Brown Shoe Changing its Name to Caleres, Launching Men’s Boot Brand

Brown Shoe Company — which operates the Famous Footwear chain and manufactures shoes under ten brands including Naturalizer, Dr. Scholl’s Shoes, Vince and Carlos Santana — will rebrand itself as Caleres. The company says the new name is derived from a Latin word that means “to be passionate.”

“We’re excited about our rebranding initiative, which will use our history to fuel our future,” said CEO Diane Sullivan in a statement. “Our new brand identity reminds us of the legacy we must preserve as we build for another century of progress. Part of that identity is our name and mark, and these two elements demonstrate the passion behind our 137-year-old success story and help set the benchmark for the continued importance of fit to our future.”

While the company will no longer operate under the Brown name, it isn’t losing it entirely. It’s launching a men’s footwear brand called Brown Shoe Bootmakers for 2016.

“This is the perfect time to return the Brown name to its roots as a consumer facing brand,” Sullivan added. “It’s a great opportunity to honor our heritage and organically grow our business.