Saucony
| |
Subsidiary | |
Industry | Sportswear and Sports Goods |
Founded | 1898 |
Headquarters | Lexington, Massachusetts, United States |
Products |
Footwear Accessories Sportswear |
Parent |
Wolverine World Wide (2012-present) |
Website | www.saucony.com |
Saucony /ˈsɔːkəni/ is an American manufacturer of athletic shoes. The company is a subsidiary of Wolverine World Wide.[1]
History
The company's first factory was founded in 1898 at Kutztown, Pennsylvania, on the high banks of the Saucony Creek (from which the company would get its name).[2] In 1910, Russian immigrant A.R. Hyde started a shoe company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, called Hyde Athletic Industries.[3] Over the years, Hyde became known for making athletic footwear including brands such as SpotBilt and PF Flyers; Hyde Athletic Industries bought Saucony in the late 1960s, and moved it to Cambridge. In 1979 two of Saucony's running shoes were selected in the top 10 by Runner's World magazine (the Hornet was chosen best value) and by the following spring the demand for the product had gone up 20 fold. In the late 1980s, when Saucony became Hyde's dominant brand, the name of the company was officially changed from Hyde Athletic Industries to Saucony.
Saucony's shoe boxes once had the phrase "sock a knee" printed on them, which represents the correct pronunciation of the company's name.[4] The Saucony brand logo represents the Saucony Creek's constant flow, and the boulders lining its creek bed. The company is a popular racing shoe producer, making track spikes and cross country racing flats. Saucony also makes shoes for specific track and field athletics events.
In 2012, Saucony, along with Keds, Stride Rite and Sperry Top-Sider, became part of Wolverine World Wide after a joint agreement with Blum Capital Partners and Golden Gate Capital acquired the Performance Lifestyle Group of Collective Brands for US$1.23 billion.[5] Wolverine World Wide sources a majority of its footwear from numerous third party manufacturers in Asia Pacific and South America.
Footwear
The company offers a variety of shoes, such as running, trail running, racing, walking, and a college collection. Each of these types of shoes utilizes specific technology relevant to the type of targeted activity. The shoes are designed for 3 main purposes: racing, running, and walking. Shoes are also made by focusing on the runner's foot size, type of running, arch type, pronation, and running location.
On April 3, 2018, Saucony teamed up with the Massachusetts-based doughnut and coffee company, Dunkin' Donuts to produce a strawberry-frosted donut themed running shoe to commemorate the 122nd running of the Boston Marathon. The Saucony X Dunkin’ Kinvara 9 comes in a donut box and the heel of the shoe is covered in rainbow sprinkles.[6]
Originals
Originals are Saucony's heritage range, which includes reintroduced older shoe styles produced by the company, which have been improved with better materials and different colorways.[7]
List of Saucony sponsorships
This is a list of athletes sponsored by Saucony:
Ben True Wallace Spearmon Lauryn Williams Adam Nelson Deedee Trotter Tianna Madison Monzavous Edwards Jessica Young Keisha Baker Queen Harrison Jeremy Hall Ryan Wilson Porscha Lucas Duane Solomon LaKya Brookins Molly Huddle Terrell Wilks Jacob Norman Nikki Hamblin Derval O'Rourke Aleesha Barber
References
- ↑ "Saucony official site".
- ↑ "History | Saucony Company". The Stride Rite Corporation. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ↑ Kathy S (March 23, 2011) Saucony bares their “sole” on minimalist running Retrieved on March 26, 2014
- ↑ "US today on Saucony". US today. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
- ↑ "Saucony, Keds and Sperry Acquired by Wolverine Worldwide". Inside Insight. 2012-05-01. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
- ↑ Dawson, Andrew (2018-03-28). "Saucony Teams up With Dunkin' Donuts for One Sweet Running Shoe". Runner's World. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
- ↑ "Sneakers - Retro Shoes & Sneakers | Saucony Originals". www.saucony.com. Retrieved 2016-07-19.