A PF Flyers History:
In 1933 tire company and sneaker pioneer BFGoodrich patented the Posture Foundation insole—an insert that aided in evenly distributing weight on the foot, thus taking strain off the legs of the sneaker wearer. In 1937 BFGoodrich released their first pair of shoes with the revolutionary Posture Foundation technology. Since everyone figured “Posture Foundation” made for a terrible sneaker name, Goodrich marketers christened the shoe with the abbreviated moniker “PF,” adding the postscript “Flyers” for a bit of bonus panache. The 1950s and 1960s were the heyday for PF Flyers, the shoes not only popular on the basketball court, but also in day to day fashion. The shoes came in high-top, low-top, oxfords and moccasins. Converse, PF Flyers main competitor, bought the brand in 1972 but in the merger shuffle PF Flyers lost their popularity. The brand suffered heavily through the 70s, 80s, and 90s. In 1992 PF Flyers went dormant. In 2001, New Balance purchased the brand, resurrecting the PF Flyer in 2003.
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PF Flyers Sneak-Facts:
• PF Flyers were featured in the 1993 movie “The Sandlot.” Today you can purchase the “Center Hi Sandlot Edition” PF Flyers—an all black version of the classic Center Hi.
• PF Flyers and Johnny Marr (guitarist for the Smiths and Modest Mouse) released a collaboration—a limited edition Center-Lo, the proceeds of which will go to charity partners Cure Autism Now and The Pictor School. Only 108 pairs of the exclusive sneaker will be released in the States and another 108 released in the UK.
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Notable Models:
Center Hi / Lo
The Center Hi and Center Lo evolution dates back to the company’s inception in the late 1930s when the shoe was first presented as a “Safeguard Against Flat Feet.” Though very similar in appearance to competitor and one time owner Converse’s Chuck Taylor All Star, the PF Flyers Center Hi and Center Lo bare some distinctions of their own. The Center Hi and Center Lo have both been reissued and structurally re-imagined by New Balance, current owner of the PF Flyers brand.
Number 5
The unisex Number 5 is PF Flyers’ most popular style.
Glide
Another recently re-issued PF Flyers classic, the Glide is marked by its padded heel ribs, terrycloth lining, elastic-loaded tongue, and—as always—the Posture Foundation insole.
Grounder Hi / Lo
The blueprint for the Grounder was drafted in the 1940s. A canvas baseball styled shoe, the Grounder has both high and low top version, a clamshell toe bumper, and toothy treads. The PF Flyers Grounder was recently reissued.
