Retail · Greater Fredericton

The Hartt Shoe Company is a heritage Canadian men's footwear brand, founded in Fredericton in 1898 and revived in 2017 by local entrepreneurs Peter McMath and Andrew Bedford. The original Hartt factory at York and Argyle streets made shoes for over a century; the company says its footwear has been worn by Canadian prime ministers, British kings, and five generations of Canadian leaders. The factory closed in 2000, and the building has since been converted to apartments, but the relaunched brand carries the name forward from its home base at 59 York Street downtown.

Today Hartt sells premium Goodyear-welted dress shoes and boots, along with loafers, sneakers, handmade belts, luggage, cedar shoe trees, and Saphir shoe care products. The shoes are handcrafted in England, Spain, and Portugal rather than in Fredericton, and the company remains fully Canadian owned. Goodyear-welted construction means the soles can be replaced and the shoes resoled for years, which is the practical case for the price point; customer reviews on the company site consistently mention quality and comfort.

Most of Hartt's business runs through its online store at hartt.ca, which offers shipping at no extra cost on orders over $150. The York Street address is listed as an office on the second floor, next to The Ginger Agency, and the company has previously operated a retail presence there, so if you want to see or try the shoes in person, contact customerservice@hartt.ca first to confirm current walk-in arrangements. For a piece of Fredericton manufacturing history you can actually wear, this is it.

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