Nordstrom began in 1901 as the shoe store Wallin & Nordstrom in Seattle, Washington.
John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin opened the original business after Nordstrom invested money earned from the Klondike Gold Rush. Nordstrom later bought out Wallin’s interest, and the company concentrated on footwear before expanding into broader fashion retail.
The business became Nordstrom in 1963 after purchasing Best Apparel, a Seattle clothing store. Its first full-line department store opened in 1971, marking a major step beyond its shoe-store origins.
Nordstrom is sometimes mistaken for a company founded as a department store. Its early identity was specifically footwear, and that history helps explain the retailer’s long-standing reputation for shoes and customer service.