In 1896 a printer named Humphrey O’Sullivan invented the rubber heel after he nailed a piece of rubber floor mat to the bottom of his shoes. After patenting his creation and a $25,000.00 investment, the O’Sullivan Rubber Company was born. Humphrey eventually retired from printing and the O’Sullivan Rubber Company branched out to the production of vinyl sheeting . If you want to read more about the O’Sullivan Rubber Company visit SCRIPOPHILY.
So recently I came across a piece of O’Sullivan History. If you check out the video below, its an original salesman sample for O’Sullivan’s rubber heel. I’ve been told that the heel was discovered in a home somewhere in Wisconsin that had been sealed since 1910 (until recently) due to a family trust issue. There is no date on the heel but maybe a current or former employee could verify the date of this gem. For now, get your history lesson on with the video, ads, and picture below.
