Focus on American The Frye Company brand … The brand The Frye Company was founded in 1863 by John A. Frye, an English shoemaker who opened a small shop on Elm Street in Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA. The shoes are made weren’t icons of fashion or fanciful in style. They served a simple purpose: to ease the daily working lives of the hundreds of factory workers in that small New England town. The individuals who wore the first Frye shoes were just like us: people who valiantly labored, honing skill and craft, supporting their families and community. When homesteading sparked adventurous New England families to head west in the mid and late 1800s, many of those pioneers wore Frye boots along the journey. The shoes were then known great success with the American army by becoming boots supplier through World War II. Today the classic Harness boot holds a treasured place in American culture, it’s found at the foot of Hollywood and international stars. The Frye Company line still includes many styles based closely on 1860 originals.