary professionals. Emeril Lagasse slip and stain–resistant footwear will offer restaurant industry professionals shoes designed to provide maximum protection and comfort for demanding work days. Emeril Lagasse duty shoes reimagine work footwear with innovations in style, safety, and comfort; the shoes will be available for purchase starting November 1.
BRITISH KNIGHTS
Born in NYC, British Knights were dreamt up by sneaker biz underdogs, a small, family-owned company with four generations of experience in the footwear game. Back in an era when sneakers meant sports, British Knights took their cues from the street - from the fresh new energy of hip hop music and the explosive colors of graffiti art. Inspired by our own unique place in pop culture history, British Knights is finally back, with a new look and a new mantra. For us, artists are the new athletes. Our revamped, resurrected line reflects this philosophy by nurturing design partnerships and creative projects with up-and-coming artists from around the globe. Get ready for a series of inspired alliances and collaborative creations that will honor BK’s long legacy of imagination and originality.
LUGZ
Always an innovator and leader in footwear, Lugz first made a name for itself in October of 1993. Bringing its first line of boots to market, the initial product consisting of two styles of boots, a quilted vest and a pair of jeans. Soon Lugz was endorsed by key players from the world of hip hop and has continued to do so through out the years. One such collaboration led Lugz to breathe life to a whole new category of footwear with the introduction of the first ever celebrity-endorsed "Funk Master Flex" urban driving shoe. This was only the beginning as support then lead to a collaborative line with hip-hop superstar Bryan "Baby" Williams, aka "Birdman" with his own series of sneakers and boots. Lugz continues to work with many influencers from around the world to continue to keep the brand current and fresh.