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BKFK Home Page | BKFK Kids | Inventors
| O'Sullivan, Humphrey Humphrey
O'Sullivan
Rubber Heel Shoes
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O'Sullivan was an Irish immigrant to the
United States who received the first patent for a
rubber heel for shoes on January 24, 1899.
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He was working in a print shop, standing on
the hard floor all day long. His feet were killing him by
the time he got home so he started standing on a small
rubber mat. It was such a good idea that his coworkers
started stealing it!
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Then he had an idea! Attach that rubber to
the soles of his shoes and no one would steal them again!
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It was such a success that he got a patent
for it and opened his own company! O'Sullivan Corporation is
still in existence, manufacturing and distributing plastics
for the automotive and manufacturing industries.
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