Saucony vintage

Feb 10, 2011 by Pyrophilly    2 Comments    Posted under: Vintage

Although I wear every brand I like, Saucony has a special place in my heart. The brands is successfully creating footwear for the hardcore running community, but also has a line focusing on its heritage; Saucony Originals. Its great to see the line has received some serious attention by retro-ing shapes like the Shadow 6000 & 5000. The rich history Saucony remains relatively unknown.

Today we look at two vintage pairs from the brand that started on the banks of Saucony Creek. As neither of the pairs came in a box or have manufacture dates inside it took some research to find out more. First we have the Sensation G.R.I.D.  Thanks DefyNY blog I found out the model and colorway was released in 1994. As the crappy magazine scan shows the model was not only released in purple, but also in red. The shoe has a neoprene sock construction that most of you know from the Nike huarache. The upper has several felt layers with a mesh toebox and mesh on the sides. An interesting detail is the plastic see-through plastic at the outsole, giving a look inside the midsole.

The second pair is the stunning Saucony Azura ST, although I’m still researching, the estimated produce date from this pair is 1989. The shoe is made from the same materials as the Sensaton GRID, layers of felt combined with two types of mesh. On the rear a 3M detail can be found behind a little yellow mesh. The makeup of the heel reminds me of the Shadow Original. I think this is now the favouite Saucony I own, the shape is just stunning, with a beautiful midsole and sexy toebox. Although this is a size 11.5, which is my perfect size in all Shadows, these fit a little tight. I cant wait to bring these out for a walk when the sun is back.

I think the Azura ST my the favorite of the two, although I really like the awkwardness of the GRID, I mean the crazy shape and coloring on the midsole feels a bit weird, but therefor not less interesting. Which of the two do you prefer?

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