WWW

Wolverine World Wide, Inc.

A footwear maker that owns some of America's most familiar shoe brands, including Merrell, Hush Puppies, Saucony, and Sperry, worn everywhere from hiking trails to office floors. It got its start in 1883 as a small shoe company in Rockford, Michigan, taking its name from the wolverine, the mascot of the state nicknamed the Wolverine State. A fun quirk: the company once produced the original Hush Puppies casual shoe, whose name came from the Southern snack cornmeal hush puppies used to quiet barking dogs.