Johnston & Murphy, Official Shoe Sponsor of Westminster Dog Show, Outfits Best in Show Winning Handler

Johnston & Murphy showed up in an unlikely place on Tuesday night, at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

The Genesco-owned footwear brand served as the official shoe sponsor of the event and made an appearance on the feet of the winning dog’s handler. Penny the Doberman Pinscher took home the highest title of the multi-day event, which concluded on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in NYC. The breed was named best in show with handler Andy Linton, who is a longtime wearer of Johnston & Murphy. He was seen wearing a lucky pair in the ring for the big win.

“We are honored to collaborate with the Westminster Kennel Club on its 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show,” Jason Dasal, senior vice president of marketing and e-commerce at Johnston & Murphy, said in a statement. “The dogs are remarkable, and we were proud to have many of the show’s top handlers outfitted in our footwear, helping them look their best for this milestone moment.”

The brand noted that the partnership “reinforces” its commitment to celebrating moments that demand confidence, craftsmanship and care. And aside from Linton, many of the dog handlers and select judges were seen wearing Johnston & Murphy’s footwear across the two-day event.

In celebration of the partnership, Johnston & Murphy launched a creative campaign called, “Best in Shoe,” which aims to champion the people, product and the dogs that make a winning performance possible, the company noted. A video portion of the campaign played on the jumbotron during best in show and can be seen in its entirety on the company’s social channels and website over the next several days.

The news comes after Genesco disclosed that comparable sales, including both stores and direct sales, increased 9 percent for the fourth quarter-to-date period ended Dec. 27.

Revealed just ahead of the company’s presentation at January’s ICR Conference, Genesco also said that same store sales increased 10 percent and comparable sales for the company’s e-commerce businesses increased 9 percent for that period.

By brand, comparable sales for the eight weeks versus the same year-ago quarter saw its Journeys Group gain 12 percent. The Schuh Group rose 6 percent and the Johnston & Murphy Group was up 1 percent.