Saucony Quietly Had a Huge 2024 — It's About to Dominate 2025
"We may be new to the moment, but we are not new to the game," Brian Moore, Saucony's chief product officer, tells Highsnobiety. True: despite its age, Saucony has raced through 2024 like a triumphant newcomer, quietly dropping some of the year's best sneakers and collaborative designs.
But this, my friends, is only the beginning. Saucony has positioned itself to have an even more explosive 2025.
In October, Saucony capped its humbly powerful year by adding Westside Gunn to its growing family of collaborators, another red-hot peak amidst a recent fiery streak.
Westside Gunn is a pretty big get for Saucony — until recently, it wasn't really recognized as one of the "cool" sneaker brands. The Griselda Records co-founder, on the other hand, has always epitomized cool.
Gunn is behind some of the past decade's most acclaimed albums, like Pray for Paris (topped with Virgil Abloh cover art) and his personal style is, famously, an enviable mix of slick, up-next luxury.
So it's objectively huge that Gunn's first-ever sneaker collaboration is with Saucony, almost incidentally announced while the rapper toured of the company's offices.
And, while discussing his forthcoming Sauconys, Gunn thanked Saucony legitimizer Jae Tips for "opening the door and inspiring him."
Yes, Jae Tips is Saucony's man of the hour, having only just dropped another sought-after and sold-out set of screamingly stylish Progrid Omni 9 sneakers.
Already on to his next Saucony sneaker, evocatively titled "The Matrix," Tips is fully committed to dropping 15 more shoes with the company.
And why not? Everything Jae Tips touches at Saucony has turned to gold — and got snatched up instantaneously. The Bronx-based talent has a knack for turning out extremely coveted colorways, so slick that Tips' Saucony sneakers don't even really resemble any other Saucony sneaker on the market. His fresh perspective has in turn rubbed off on the sportswear company.
Tips' pairs, which began rolling out in late 2023, are wonderfully maximalist, exploding with a rich plethora of vivid metallic shades and unexpected textures, guided by meaningful stories of his creative journey.
His Saucony sneakers are so good that even guys who could otherwise have anything they want, like 21 Savage, obsess over them from afar. Tips is hands-down Saucony's strongest consistent collaborator, singularly responsible for turning Saucony into a brand on the rise.
But Jae Tips' sneakers were only the first killer Saucony collabs to stalk the streets.
In October, Parisian sneaker store Starcow unearthed a smartly subdued Saucony Omni 9 shoe aimed directly at gorpcore devotees, an all-new realm for Saucony. COSTS, meanwhile, blasted off with its "Interstellar Grey" Saucony Kinvara 4 shoes and Minted New York painted Saucony's Endorphin Speed 4 super shoe in hyper blue, extra bold and extra stylish. Just another sign of the stylish super shoe times, except from a previously untested contender.
And that's just scratching the surface. There's Bodega's tastefully textural Saucony Grid Shadow 2 "Jaunt Woven" sneakers and Nordstrom's luxuriously hairy horse-patterned Triumph 22 running shoes, almost too good to wear for mere running.
Saucony's recent collaborations aren't necessarily introducing groundbreaking new models. They're instead refreshing Saucony's greatest hits through genuine partnerships, hitting far harder than any vacant collaborative cash-grab.
"The brand has maintained a transformational over transactional approach when it comes to our collaborations," Jason Faustino, Saucony's director of energy & collaborations, says.
"The partnerships have to be impactful and inspiring, not only to our product but also to our collective communities. Chemistry and rapport are things to look for and cultivate within our partnerships, and there's a high chance of that happening when there is a synergy of brand values.
Saucony has been moving and grooving since 1898 with a consistency that reflects its century of heritage. Indeed, beyond tapping in with tomorrow's creatives, Saucony acknowledges that its day-to-day focus remains on its trademark products while it enacts some big-picture streetwear-centric shifts in light of decreasing sales.
In particular, Saucony has keyed in on versatile shapes, like the Progrid Triumph 4 and the Shadow 6000, whose techy looks serve as sturdy crossover fare. A little sneakerhead, a little fashion. It's even reviving the throwback Trainer 80!
"I also look for an alignment in cultural trajectory," explains Faustino. "Our partners are 'next up' — and while Saucony has been around for 125+ years, we are still growing and reaching new consumers through running and lifestyle spaces where the consumer seemed to be hungry for something new."
The understated Saucony explosion has come around as a matter of being in the right place at the right time with the right shoes, offering consumers something different that's also not all that different.
"The most important takeaway is that our products are relevant and look fresh!" exclaims Faustino.
"Rather than creating completely new designs reacting to temporary trends, we build new footwear styles to achieve a balanced portfolio with diversity and options for the consumer. Who are we kidding? These consumers first identify if the product looks good on their feet! Everything comes into play after this is established."
"Saucony’s lifestyle business goes back to 1998 and this most recent push started a few years ago with some carefully managed collaborations and key retail partner relationships," adds Moore. "We will always value and prioritize them but are excited to see more people learn about and experience the brand... again."
With consumers again chasing Y2K-flavored dad shoes, there are even more eyes are on Saucony. This is the moment, and Saucony knows it.
"The current sneaker market is at an exciting stage for Saucony. While traditional sneaker trends have changed, so has the consumer's taste, and this shift has helped clear the way for smaller, fringe brands to get airtime," says Dave Cory, Saucony's senior director of global product.
"It seems like everyone has the core staples already and is looking for something new, something fresh. It feels like Saucony's time is now. "
