Phoenix Footwear Group Inc., the parent of the Trotters and Softwalk women’s comfort footwear brands, is set to cease operations over the next 60 days.
News of the closing was revealed in a LinkedIn post from Allison Hannon, the company’s controller and an employee since 2003. Visits to Trotters.com and SoftWalkShoes.com indicated the firm is “temporarily pausing” both websites.
Headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, Phoenix Footwear was formerly known as the Daniel Green Company and traces its roots back to 1882. In 2000, it acquired Penobscot Shoe Company, which owned Trotters and Softwalk. Under exclusive licenses, the company also distributes Bueno Footwear, Los Cabos Shoes, and EOS Shoes. A license to make Pendleton Woolen Mills shoes expired in 2025.
The company has been publicly traded since 1989. In 2025, Phoenix Footwear voluntarily downlisted its shares to the speculative Pink OTC Market in 2025 to cut administrative and compliance costs, eliminating its requirement to file quarterly financial disclosures.
Annual financial documents filed with OTC Markets Group showed Phoenix Footwear’s sales in 2025 reached $13.0 million, down 27.5 percent from $18.0 million the prior year. Net losses widened to $4.1 million from $2.7 million.
The April filing included a “going-concern” warning as the company faced a “significant” debt obligation due within 12 months and liquid resources on hand were “insufficient to repay the debt at maturity.” The company at the time was engaging with lenders to extend the maturity date under the agreement.
Public filings show Phoenix Footwear’s sales as a public company peaked at $118.0 million in 2005 after it made several purchases, including the Altama tactical boot brand, Chambers Belt Company, and the rights to Tommy Bahama footwear, although several businesses were subsequently divested to reduce debt.
Image courtesy Trotters
