G. H Bass
Though best known for their effortlessly stylish Weejun loafer the G.H Bass & Co. company has a much broader history than the simple leather moccasin. Started in 1876 by mister George Henry Bass his company’s emphasis was on working shoes, and in his own words, trying to make "the best possible shoes for the purpose for which it will be used". He spent time speaking to those who would want his products and what they wanted from them.
He made a variety of lightweight but durable footwear for woodsmen, hunters and farmers alike for when boots were too warm or un-necessary. After developing moccasin ski boot in 1910, and with the rise of commercial and combat flying in 1918 the company was commissioned by the U.S government to create the official flying boot, designed for used at high altitude giving the wear protection and insulation for the extreme cold, by 1924 the company’s emphasis was moving more towards leisure wear and in that years catalogue the Bass shoe “For Hard Service” is renamed “Bass Outdoor Footwear” though they still manufactured working boots and between 1928 to 1938 Admiral Richard E. Byrd wore Bass Ski boots on his first, second and third Antarctic Expeditions. By 1936 the first Weejun was made as a casual moccasin taking its inspiration and colloquial name from Norwegian farm shoes and Bass was accepted as a fashion shoe brand, worn by movies stars such as Paul Newman, Steve Mqueen, Audrey Hepburn, and a staple of the Ivy League set and ‘Modernists’ has made them an enduring style with effortless casual charm.