Cole Haan was founded by the creative minds of Trafton Cole and Eddie Haan in 1928 in the vibrant city of Chicago. They worked hard to establish a men’s shoe line based on quality, style, and unique craftsmanship. This hard work lead to the profitable sale of the company to a group of partners in 1975. Soon after making this purchase, the partners moved the headquarters to New York City, where they continue the legacy of Cole and Haan.  By 1982, these partners grew the line into a very well-known high-end footwear company and established a retail division with over 40 stores worldwide.

The history behind Cole Haan took another twist when Nike purchased the company for $80 million, making the 1988 acquisition Nike’s first step out of the athletic shoe game. In 2000, Nike breathed new life into Cole Haan by introducing their “Modern Artisan” line  which combined up-to-date stylinig with the high quality that Cole Haan is traditionally known for. This new line paired the Cole Haan brand with Nike Air Technology. This clear “bubble” or “window” located in the sole of the shoes was first popularized by Nike’s Air Jordan Collection. Being an Air Jordan collector, this new design put Cole Haan on my radar and eventually led to my purchasing three pairs of Cole Haan’s.

While Cole Haan is most notably known for their men’s shoes, they also offer an array of other items like their woman’s shoe line, handbags, coats, belts, watches, briefcases, sunglasses, and their signature Nike Air influenced lines. Most recently, Cole Haan introduced a line called Nike Air Flywire at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. These shoes’ revolutionary design uses high-strength threads that provide foot support much like the cable systems on suspension bridges. This system allows the shoes to be extremely lightweight while still providing exceptional foot support.

My favorite line of Cole Haan’s is the Santa Barbara collection. These slip-ons are extremely versatile and work well with either jeans or slacks, and they would be a great addition to your work or casual footwear collection. Cole Haan footwear does tend to be pricey; however, if you are looking for a well-designed, comfortable pair of shoes, they are a worthwhile investment for your shoe collection and worth every penny.

Check them out today at your local Nordstrom or online at: colehaan.com, macys.com, zappos.com, or dsw.com.