Adding to the archive, here's a set of vintage sneaker advertisements from the 1984 & 1985 for a brand called Sako. Sako is a really rare and obscure brand that was from Redwood City, CA. The three sneakers in the '84 ads are The “Sako Super,” Lady Tri-Eva and regular Tri-Eva. The marketing strategy associated with the Sako Super sneaker was strange because they were only trying to sell sneakers to supinators. The population of supinators was comprised of only 1 out of every 5 runners. In the third ad from 1985 they made another mind boggling decision to try to take their running shoes in a business casual direction. 👟💼🤔
Ad info for all of the ads is below:
Ad text for all ads is below:
Why One Runner Out of Every Five Should Wear This Shoe
We discovered through our Runner's Workshop that 20% of all people who run are supinators, not pronators. We also discovered that there were no shoes on the market to solve this prob-lem. The big shoe companies are all building shoes for the four out of five runners who aren't supinators. If your worn running shoes look like this—you are one out of five:
...and your next pair should look like this:
THE SAKO SUPER
The new SAKO SUPER combines 4 major innovations to solve the supinators' problems by providing extra support and preventing lateral (outside) breakdown.
1. Increased torsional stability with full board-last construction.
2. Extended extra strength heel counter o both lateral and medial sides.
3. A special dual-compound midsole t ha prevents supination.
4. Patented Step-Rite outsole.
The new SAKO SUPER"' should be in yo favorite running shoe store by November 1. If not, call us, (415) 364-9928; we'll tell you where you can buy them. Or if`you get your favorite store to stock SAKO shoes your new SUPERS'' will be free.
California Footwear, Inc., 3100 Rolison Road, Redwood City, CA 94063.
SAKO
Dealer inquiries invited!
Ad 2 info:
Why Beardsley, Benoit, Decker, Durden, Rodgers, Salazar, Scott, Shorter, or Virgin hasn't yet endorsed SAKO running shoes
...and John Doughty has!
Well, for one thing, it costs a lot of money these days to get a top athlete's endorsement of your product. And anyway, we're not sure anybody would believe the endorsement until they've had the chance to try the shoes for themselves. For another thing, we think John Doughty's endorsement is at least as meaningful as that of a top star, and maybe even more so. His tibias take just as much torment, his agonies on the home stretch are just as excruciating, and his shoes wear out just as fast. Maybe faster. And because the John Doughtys of this world aren't signing up many juicy endorsement contracts-let's face it, they aren't even getting free shoes-they're probably not as well heeled (no pun intended) as the stars, and wearing out r shoes is a serious matter. So we thought it was time somebody did something for John Doughty and his "middle of the packers."
Instead of spending our cash on getting endorsements, we decided to put it into better shoes, and at a price John can afford. There are other reasons behind our ability to make super shoes for less. Our com-mitment to save you money started in 1976 with Runners Workshop, our running shoe rebuilding division. From the priceless knowledge we gained from resoling and rebuilding over 100,000 pairs of shoes, we designed and produced a better one. Every SAKO shoe is made specially to accept our resoling process. and we back our top-of-the-line models, such as Tri-Eva, with a free resole! Now John Doughty can double his mileage with SAKO. You too can get more run for your money by running down to your favorite store and trying on a pair of our new SAKO shoes. If SAKO is scarce in your area, call or write for your free color brochure. And remember, when you see elite athletes wearing our shoes. you'll know we didn't buy their endorsement, we earned it.
California Footwear, Inc. 3100 Rolison Rd., Redwood City, CA 94063. (415) 364-9928
SAKO
say "SOCKO"
Lady Tri-Eva 👟 Tri-Eva 👟
Dealer inquiries invited!
Ad 3 info:
Who says you can't wear your running shoes to work?
The boss, that's who. And though he isn't always right, he's always the boss! But now you can get around him. You can wear running shoes to work and he'll never know the difference. Because SAKO makes work shoes using running shoe technology, shoes with the glove-like fit, feather-weight, and superb comfort of your favorite running shoes, but also with the durability, support, and appearance of work shoes.
The world's most comfortable (and lightest) work shoes come in enough styles and colors to fit any job, whether you work in a supermarket or a restaurant, a post office or a factory, a hospital or a casino, whether you drive a truck, handle baggage, pound a beat, or work in the executive suite. And instead of the first thing you do when you get home at night, taking off your shoes will be the last thing you want to do.
BROWN UNION # 5035 👟 ASPEN # 5112 👟 TRANSIT # 5133 👟
PRESIDIO # 5111 👟 LIBERTY # 5119 👟 MONTEREY # 5117 👟
If your regular shoe store or your running shoe store isn't yet carrying SAKO work shoes, we apologize; we're getting the word out—and the shoes—as fast as we can. Write us and we'll contact you with the nearest SAKO dealer.
For the store nearest you call TOLL FREE (800)-FOR SAKO In California call (415) 364-9928
Dealer Inquiries Invited
SAKO
Say “Socko”
California Footwear, Inc.
3100 Rolison Road
Redwood City, CA 94063
