PW Minor – History and quality

The PW Minor shoe business started in 1886 when Peter Wycoff Minor (the original PW) and his younger brother Abrahm Vorhees decided to go into the shoe business. Like most American shoemakers, they began mass-producing shoes after the Civil War.

Both brothers were veterans and witnessed the large-scale need for uniform boots and shoes that was horribly evident during the long years of fighting. (This marks a departure from the period in American shoemaking history when people went to a shoemaker to ask for shoes that fit specifically for their feet. With thousands of soldiers marching far from home, the military needed to deliver boots to soldiers without soldiers measuring each soldier’s feet first. They needed a system where sizes could be ordered in massive quantities).

Minor Brothers Boots and Shoes opened in 1867. (Apparently someone later in the company’s history decided that Abrahm Vorhees wasn’t important enough to be included in the company’s title.) With 20 shoemakers on board, the Minor brothers began building their family’s shoe empire, which continues today with Henry Minor III at the helm.

As the company developed, he decided to focus on orthopedic footwear. PW Minor now makes shoes for people with the following conditions: diabetes, arthritis, bunions, foot trauma, hammer toe, plantar fasciitis, and metatarsalgia. For plantar fasciitis, for example, PW Minor recommends shoes with long medial counters. A shoe’s counter is a feature used to stiffen the back of the shoe, right where the heel sits. PW Minor also offers extra depth shoes to fit custom orthotics that are often prescribed to provide support and pain relief for people with plantar fasciitis.

In addition to specific shoes for injuries or deformities, PW Minor offers a variety of shoe styles. Customers can purchase athletic, dress, or casual footwear (as well as a wide variety of steel-toed boots and shoes) on their website. They also offer “medical shoes”, which may be suitable for someone recovering from surgery or trauma to the foot. Talk to your podiatrist for more details. PW Minor is also an attractive brand for people with foot injuries and deformities because their shoes come in a wide range of sizes and widths. Women’s shoes range from size 5 to 13 and come in widths from N (2A) to 3W (4E). Men’s shoes range from size 7 to 15 and come in widths from N (B) to 3W (5E). PW Minor gets you pretty close to a custom fit!