Saucony is an American manufacturer of
athletic shoes. The company is a subsidiary of
Wolverine World Wide. The company's first factory was founded in 1898 at
Kutztown, Pennsylvania, on the high banks of the
Saucony Creek. In 1910,
Russian immigrant Abraham Hyde started a shoe company in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, called Hyde Athletic Industries. 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. By the late 1990s, when Saucony became Hyde's dominant brand, the name of the company was officially changed from Hyde Athletic Industries to Saucony.
In June 2005, the
Stride Rite Corporation (maker of
Keds,
Sperry Top-Sider and other brands) announced an agreement to acquire Saucony. Both companies are based in the greater
Boston, Massachusetts area:
Lexington. Stride Rite was acquired by
Payless ShoeSource in Autumn 2007.
Saucony's shoe boxes once had the phrase "sock a knee" printed on them.The Saucony brand represents the Saucony Creek's constant flow, and the boulders lining its
creek bed.
The company is also a popular racing shoe producer, making
track spikes and
cross country racing flats. Saucony also makes shoes for specific
track and field athletics events.
Sue Grafton's Alphabet Series' lead character,
Kinsey Millhone, is a dedicated wearer of Saucony athletic shoes. The first reference to the apparel occurs in the novel,
"O" Is for Outlaw.
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.