The origins of the legendary Deer Stags brand are sure to be debated by shoe-ological historians for years to come. Should the brand as its currently known be credited to the Osceola Shoe Company, a traditional family business which launched the original Deer Stags line of comfortable, slip-lasted casual shoes in 1929? Perhaps the modern Deer Stags owes more to its present parent company, the Glen Shoe Company. Founded in 1968, they found success with a savvy understanding of pop culture trends, launching a Saturday Night Fever line of disco shoes and signing promotional deals with shows like Star Trek and Mork & Mindy.

Maybe it's best to view Deer Stags as a child and credit both parent companies with the brand's development. Since its Depression-era launch, Deer Stags has made its reputation providing comfortable and dependable dress and casual shoes to regular, hard-working people just as the Page family (Osceola Shoe Company's original founders) intended when they launched the line.

A line of Deer Stags shoes made from comfy, pliable deerskin set a new standard for feel-good shoes in the 1970s, and models such as the Times (a men's casual dress shoe) have long been favored footwear purchases for shoppers in mall department stores across the map. But like the Glen Company, which acquired the rights to the Deer Stags brand in 1989, Deer Stags shoes aren't afraid to change and adapt with the times.

While famous for its rugged, high quality business and work footwear, Deer Stags probably won't be releasing a line of disco shoes anytime soon. Their development of the revolutionary S.U.P.R.O. technology shows the company isn't afraid of utilizing new ideas to make their shoes as comfortable as possible, and their recent launch of the Oh¬ÖDeer! line of stylish, trendy women's shoes shows that Deer Stags isn't afraid of having fun.