 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Footwear,textile |
| Founded | 1898; 127 years ago (1898) Kutztown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Headquarters | Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Products | Athletic shoes,jackets,hoodies,T-shirts,sweatpants,shorts,socks,hats,backpacks |
| Parent |
|
| Website | saucony.com |
Saucony (/ˈsɔːkəni/SAW-kə-nee) is an American brand ofathletic footwear andapparel. Founded in 1898, the company is owned byWolverine World Wide. Products commercialised by Saucony include footwear and clothing ranges, such asathletic shoes,jackets,hoodies,T-shirts,sweatpants,shorts, andsocks. Accessories includehats andbackpacks.
Saucony's shoe boxes once had the phrase "sock a knee" printed on them, which represents the correct pronunciation of the company's name.[1] The Saucony brand logo represents theSaucony Creek's constant flow, and the boulders lining itscreek bed.The company is a popular racing shoe producer, makingtrack spikes andcross countryracing flats. Saucony also makes shoes for specifictrack and field athletics events.
The Saucony Shoe Manufacturing Company's first factory was founded in 1898 atKutztown, Pennsylvania by businessmen William A. Donmoyer, Thomas S. Levan, Walter C.C. Snyder, and Benjamin F. Reider. The company took its name fromSaucony Creek, which flows next to the original factory in Kutztown.[2] In 1910,Russian immigrant Abraham R. Hyde started a shoe company, A.R. Hyde and Sons, inCambridge, Massachusetts.[3] Over the years, Hyde became known for making athletic footwear including brands such as SpotBilt andPF Flyers. On June 13, 1968, Hyde entered into an agreement to buy Saucony, and the sale was completed on October 24, 1968.[4]
In 1977, two of Saucony's running shoes were selected in the top 10 byRunner's World magazine (the Hornet was chosen best value), and by the following spring the demand for the product had gone up 2,000%. In 1998, when Saucony became Hyde's dominant brand, the name of the company was officially changed from Hyde Athletic Industries to Saucony Inc.[5]
In 2005, Saucony was acquired byStride Rite Corporation for $170 million.[6] Stride Rite was acquired in 2007 for $800 million byPayless ShoeSource. The combined company became known asCollective Brands.[7] In 2012, Collective Brands' Performance Lifestyle Group, which included Saucony, along withKeds, Stride Rite andSperry Top-Sider, became part ofWolverine World Wide in a $1.23 billion transaction that also involved the sale of Payless ShoeSource and Collective Licensing International toprivate equity firmsBlum Capital Partners andGolden Gate Capital.[8] In 2016, Wolverine World Wide relocated Saucony and its other Boston-area brands to a new regional headquarters location inWaltham, Massachusetts.[9]
Wolverine World Wide sources a majority of its footwear from numerous third-party manufacturers in Asia Pacific and South America.[10]
In February 2024, Saucony unveiled a shoe in collaboration with theJerusalem Marathon, with IDF reservist Orr Sheizaf announced as the brand's ambassador for the event.[11]
In 2025, Saucony sponsored the Saucony Run Shoreditch 2025, which resulted in a number of London running crews boycotting the 10km race because of Saucony's links to Israel.[12] In response to the boycotts, Saucony ended its sponsorship of the Jerusalem Marathon.[13]
The company offers shoes forrunning,trail running, racing, and walking, utilizing specific technology relevant to the type of activity. Shoes are also made by focusing on the runner's foot size, type of running, arch type, andpronation.
On April 3, 2018, Saucony teamed up with the Massachusetts-based doughnut and coffee company,Dunkin' Donuts to produce a doughnut-themed, strawberry-frosted-looking running shoe to commemorate the 122nd running of theBoston Marathon. The Saucony X Dunkin’ Kinvara 9 comes in a doughnut box. The heel of the shoe is covered in rainbowsprinkles.[14] The company again released a Dunkin' themed running shoe, the Kinvara 10, in March 2019.[15]
In 2025, Saucony released the Silo line in collaboration with Paul Ruffles, combining performance design with cultural storytelling.[16][promotion?]
Originals are Saucony's heritage range, which includes reintroduced older shoe styles produced by the company with different materials and colorways. These include the popular Shadow model, Jazz model, and Hornet model, the latter of which remains the company's biggest selling product.[5]
The company sponsors and has sponsored many athletes, including American long-distance runnersMolly Huddle,Laura Thweatt, andJared Ward.[17]
