Happy Anniversary HFP
On April 19, 1985, Happy Feet Plus founders Jacob Wurtz and Jane Strong officially opened for business with a kiosk in the Tyrone Square Mall in St. Pete.
Thirty years, ten stores, and a national eCommerce business later, Happy Feet Plus moves into its fourth decade of improving lives through healthy footwear.
This week, as we celebrate our 30th anniversary, let’s jump into the DeLorean and take a little trip back to the world of 1985…
Major news stories 1985:
– The location of the Titanic wreck is found by a joint American/French expedition in the North Atlantic.
– Mikhail Gorbachev replaces Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet leader.
– The Live Aid concerts raise over $50 million for Ethiopian famine relief.
– Coca-Cola releases New Coke to replace their old formula. It sells very poorly for a few months and is promptly replaced by Coke Classic.
– The Vienna Conference becomes the first international meeting about ozone layer depletion.
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Notable Movies of 1985:
– Back to the Future
– Out of Africa
– Rambo: First Blood Part II
– The Color Purple
– Rocky IV
Notable #1 Billboard Hits of 1985:
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– Saving All My Love for You – Whitney Houston
– Take On Me – A-Ha
– The Power of Love – Huey Lewis & the News
– Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
– Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
Notable Popular TV Shows of 1985:
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– The Cosby Show
– Family Ties
– Murder, She Wrote
– 60 Minutes
– Cheers
Popular Toys in 1985:
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– Cabbage Patch Kids
– Transformers
– Pillow People
– Pogo Ball
– Teddy Ruxpin
Does this all make you feel a little older? A little younger? Age aside, as the above lists demonstrate, 30 years is a long stretch and, frankly, a long time for a company to last in today’s ever-changing economy. We believe that our longevity at Happy Feet Plus is due to our unwavering commitment to improving lives through healthier footwear. Whether you weren’t yet born in 1985 or you were celebrating the birth of a grandchild that year, the message of better health and improving lives resonates across every generation.
Here’s to another 30 years! See you in 2045!
By: Matt LaBarge, 4/16/15
