The Hush Puppies name and mascot were coined by the brand's first sales manager, James Gaylord Muir. Initially, the company's
advertising agencyrecommended naming the product "Lasers". Then, on a selling trip to the
southeastern United States, Muir dined with one of his regional salesmen and the meal included
hush puppies, traditional fried southern
cornballs. When Muir asked about the origin of the name, he was told that farmers threw hush puppies at the hounds to "quiet their barking
dogs." Muir saw a connection to his new product. "Barking dogs" in the vernacular of the day was an idiom for sore feet. Muir surmised his new shoes were so comfortable that they could "quiet barking dogs."
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