Saucony

In 1910, Abraham Hyde, a Russian immigrant and cobbler, opened a shoe store in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His specialty was "carpet slippers" made from remnants of colorful old rugs. The A. R. Hyde & Sons business flourished, soon expanding to include street shoes. In 1932, Abraham Hyde created his first athletic footwear: "pleasure skates" for his ice-skating customers.

The company prospered. By 1938, under the direction of Abraham's son Maxwell C. Hyde, the athletic line had expanded to include baseball shoes, roller boots, and bowling shoes.

During World War II, Hyde produced Army boots, and was the only American shoe company to receive the esteemed Army-Navy E Award for manufacturing excellence. After the war, Hyde resumed the production of athletic shoes, and in 1952 purchased the Illinois Athletic Shoe Company. During the '60s the company was chosen by NASA to produce footwear for the early astronauts. The boots worn by the first astronaut to walk in space carried the Hyde label!

In 1968, Hyde again expanded by acquiring the Saucony Shoe Manufacturing Company of Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Saucony running shoes were the closely kept secret of a small group of serious runners until 1977. That year, one of the company's shoes was recognized with a best-quality award by a top US magazine. The resulting publicity established the Saucony name and its ongoing reputation for the high quality and innovative technical performance for which they are known today.

Since that date, Saucony has set the benchmark in a number of areas:

1980 - Saucony introduces the "Trainer 80," the first slip-lasted running shoe.

1983 - Saucony's "Flight" running shoe is the first molded EVA dual-density shoe on the market.

1987 - The "Instep" is introduced as the first technical walking shoe in the industry (proof of biomechanical difference for walkers vs. runners.)

1989 - The "Crossport" category was unveiled as the first running-based cross trainer.

1991 - The GRID T system proves to be the first midsole technology to offer both cushioning and stability at the same time.

1998 marked another milestone as the Hyde company formally changed its name to Saucony, Inc."