Sole Food: Saucony's Secret to Making Cool Shoes? Find Cool People

Sole Food is a weekly series built on sneaker editor Morgan Smith's takes on the biggest topics in sneaker culture.

It’s the year of Saucony. Again! The sneaker brand is not only killing it in the retail afterlife but also delivering solid product in real time, not only surprisingly solid general-release styles but killer collaborations guided by killer collaborators. Saucony is building an impressive resume of next-up sneaker remixers that’s translating to real-world heat for its in-line silhouettes.

Don’t get me wrong. Saucony had bangers before now, including great collaborations with Bodega and END. (Burger shoes, anyone?). However, Jae Tips kicked off a major shift in 2023. His shoes were not only cool-looking but they were “new” and fresh. They were visually appealing, often featuring maximalist, street-savvy, floral-stamped designs during a time where other sneakers were going flat and “quiet luxury.” What was also appealing was the “who” of the collab. Suddenly, an uncool 250-year-old sneaker brand — no shade — was working with this ultra-steezy IYKYK designer, who was selling out New Era hats like there was no tomorrow. The same cool guy breathed fresh, colorful air into Saucony’s forgotten models, transforming them into supremely hyped sneakers, and everyone wanted a piece.

Then, while the energy was already high, Saucony made another power move by adding Westside Gunn to the roster in 2025. Their partnership resulted in two swiftly sold-out sneakers, including a vibrant “superfly” ProGrid Triumph 4 sneaker and, most recently, a wild animal-print Grid Jazz 9 aptly named “Awesome Gods.”

And Saucony’s still going hard on collabs in the final quarter of 2026. A “mom shoe” designed by Hike Clerb founder Evelynn Escobar drops on October 23. Also, Saucony linked back up with Highsnobiety for a meshy ProGrid Paramount and Endorphin Pro 5 dressed in easy-to-style colorways. 

Exposure to all this inspiration has seemingly spilled over into Saucony’s in-line designs. Over the summer, Saucony dropped a surprisingly good-looking ProGrid V2 sneaker-mule — and what’s amazing is that, even years after sneaker-mules were hot, this thing looked incredible. The retooled paneling and tasteful colorways turned a potential snooze into a surprise stunner. The much-anticipated “Space Cowboy” collection remixed the ProGrid Triumph 4 and Endorphin Elite in cow-print fur and chrome touches. It was a pleasant shift from the usual retro-tech colorways, but also another great example of Saucony nailing a craze and reinterpreting it in such a cool way.

Saucony’s roster is not only stacked but diverse and even niche, ranging from fly musicians to multi-hyphenate hiking moms to platforms pushing culture forward. This helps push Saucony’s products into fresh terrain. Saucony has long been pushing for “carefully managed collaborations and key retail partner relationships,” Jason Faustino, Saucony's director of energy & collaborations, told us in 2024. And it’s paying off: the brand’s collabs are its crown jewel. Saucony’s making all the right plays, being in the right place, at the right time, and, most importantly, with the right people, which just so happens to yield the right stuff.

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