The company was founded in Burlington, Ontario in 1948 by Walter Sedlbauer. Reclaiming his craftsman roots, in the early years Sedlbauer made shoes that were handmade and utilitarian. An athletic shoe they called “the Cougar†established their prominence in the early 70's and they soon took Cougar as the company name. But it was with the 1976 creation of a practical, durable, winter boot influenced by the work boots that were the current style that Cougar became one of the few Canadian companies to create a product that would become a part of our heritage. The no-nonsense, though not unattractive, Pillow boot was built first for function; a boot to keep feet warm and dry. Of soft, padded caramel leather, the lace-up, rubber-soled boot distinguished by its red felt lining met the needs of a country that knew a thing or two about long, cold winters and shoveling snow. While the Sedlbauers knew they had an excellent boot on their hands, they could not have known that Canadians would buy more than 8 million pairs of Pillow boots and ask for them by the company name, calling them “the Cougar boots.†Cougar had worked its way into Canadians' hearts. Cougar proudly boasts three generations of family currently working together in Burlington continuing the family tradition. Built for challenging weather, function is never a slave to fashion and in that mix lies the increasingly distinctive Cougar identity. Whatever the weather. Modern Footwear made to function.