20 Things You Didn't Know About Saucony

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Saucony is 115 years old. Here's to you.

Saucony was founded by four men in Kutztown, Penn. The brand's name and heritage goes back to the region where it was initiated.

When it was first founded, Saucony didn't make men's and women's sneakers. It specialized in shoes for children. Luckily, the brand broadened its horizons and began to offer shoes for the whole family.

Saucony had its production down pat. Early in the 20th century, it was already churning out close to a 1,000 pairs of sneakers a day. You've got to work hard if you want to stay around in the footwear industry.

Hyde produced its own sneakers and was home to Spot Bilt, and brought Saucony on board. This built the platform for Saucony to take off as a recognizable brand.

It didn't say Saucony, but Hyde, the parent company of the brand, produced footwear for the first astronauts to walk in space. Talk about fly.

Although it been around for almost 80 years, Saucony didn't make waves as a running powerhouse until 1977, when it caught the attention of the running media and started to win awards for its quality performance.

A lot of running sneakers used to be made with a chunk of cardboard inbetween the upper and midsole. It's what kept the sneaker from getting destroyed. But Saucony introduced a sneaker that didn't have this process. It's called a "slip-lasted" shoe, and gives a better, softer feel to the sneaker. Who wants to walk on cardboard anyway?

Stability shoes are built for those who need their foot to stop pronating during a run, but they often are bricks and uncomfortable. Saucony fixed this problem by the introduction of its Grid Technology which kept a stable during a run, but also added a soft return.

People will tell you that walking and running are the same thing. Which is true, to an extent. But a walker has different needs than a runner, and the biomechanics process isn't the same. Saucony's walking shoe, the Instep, focused on giving walkers a sneaker that had the same innovation as its faster-moving counterparts.

Crosstrainers are bulky sneakers that are meant for athletic purposes, but you wouldn't really want to run in. Saucony introduced the concept of making a crosstrainer that centered around a running sneaker with its Crossport. It was a running sneaker, but had enough support for activities that needed more than a lightweight shoe.

In order to stop pronation, a sneaker needs to have some rigidity to the instep. This is done by having a midsole that's both firm and soft. With Saucony's focus on running, the brand was once again an innovator for athletes who needed more than other brands were offering.

Believe it or not, not all running sneakers need to be made out of products derived from animals. Saucony has been making vegan sneakers, including the glue that keeps the sneakers in one piece. This was most recently displayed by a collaboration with Los Angeles-based boutique BAIT.

That's right, don't pronounce it like "Coney Island." You're just playing yourself to true heads.

New Balance still holds the reign as the only major athletic brand who still produces shoes in America, but Saucony also produced its sneakers domestically. In 1994, the brand was forced to stop labeling their sneakers "Made in USA," however. But if you come up on O.G. gems, you can find "Made in Maine" stickers on deadstock pairs.

30 years after acquiring Saucony, Hyde officially changed its name into Saucony, proving that the brand would have staying power and could stand on its own, not as a subsidiary brand.

These days, you're likely to see sneakerheads in a pair of Shadow Originals or Shadow 6000s, but the Jazz is the sneaker that Saucony is known for, and has been featured in early collaborations with sneaker boutique atmos. It's also moved the most units, even as the brand switches up materials and offers new renditions.

The Hangtime has become something of a cult classic. But it's not exactly a Saucony sneaker. It was first produced by Spot-Bilt, Saucony's sister company, in the late-'80s. But was re-introduced under the Saucony brand.

Saucony collaborations have become one of the latest trends for boutiques that want to produce something that'll be appreciated outside hyped sneaker releases. But the champ of those collars is Boston's Bodega. Saucony has moved to Massachusetts, and the two brands have worked together 10 times, with the first collab coming on three pairs of Courageous TRs.

In 2012, Saucony was purchased by Wolverine, a brand with an equally-impressive heritage, and is also home to Keds and Sperry Top-Sider.