Two Ten Through the Decades
For the past 85 years, Two Ten’s mission has been simple and enduring: to offer support and resources to members of the footwear community. Since its founding in 1939, Two Ten has stayed true to its purpose, evolving to meet the changing needs of the industry across generations.
Two Ten was founded during one of the most difficult times in American economic history: The Great Depression. As the footwear industry faced unemployment and increased costs, a small group of Boston-area “shoe people” came together to help their own. These industry peers began meeting once a week in a modest building in Boston’s Leather District: 210 Lincoln Street.
There, they would share stories about their work and give what they could to help the families most in need that week. This simple act of community eventually led to something much bigger. In 1939, Founders A.A. Bloom, Abe Berkowitz, Morris Rosenston, and Al Schachat formalized this benevolent society, naming it 210 Associates, in honor of the address that brought them together.
The 1940s
Now an official Foundation, Two Ten regularly helped footwear families in crisis settle hospital bills, pay funeral expenses, avoid utility shutoffs, and get caught up on their mortgages. Their impact reached beyond their Boston headquarters, benefitting industry workers nationally.
But in the 1940s, the world was changing. During World War II, the Foundation launched an employment service for displaced industry workers and collaborated with the Red Cross to set up a “mobile canteen” that could conduct door-to-door outreach for those in need.
The ability to respond to larger industry headwinds would become a defining feature of the Foundation for years to come.
1950s to 1960s
The organization continued to expand offerings, including counseling services, and in the late 1960s, Two Ten recognized the need for affordable higher education and launched its scholarship program — opening new pathways of growth for footwear employees and their families.
1970s to 1990s
Two Ten’s scholarship program continued to grow, and by the end of the 1970s, annual awards were helping hundreds of students pursue college degrees. Throughout the 1980s, as news of the AIDs epidemic spread, Two Ten responded to the emerging crisis by supporting industry leaders advocating for HIV/AIDs research, public information about prevention, new medical treatments, and clinical trials. Early in the 1990s, Two Ten developed and distributed educational resources nationwide to corporations, shoe stores, and warehouses to provide the industry with information on the virus—information that wasn’t yet being offered through public health departments.
2000s to Present Day
Into the 21st century, Two Ten continued to broaden its focus beyond crisis relief and scholarships, launching professional development opportunities, educational partnerships, and community building initiatives to support networking and career advancement for footwear employees. Women in the Footwear Industry (WIFI), started in 2009, offers development opportunities and networking events and has grown to more than 5,500 members over the past 17 years.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic delivered a familiar kind of disruption to an industry that had faced crisis before. As businesses closed, production halted, and thousands of footwear workers were furloughed or fell ill, Two Ten fast-tracked relief to people across the country, distributing $4.7 million to nearly 6,900 employees and their families.
Eighty-five years later, we are deeply committed to the mission of our founders. Two Ten is a cornerstone of the footwear community, offering disaster and hardship relief, scholarships, counseling and employee assistance services, and professional development opportunities. As our founders understood in 1939, our industry is stronger when we support the people behind it.