4 TOWER | FALL 2023 FEATURE BY VICKI MAYK Audrey Zimmerman ’14 always knew what she wanted to do when she grew up. From an early age, she planned to join her family’s business, the Kepner Scott Shoe Co., which produces handmade children’s shoes in Orwigsburg, Pa. At 135 years old, it’s America’s oldest children’s shoe company. “I remember wearing our footwear as a little girl and visiting the shoe company. Our team was like family to me,” Zimmerman says, noting that the firm’s 21 employees boast an average of 30 years with the company. “I just knew I wanted to be part of it one day. I felt it was so special, this family tradition of making footwear.” Now, as the fourth generation to lead the company, she’s launched a new line of children’s footwear under a daughter company, Zimmerman Shoes. Designs sold under the new brand are based on heritage designs created by her great-grandfather and grandfather. Even though most shoe manufacturing has moved overseas, the company’s shoes are still made in Pennsylvania. A STEP BACK IN TIME Kepner Scott began in 1888. The company was purchased by Zimmerman’s great-grandfather, Milo, in 1961. Working with his son, Clair – her grandfather – the two men saved what had been a failing business. Milo revolutionized the way children’s shoes were made. Previously, the shoe’s upper was sewn to the sole, making it inflexible. Replacing it with a process called cement construction made for a more comfortable shoe, and the process is now the industry standard. One of the shoes sold by Zimmerman Shoes, the Milo Boot, is based on one of his designs and named in his honor. Company leadership passed to Zimmerman’s father, Steve (pictured above), and his sister, Sue Murphy, in 2000. Although his daughter has assumed a leadership role, Steve Zimmerman still oversees production and Murphy is responsible for order fulfillment and inventory. Both are members of the board of directors, providing more than a half-century of knowledge about the children’s shoe industry. Other family members also serve on the board, including Zimmerman’s husband, Jeff Gaddy, Audrey Zimmerman ’14 co-owns the oldest children’s shoe company in America
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