The Duck Head name can be traced back to 1865 and two brothers in Nashville, Tennessee. George and Joe O’Bryan, according to lore, bought surplus Army tents made out of a heavy, canvas-like material known as duck. Although it was not intended as a clothing material, duck proved to make work pants and overalls. These early khakis also made a success of the O’Bryan Brothers Manufacturing Company and created a Southern clothing staple. In 1892 the brothers tried to trademark the name “duck,” but were turned down by the Trademark and Registration Office in Washington because the term was in general usage. Told that “duck head” was available, the O’Bryan brothers registered the term, which naturally led to the head of a mallard duck becoming the lasting symbol of their products. Duck Head products continued to be manufactured in the 20th century by O’Bryan Brothers, although during World War II the business turned its exclusive attention to making military uniforms. Following the war the company latched onto the popularity of country music, a natural connection given its Nashville location, and with such stars as Hank Williams sporting Duck Heads, the product line gained even greater regional appeal. During the 1980s, Duck Heads were all but the official uniform of the Southern college fraternity brother. By 1989 Delta Woodside decided to buy the Duck Head brand and attempt to roll it out on a national basis.
In the mid 90’s we acquired the rights to manufacture and sell Duck Head branded footwear. In the beginning the focus of our marketing and sales was to produce a product that complemented the core items of Duck Head’s apparel line - khakis. Over the course of ten years we were able to create our niche in the market and began developing footwear that had nationwide appeal. The brand has become nationally recognized through our partnerships with national catalogs and magazines. We are proud to offer the consumers our key product in hard to find sizes and widths. Our corporate headquarters and distribution center is located in Madison Heights, Virginia - metro Lynchburg area. We manufacture and distribute quality volume-priced Duck Head branded footwear to the finest department stores, chains, catalogs and independent retailers throughout the United States and Canada. We maintain a professional sales organization throughout the country to service our retail partners.
