Brannock

But defending the Brannock legacy from competitors, who produce cheaply overseas, has become an uphill battle.

Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping Timothy Aeppel 2011

Over the last two decades, the Brannock device has become a target for copycats.

Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping Timothy Aeppel 2011

Brannock has a complex relationship with its imitators.

Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping Timothy Aeppel 2011

Many have tried, but no one has ever come up with a more elegantly simple way to measure the human foot than Charles Brannock, inventor of that ubiquitous metal gadget found in shoe stores and known, fittingly, as the Brannock device.

Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping Timothy Aeppel 2011

"A Brannock device is very, very important to us," he says.

Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping Timothy Aeppel 2011

Back at the Brannock factory, Mr. Leonardi says substituting cheaper materials isn't an option.

Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping Timothy Aeppel 2011

Beyond low-cost copycats, the biggest challenge facing Brannock today is that many people buy shoes on the Internet or in self-service stores where getting fitted by an expert isn't an option.

Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping Timothy Aeppel 2011

Jonathan Walford, a shoe historian, says there is a "whole Brannock field out there — guys who collect and are really into them."

Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping Timothy Aeppel 2011

Nobody else can call it a Brannock device, since the name is protected by copyright.

Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping Timothy Aeppel 2011

An authentic Brannock made in the U.S. sells for about $60, while Chinese-made versions sell for less than half that.

Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping Timothy Aeppel 2011