Osaga KT-26 a step ahead 1979 vintage sneaker ad

Here’s another vintage 1970’s sneaker ad for the Osaga KT-26 model running shoes. This ad covers their cantilevered sole with “kinetic levers” to dissipate shock absorption.

Ad info is below:

The revolutionary new Osaga KT-26 was designed for serious runners. The bio-kinetic construction of the KT-26 dissipates shock upon impact and deflects it away from the foot and leg. The tough, outside ribs of the cantilevered sole —called kinetic levers — spread upon impact, absorbing the shock and forcing it outward. Part of the absorbed shock, however, is stored in the levers and released during the flow of ground contact, springing you forward. This is kinetic response, the key element in the development of the Osaga KT-26. A rigid heel counter and uppers of soft, crushable nylon and nylon mesh combine to give the men's and women's KT-26 maximum comfort and breathability, even on the hottest days and longest runs. The KT-26 for women is constructed on a woman's last and features true slim widths in most sizes. For cushioning, comfort and durability, the Osaga KT-26, is clearly, a step ahead.

Osaga KT-26 a step ahead

RW5-STAR

Runner's World Magazine

For the amazing facts on the KT-26 and other Osaga products, write to: Osaga, Inc., 2468 West 11th, Eugene, OR 97402. U.S. and Foreign Patents Pending. Osaga will assert its patent rights against infringers.

OSAGA
The competitive sports division Eugene, Oregon U.S.A.

Runner's World Top-Rated Running Shoes for 1980

This is the Runner’s World magazine buyer’s guide featuring their top rated runners in 1980. It’s interesting that only two Nike shoes are featured and that Jox Roadhandlers made the cut but Asics / Onitsuka Tiger, Converse and Etonic didn’t.

Page info is below:

5-STAR SHOES AT A GLANCE
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
Runner's World Top-Rated Running Shoes for 1980

ADIDAS LADY MARATHON 80 WOMEN'S RACING FLAT

ADIDAS LADY MARATHON TRAINER WOMEN'S TRAINING FLAT

ADIDAS LADY TRX TRAINER WOMEN'S TRAINING FLAT

ADIDAS MARATHON 80 MEN'S RACING FLAT

ADIDAS MARATHON TRAINER MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

ADIDAS TRX TRAINER MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

AUTRY CONCORDE MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

BROOKS HUGGER GT MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

BROOKS LADY SUPER VILLANOVA WOMEN'S TRAINING FLAT

BROOKS LADY VANTAGE WOMEN'S TRAINING FLAT

BROOKS RT-1 MEN'S RACING FLAT

BROOKS SUPER VILLANOVA MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

BROOKS VANTAGE MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

BROOKS VANTAGE SUPREME MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

NIKE DAYBREAK MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

NIKE WOMEN'S LIBERATOR WOMEN'S TRAINING FLAT

NEW BALANCE 620 MEN'S TRAINING

OSAGA KT-26 FLAT MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

PUMA FAST RIDER MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

PUMA LITE RIDER MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

PUMA TRACK RIDER MEN'S RACING FLAT

REEBOK AZTEC MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

REEBOK AZTEC PRINCESS WOMEN'S TRAINING FLAT

REEBOK 10K MEN'S RACING FLAT

SAUCONY MS SILVER STREAK WOMEN'S RACING

SAUCONY MS TRAINER 1980 FLAT WOMEN'S TRAINING FLAT

SAUCONY SILVER STREAK MEN'S RACING FLAT

SAUCONY TRAINER 1980 MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

SPECS INNSBRUCK MEN'S TRAINING FLAT

THOM McAN WOMEN'S ROADHANDLER WOMEN'S TRAINING FLAT

Osaga 1979 retro sneaker ad for the KT-26 runner

Here’s an old Osaga brand vintage ad for the KT-26 bio-kinetic construction that was “built with bio-kinetic construction” and now you can match your runners with a warm up sweat-suit.

We’ve posted a few other Osaga ads here, here and there’s a kids pair of Osaga runners in this ad here.

Ad info is below:

KT-26 from top to bottom

We've told you about our revolutionary running shoe, the KT-26 . . . built with bio-kinetic construction for greater comfort and endurance. Now we want you to know about our coordinated actionwear designed to keep you looking as good as you feel. KT-26 warm-ups are made of washable 100% nylon tricot lustre with napped lining (women's are also available in brushed nylon tricot). Matching running shorts are made in women's sizes of nylon tricot lustre. Coordinated racing shorts and singlets are designed for lightweight comfort for both men and women. KT-26 T-shirt for men and women of 100% combed cotton.

osaga
For The Human race

For more information contact: Corporate Headquarters °SAGA, Incorporated, 2468 West 11th Avenue Eugene. Oregon 97402, Phone (503) 484-1344

Ambi "Warrior" vintage sneaker ad ​from 1979

Today we've got this old school late 70s vintage sneaker ad for the Ambi "Warrior." AMBI was a brand out of Arkansas and made some pretty cool looking kicks back in the day. Apparently these running shoes 'outranked' every other shoe of their time.

Ad info is below:

SAFETY FIRST

Safety and protection of the runner has always been Ambi's first priority, providing the runner the best possible shoe without sacrificing any injury-protection features…..So, the Runner's World test results (right) of Ambi out-ranking all the top-rated shoes for safety and protection did not surprise the folks at Ambi…..Removable, washable sockliner (by Powers) adds extra cushioned protection and comfort.

AMBI

THE AMERICAN SPIRIT

★ That's the premise on which Ambi was founded.

★ That's what recent tests sponsored by Runner's World magazine reveal.

COMPARE THE 1980 TEST RESULTS FOR YOURSELF

The AMBI "Warrior" outranked all these top-rated shoes (and others) in the listed safety and protection features:

REARFOOT IMPACT—Adidas Marathon, New Balance 620, Nike Daybreak, Autry Mach II, Converse Arizona, Pony Targa VSD, Saucony Hornet.

FOREFOOT IMPACT—Brooks Supreme Villanova, Osaga KT-26, Adidas Marathon, Etonic Stabilizer, Saucony Hornet, Brooks Silver Streak, Etonic Streetfighter.

REARFOOT CONTROL—Brooks Vantage, Autry Concorde, Nike Daybreak, Puma Fast Rider, Brooks Vantage Supreme, New Balance 620, Etonic Stabilizer.

TRACTION—Adidas Marathon, Autry Concorde, Brooks Vantage, Puma Fast Rider, Nike Daybreak, Brooks Vantage Supreme, Etonic Streetfighter, Brooks Supreme Villanova, Osaga KT-26, Brooks Silver Streak, Wilson Force 5.

AMBI, PO BOX 249, JONESBORO, AR 72401 — Phone Toll Free 800-643-0099

Osaga KT-26 REVOLUTION vintage sneaker ad ​from 1979

Osaga KT-26 REVOLUTION vintage sneaker ad from 1979. The Osaga KT-26 is a cult classic sneaker only known to a few and are now rare collector items that sell used for upwards of $300-$1000 a pair. This original vintage magazine ad is available over at our Rewind Running web shop.

We were able to piece together a brand profile from "TonyK" on the Letsrun.com forum board who posted an excellent detailed account of Osaga’s history way back in 2009. Tony’s write up:

I somehow landed on your sight today and saw your comments about OSAGA. I was one of the first people to market OSAGA in the United States and was there from day one. Most of the comments and responses you received are a bit off target. The company was started about three months after a small company by the name of "Blue Ribbon Sports" or, as the name you may know better as "NIKE". It was started by a family shoe store retailer by the name of Bill Combs in Eugene, Oregon. Although he has passed, his stores are still there and are called "Burchs Fine Shoes". we were around Bill Bowerman several times because he was a good friend of Bill Combs. We would all go to dinner during big meets such as NCAA Cross Country championships, etc.

Almost all of the shoes had names beginning with the letter "C" as research found that those words were the easiest to remember. Names like Capra (which is the brightly colored shoes your responders are talking about), Cortina, Columbia and Cochise, which was meant to compete with the Adidas Country and was green and white as well.

The logo colors where Green and Yellow, but not because of Oregon. Once again, marketing research said those were the most pleasing colors. Osaga was the first company to put emphasis on matching warm-ups, bags, hats, shirts, etc to the shoe colors.

The original idea of the company was that the shoes would be world class running and athletic shoes but not be sold in sporting goods stores and would be made available only to family shoe stores. As you might guess this took away the opportunity to have athletes as spokespersons. Alberto Salazar is the only "major" runner to have worn the shoes and that only happed for a very short time.

Your responders are right that the technology morphed into Avia. OSAGA developed a shoe called the KT-26 which was rated the #2 running shoe in the world as rated by Runner's World magazine. Although the shoes could then be found in some Athletes Foot stores, there was no base of well known runners in sponsored by OSAGA to really maximize the potential for expansion. At that time Bill Combs was running out of money and the writing was on the wall. The company was closed and the technology of the KT-26 Cantilever sole was sold to Avia for a small amount of money.

Oddly enough, the best shoe OSAGA Ever produced was called the OSAGA 2000 which,at the time, was the lightest weight tennis shoe ever produced. It used lightweight materials that are common place today but were evolutionary at that time.

OSAGA was named after the Osage Native American Indians from Oklahoma and the tag line was "For the Human Race".

This other small excerpt on Osaga is from the book Out of Nowhere: The Inside Story of how Nike Marketed the Culture of Running by Geoff Hollister:

In three days, my staff member Peter Thompson and I were flying to Madison, Wisconsin for NCAA cross country. We immediately ran into Burch's Bill Combs of Eugene who decided if Phil Knight can do it, he could too. Burch's was the top shoe store in Eugene, and Combs started his own brand, naming it Osaga. He put money into Dellinger's scoreboard at Hayward Field, which we had turned down. Bowerman was irate at his successor's decision. Now Combs was at the NCAA meet, sponsoring a breakfast for athletes in an attempt to draw attention to his poorly built training flats.

Ouch.