KangaROOS
about kangaroos
KangaROOS prides itself on being a truly global lifestyle brand. KangaROOS is a distinct and recognizable brand in over 60 countries, from footwear and apparel to various accessories. What makes it so identifiable? Easy, it's not named KangaROOS without honoring its namesake animal. KangaROOS is the original shoe with pockets. KangaROOS comes from a sports and athletic heritage, and it remains true to its background with an ethos that consistently values the original and the unexpected. Kangaroos can't help but ask, what's inside your pocket?
History of KangaROOS
From US sports brand to global lifestyle brand, KangaROOS has developed into one of the most famous sneaker brands worldwide. Its origin story is like most innovative brands having a founder with a brilliant idea put to practice. Bob Gamm was a passionate jogger and architect from Saint Louis, USA, and he had the intuition to engineer a small integrated pocket for his house key inside his running shoes. In 1979 he started KangaROOS, ensuring that all runners can enjoy the essential feature of having a pocket in their shoes. The brand name's evident influence is due to kangaroos' pouches, but the association went further because the kangaroo is a fast runner that never moves backward. KangaROOS took off as it runs ahead of the pack and is the first to act instead of merely reacting. Countless sports teams reached out to KangaROOS to support their goals. Years later, and after numerous collaborations with trendy stores, artists, and top brands, KangaROOS is where the heart of fashion and sneakers beats.
PATTA x KangaROOS WOODHOLLOW Hiking Boots
With its heritage in athletics, it was only a small step for KangaROOS to develop hiking boots. Keeping true to its value, style, and, of course, their trademark shoe pockets, KangaROOS worked into collaboration with Patta to create the Patta x KangaROOS Woodhollow hiking boots. The boots are winter ready-made with the highest quality nylon fabrics and premium leather. From its practical use to its eye-catching style, the Patta x KangaROOS Woodhollow hiking boots caught the attention of its most famous patron, Kanye West. And he captured the fashion media's attention when he showed up wearing his pair of Patta x KangaROOS Woodhollow hiking boots to the front row of a Louis Vuitton Show in Paris.
The Combat
The Combat model was the first KangaROOS shoe developed with the integrated pocket back in 1980. It was a super light shoe for the era, which caught the attention of marathon runner Bill Rodgers. He ran the Boston City marathon in his pair of Combats and won while beating the American record for the fastest marathon race! That's one great way to get noticed. Winning exceeds any advertising, and the KangaROOS success story began. It got the attention of serious runners and passionate joggers, and the revolutionary design would sell over 700,000 pairs a month in the United States that year.
Partnering with Bernd Hummel GmbH
In 1981, Bernd Hummel, a 33-year-old shoe manufacturer, and importer from Pirmasens, Germany, traveled to a trade fair for shoes in the USA. He is searching for innovation, and what piques his interest the most is the integrated pocket of KangaROOS. Bernd Hummel believes in the brand, shares its values, and identifies its potential success in Europe. He acquires a license to bring KangaROOS to European shops, and since then, has developed into the world's largest licensee of the KangaROOS brand. Since 1989, Bernd Hummel GmbH has held a master license, which allows for their own design and production of KangaROOS shoes and clothing. From their headquarters in Pirmasens – Germany's shoe capital – Bernd Hummel GmbH sales network extends over twenty countries in Europe. Working closely with KangaROOS, they collaborate with their know-how and carefully implement innovative designs and feature to functionally and aesthetically improve the quality of KangaROOS products.