Mens Merrell Shoes: Classic Outdoor Style

When it comes to rugged outdoor boots and shoes, Merrell is one of the best. Built on a reputation for designing affordable high-performance shoes, Merrell consistently delivers quality outdoor goods at great prices. For such a popular brand, it’s hard to believe it is actually a relatively young company, founded in Vermont in 1981.

When company founders Clark Matis and John Schweizer decided to start a hiking boot company, they enlisted boot maker Randy Merrell, whose handmade custom boots were celebrated within the hiking and outdoors community. Together, the three set out to create an affordable hiking for all people. In 1983, Merrell began delivering its first product to two stores on the east coast. As sales slowly began to grow, Randy Merrell decided he enjoyed making custom boots more, and in 1986, he left the company.

By 1988, Merrell had sold over $4 million worth of products, and in 1989, the company grew rapidly, bringing a total sales figure to $6 million. When the company was bought by Wolverine World Wide in 1997, a new, lightweight sensibility was brought into the company’s new shoe designs, resulting in the Jungle Moc, which became the company’s most popular shoe.

Interested in checking out some mens Merrell shoes? Visit SneakerKing.com today to see our full selection of Merrell shoes!

Saucony Sneakers: Running, Racing, and More

When you ask runners what their favorite shoes are, chances are many of them will answer with Saucony sneakers. Saucony has been one of the most popular shoe manufacturers ever since the first factory was opened on the high banks of the Saucony Creek in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, in 1898. After being purchased by Hyde Athletic Industries in the late 1960s, the company’s popularity catapulted, becoming Hyde Athletic Industries’ most popular brand.
Here are some fun facts about Saucony Sneakers:

• Saucony shoeboxes used to have the phrase “sock a knee” printed on them. This was due to the hard-to-pronounce nature of the brand name.
• In addition to regular running shoes, the company is known for their popular racing shoes, including track spikes, cross country flats, and shoes made for specific track and field events.
• Novelist Sue Grafton often includes references to Saucony sneakers in her books. In fact, the character Kinsey Millhone, featured in Grafton’s Alphabet Series, is a big fan of Saucony.
• Saucony is owned by the Stride Rite Corporation, who also makes Keds, Sperry Top-Sider, and other popular shoes.
• Its instantly recognizable logo is a representation of the Saucony Creek, and the three circles represent the boulders lining the creek bed.

If you’d like to learn more about Saucony sneakers, check out our selection at SneakerKing.com!

American Roots of New Balance Shoes

New Balance shoes are one of the preeminent brands of running shoes. With their attention to detail and constant technological updates, New Balance consistently releases some of the most exciting and state-of-the-art running shoes. Recently, New Balance released their Fresh Foam 980 running shoes. Using the latest in lightweight foam technology, the Fresh Foam 980 has been hailed as one of the most comfortable and lightweight running shoes ever. Did you know this company was actually started in America over one hundred years ago? Here is a little bit of the surprising history of New Balance.

New Balance was founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Support Company in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally intended to manufacture flexible arch supports, the company soon grew to create the world’s first running shoe made with a ripple sole. This shoe, called the Trackster, was adopted by many Boston-area colleges and helped boost New Balance popularity. Although this popularity waned, the running boom of the 1970s, coupled with an aggressive campaign by new owner Jim Davis, helped bring New Balance up to being the dominant force in running shoes it is today.

One of the things that distinguish New Balance from other brands is their dedication to domestic production. With 6 factories in the United States, about 25% of all New Balance shoes are manufactured in America. In addition to running shoes, in 2013 New Balance launched a skateboarding shoe brand called New Balance Numeric.

Check out our full line of New Balance shoes today at SneakerKing.com!

Finding the Best Asics Running Shoes for You

Outdoor running is one of the most fun and most effective ways to get in shape and stay fit all year long. Unfortunately, the winter months cause people to break the habit. Though we’ve all been battling bouts of cold weather, it’s never too early to start thinking about outdoor running. One of our favorite brands at SneakerKing.com is Asics running shoes. Making sure you pick the right shoe for your foot is incredibly important. Here are a few guidelines to follow when choosing new running shoes:

• Lace them up and try them on. They should feel snug but not too tight. If they feel too loose, try a different size – loose running shoes can cause pretty bad blisters.
• Make sure there is enough width in the shoe. A good indicator of narrow shoes is if your little toe is touching the edge of the shoe.
• You should be able to wiggle your toes. As you run, your feet can lengthen and swell, so you need to make sure you have enough room in the front of your shoes.
• Tie them up and go for a run! No, we don’t mean run out of the store. If your store has a treadmill, give your shoes a test drive. If they don’t have a treadmill, a short jog down an aisle will do the trick.

There are other factors to consider when you’re buying a new pair of Asics running shoes, but these are some of the major things to look into. Take a look at the running shoes we have to offer today at SneakerKing.com!

Chuck Taylor All Star Shoes: A Classic American Icon

One of the most iconic shoes in the world is the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star. Chuck Taylor All Star shoes have been worn by everyone from professional basketball players, rock stars, war heroes, and everyone in between. These shoes are embedded so deeply into our culture that it is hard to imagine a time when All Stars didn’t exist. These shoes, however, didn’t just appear out of thin air.

Chuck Taylor All Stars were first produced in 1917 as the “All Star.” Converse had been in business since 1908, but had yet to produce a basketball sneaker until the arrival of the All Star. When Charles “Chuck” Taylor, a young basketball player who had worn the sneakers in high school, entered the Converse sales office in Chicago for a position, he was hired by Bob Pletz, a sportsman in his own right. Taylor began offering suggestions on ways to improve the shoe, and within a year, these suggestions were implemented, and by 1923, the shoe was renamed officially to the Chuck Taylor All Star.

Nowadays, Chuck Taylor All Star shoes are everywhere. Their simple canvas-and-rubber design and instantly recognizable white toe cap are the details that make this shoe stand out and keep it in the spotlight after nearly 100 years. Take a look at our offering of Chuck Taylor All Star shoes today at SneakerKing.com!

The Basics of ASICS

When someone hears the brand name ASICS, and image of quality, performance, style, and reliable comes to mind, and with good reason. Since 1949, ASICS shoes have been one of the world’s most worn shoes for both the athlete and the casual wearer alike. Although they are ubiquitous with many professional and Olympic sports and individual athletes, their history is not so well known. Did you know the brand name is an acronym for the Latin phrase anima sana in corpore sano, which means, “Healthy Soul in a Healthy Body”? Here are some more facts about ASICS you might not know.

Originally named Panmure Co., Ltd., ASICS shoes were born simply as basketball shoes in the town of Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Once Kihachiro Onitsuka, the founder, gained success, he widened his scope to include a variety of sports. These shoes, especially the Mexico 66 design, soon became wildly popular with athletes during the 50s and all the way through to the 70s. After Onitsuka merged with GTO and JELENK in 1977, the company officially changed its name to ASICS.

An interesting fact about ASICS is Nike, originally known as BRS, was initially founded to be the American seller of Onitsuka Tiger (a type of ASICS shoe) shoes. Phil Knight, founder of BRS, traveled to Japan in 1963. Impressed with the shoes’ high quality and low price, Knight brokered a deal to distribute the shoes in America.  Eventually, Knight had so much success selling Onitsuka Tiger shoes that he and partner Bill Bowerman were able to create their own brand, Nike.

If you’re interested in learning more about ASICS or would like to buy a pair for yourself, check out SneakerKing.com’s full line of ASICS shoes today!

Where Did Adidas Sneakers Come From?

Adidas is one of the most popular brands of sneakers in the world. With sponsorships in nearly every popular sport and a constant presence in popular movies and TV shows, Adidas sneakers are a major force in the sports and fashion world. While many people believe the brand name is an acronym for “All Day I Dream About Soccer,” this is actually not true. The name comes from the company’s founder’s name, Adolph “Adi” Dassler. Here are some more facts about the history of Adidas sneakers.

Adi Dassler began producing his own brand of sports shoes in his mother’s wash kitchen in Bavaria shortly after World War I. When he persuaded famed U.S. Olympic sprinter Jesse Owens to wear Adidas in the 1936 Summer Olympics, and after Owens took home four gold medals, the prosperous fate of Adidas was sealed.

Times weren’t always rosy for Adidas. When Dassler’s brother, Rudolph, founded Puma sneakers in 1948, their hometown of Herzogenaurach was divided between Adidas and Puma supporters. The rivalry soon grew so fierce that the brothers never put their differences aside. Even though they are buried in the same cemetery, the families made sure to keep their graves as far apart as possible from each other.

Adidas sneakers continue to be the shoe of choice for many sports stars throughout the world. Players from the games of soccer, track and field, tennis, and more all enjoy wearing Adidas sneakers on and off the field. Take a look at our full selection of Adidas sneakers today at SneakerKing.com!