Comfort shoe company Rockport Co. said that it would scrap a planned bankruptcy auction of its assets after Boston-based private-equity firm Charlesbank was the only bidder for the company, the Wall Street Journal reported. The sale to Charlesbank Capital Partners LLC, which requires bankruptcy court approval, includes Rockport’s wholesale business, along with its Asia and Europe operations and retail stores. Rockport’s products are sold by retailers in 60 countries. Rockport filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, with $287 million in debt. It had changed hands a number of times in recent years before its bondholders took ownership last year. Adidas AG had acquired Rockport when it bought Reebok in 2006. In 2015, Adidas sold Rockport for $280 million to Boston firm Berkshire Partners and New Balance. Rockport’s biggest unsecured creditors in bankruptcy include Adidas, which claims it is owed more than $50 million.
