William B. Hamilton came to Toronto from Montreal in 1848 and took up work in the garment industry.

In the following years he became interested in the shoe industry and joined a partnership with Childs & Brown, the Toronto branch of a Montreal company. Upon the retirement of Mr. Brown and death of Mr. Childs, Mr. Hamilton assumed ownership of the company and began the manufacture of shoes and boots in Toronto under the company name of W. B. Hamilton.

The Outing Shoe was the running shoe to own at the turn of the century. W. B. Hamilton Shoes was the sole wholesaler of these shoes across Canada.

The description on the inside cover of a 1903 catalog stated:

'There is no Running Shoe "as good" as the OUTING. One pair is worth two of any other make.'

The Model Shoe, manufactured by W. B. Hamilton, was the very height of fashion for the city clientel. A black patent toe with a fine leather upper was fashionable for both men and women.

The top four styles on this flyer are for men and the other two for women.

These styles sold at a retail price from $2.50 to $5.00.

From the start of the business through 1932 W. B. Hamilton Shoes had travelling salesmen across Canada. They would pack their bags with the "Model" and "W.B.H." brands of shoes manufactured by the company and the "Outing" and "Maltese Cross" brands manufactured by The Gutta Percha & Rubber Company, for which W. B. Hamilton was the sole wholesaler.

Travelling across the country was far more complicated than today. In a 1902 newspaper interview, Mr. W. B. Hamilton recalls travelling in 1880:

"To come by boat from Montreal to Toronto was far from being the pleasant and rapid journey that it is today. Three or four portages were necessary. From Montreal to Lachine was by stage, from Lachine to Cascades by boat, from Cascades to Coteau du Lac by stage or team, from Coteau du Lac to Cornwall by steamboat, and from there to Toronto we transferred into different boats. In the winter time we traversed the distance by teams, and I remember it used to take about four or five days to make the trip."

Mr. Murray Hamilton, grandson of Mr. W. B. Hamilton, patented a non-slip device for women's shoes. The purpose of this invention was to prevent the heel of the foot from slipping out of the heel of the shoe.

Similar methods of construction are still in use today for the same purpose.

This year was one of change for W. B. Hamilton Shoes.

During the depression many of our customers were unable to pay their bills. The company agreed with several retailers to provide them with shoes under the provision that their debts be paid when business improved. Retailers that were unable to pay their debt became owned by W. B. Hamilton Shoes. Several stores were acquired in this manner in the thirties. In 1932 the name "Walkwel Shoes" was registered and used in conjunction with the newly owned stores.

In 1932 the company stopped manufacturing shoes, but continued wholesaling in the Eastern provinces.

The first privately owned Naturalizer Shoe Shop in Canada was opened by W. B. Hamilton Shoes in Lloyd Jackson Square in Hamilton, Ontario. By 1986 the company owned 13 Naturalizer Stores.

The manufacturer of the Naturalizer shoes, Brown Shoe Company of St. Louis, Missouri showed interest in purchasing the Naturalizer Shops owned by W. B. Hamilton Shoes and in the early 1990s purchased all but 2 of the Naturalizer Shops.

Today, W. B. Hamilton Shoes (1860) Ltd. operates 2 Walkwel stores and one Ecco store. The Walkwel stores are located in Kingston and Peterborough and the Ecco store is located in Kingston.