THE RISE OF SAUCONY: HOW A RUNNING BRAND BECAME ONE OF THE HOTTEST NAMES IN TRAINERS
Not long ago, Saucony was a brand mainly associated with running. Today, it’s becoming one of the biggest names in the retro trainer trend, sitting alongside brands such as ASICS and New Balance.
At the centre of that rise is the ProGrid Omni 9 — a trainer originally designed for performance that’s found an entirely new audience.
FROM RUNNING TO STREETWEAR
Saucony has been producing footwear since 1898, making it one of the oldest running brands still around today.
For most of that history, performance came before fashion. Saucony built trainers for runners, focusing on cushioning, stability and comfort rather than creating shoes specifically for streetwear.
That’s now working heavily in the brand’s favour.
As technical and Y2K-inspired trainers have become more popular, Saucony already had decades of designs sitting in its archive. Instead of trying to recreate the retro-running look, it can simply bring back shoes that genuinely came from that era.
THE RETURN OF THE PROGRID OMNI 9
Originally released in 2010, the ProGrid Omni 9 was created as a stability running shoe, combining a breathable mesh upper with supportive overlays and Saucony’s cushioning technology.
More than a decade later, those same features give the Omni 9 exactly the look people are searching for.
Chunky soles, metallic details, layered mesh and technical-looking trainers have all become increasingly popular, helped by the success of models such as the ASICS Gel-Kayano 14 and Gel-1130.
The Omni 9 fits perfectly into that category while still having its own recognisable design.
COLLABORATIONS HAVE PUSHED SAUCONY FURTHER
Saucony has also been smart with collaborations.
Limited releases with names such as Jae Tips and Starcow, alongside exclusive colourways and premium versions of the Omni 9, have helped introduce the brand to a much wider sneaker audience.
These collaborations create hype around individual releases, but they also bring attention to Saucony’s general-release trainers.
Someone discovering the brand through a limited collaboration could easily end up looking through the rest of Saucony’s range afterwards.
WHY SAUCONY IS BLOWING UP
The timing couldn’t be much better.
The retro-running trend is still huge, consumers are looking for alternatives to the trainers everyone else already owns, and Saucony has an extensive archive ready to take advantage of it.
The brand also has something fashion-inspired competitors can’t easily recreate: genuine running heritage.
The comfort, technical construction and retro appearance aren’t just there for looks. They’re features taken directly from Saucony’s history as a performance footwear brand.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The ProGrid Omni 9 may be leading Saucony’s rise right now, but it probably won’t be the last model to receive renewed attention.
As more people discover the brand, other archive silhouettes are likely to follow.
For sneaker buyers and resellers, that makes Saucony a brand worth keeping an eye on.
It may have taken more than 100 years to become one of streetwear’s most talked-about running brands — but right now, Saucony’s momentum is only getting stronger.