History

1904 | Belleville Shoe Mfg Co founded

Five Belleville businessmen – Adolph Knobeloch, H.E., Leunig, J.B. Reis, James Rentchler and William Weidmann – founded Belleville Shoe Manufacturing Co. in ... more >
1917-1933 | Early boots

During World War I, Belleville Shoe received its first order for military footwear. This began an enterprise that has sustained the company ever since. ... more >
1945 | "E" for Excellence Award

Military production resumed during World War II, and the War Department was so impressed with the firm’s products and its unfailing on-time delivery that it bestowed its coveted Army-Navy “E” Award on the firm in 1945... more >
1950-1960’s | Partnered with Rawlings Sporting Goods

Belleville Shoe branched out into athletic shoe production, making baseball, football, golf, soccer, bowling and track shoes under the RAWLINGS brand. Baseball great Stan Musial was their best... more >
1991 | Quality Excellence Award

The company won the Defense Department’s prestigious Defense Quality Excellence Award in appreciation for its performance in meeting an urgent, accelerated deadline. Belleville delivered... more >
1993 | Prime Contractor of the Year

Named National Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year. The company competed first regionally and then nationally for the award, which recognizes outstanding small businesses that supply the federal government... more >
2002 | Expanded Capacity

Belleville made the shift from a traditional military boot specification adopter to the leading footwear innovator, allowing Belleville to be first to market with new boot designs and construction methods.... more >
2006 | Large Business Vendor Excellence Award

Belleville Shoe was the Large Business award recipient when the Defense Logistics Agency honored 18 industry partners with their Vendor Excellence Award. The award recognizes individual... more >
2008 | 3rd Factory Opened

Due to increased demand among all services for our military boots, Belleville opened a third 31,000 square-foot factory in Forrest City, AR to again, increase our boot making capacity... more >
2009 | TR Boot Line Introduced

Belleville continued its extensive investment in footwear technology and science through the creation of our Tactical Research division; which combines 100+ years of boot-making... more >
Today | Leading Boot Provider

Belleville Boot continues to be the leading provider and innovator of combat, protective, flight and tactical military boots for the US Department of Defense (DoD). At 108 years old and over 1 million pairs of military boots sold annually,... more >