Foard-Harwood Shoes

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For nearly 40 years, Foard-Harwood sold shoes at 915 4th Ave., a prime location
just four doors from the Keith-Albee Theater.  In 1972, it moved to 401 9th St.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HUNTINGTON -- David A. Foard Sr. came to Huntington in 1912 and took a job as a shoe salesman.
 After serving in the military, he returned to Huntington and became manager
 of the shoe department at the Anderson-Newcomb department store.

In 1924, James J. Henry sold his Henry Shoe Co. at 915 4th Ave. to William M. Ayers and S.C. Harwood,
 who operated it as Ayers and Harwood until 1935, when David Foard purchased
Ayers' interest and the store became Foard-Harwood, Inc.

David Foard Jr. joined the business in the late 1930s, left to serve with the Army in World War II,
and then returned to the store in 1946. Paul Foard, the son of David Jr. and his wife Betty,
later joined the business.

For nearly 40 years, Foard-Harwood sold shoes at the same 4th Avenue address where
James Henry had his shop - a prime location just four doors from the Keith-Albee Theater.
(Today, the building is long gone and the site is part of a parking lot.)

In 1972, the long-time shoe store took a major step when it relocated to 401 9th St,
in a building that previously housed the Hotel Governor Cabell. In 1980,
the store took another big step when it opened at the Huntington Mall.

Over the years, some of the well-known brands the store carried included
 I. Miller, Grayflex, Mademoiselle and Pappagallo for women, Nunn-Bush,
Arch Preservers and Edgarton for men, and Stride-Rite for children.

Foard-Harwood became well known to local radio-TV listeners for its catchy
 jingle about "Half price, half price, half price shoes."

The downtown store closed in 1994, and the mall store closed in 2003.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Note:  This Article and picture appeared in the Herald-Dispatch Newspaper on Nov. 21, 2016.

-----------------------------------------------------------

[ Back ]