Our Story

THE PATENT

The Posture Foundation patent was granted in 1933. This early innovation in comfort forever changed the sneaker landscape, and quickly became immensely popular. P.F. Flyers were the first sneakers to promote features designed to align posture, enhance comfort, and improve performance.

THE CENTER HI

Boasting the Posture Foundation patent, the Center Hi revolutionized the sneaker for athletes of the 40’s. With more support and comfort, players of the day flocked to the new shoe to up their game.

THE ENDORSEMENT

In the first-ever endorsement between brand and athlete, P.F. Flyers introduced the Bob Cousy All-Americans, uniting icons of the sports world. Cousy went on to win countless MVPs throughout the 1950s, and the P.F. Flyers All-American became an instant classic.

THE BOOM

In the 60’s the P.F. Flyers brand took off, expanding into comic books & animated tv shows. P.F. Flyers sponsored Dick Clark’s American Bandstand and Dick Clark famously claimed “I’m the man with the sock hop, and I wear P.F. Flyers.” Mickey Mouse Club and the show Johnny Quest also featured P.F. Flyers sneakers.

THE SPACE BOOT

In the 70s, P.F. Flyers soared to new heights, becoming the devoted shoe brand of NASA’s Gemini II team. P.F. Made specially-designed boots for the Gemini II space suits, and all astronauts in that program wore P.F. Flyers when they weren’t in their mission gear.

THE SANDLOT

P.F. Flyers were canonized in the 1993 film The Sandlot by director David Evans, who grew up in the 60s when the sneakers obtained their iconic status. In the cult film, star baseball player Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez praises the shoes for their ability to make the wearer “run faster and jump higher.”

THE RE-LAUNCH

In 2001, New Balance purchased P.F. Flyers as a strong addition to their high-performance American brand. With pride in the brand’s heritage and a determination not to rely solely on past success, P.F. engineers brought open minds to the task of modernizing Posture Foundation. In 2003, New Balance re-launched the P.F. brand.

THE NEW LOOKS

In 2010s, P.F. Flyers released a relentless flow of product innovations & collaborations with Todd Snyder, Eastlogue, The Hundreds, Ball & Buck, Brooklyn Circus, Universal Works and more. The brand refocused itself in youth culture, fashion & skate.

THE FUTURE

In July 2021, Kassia Davis acquired P.F. Flyers, becoming the only female owner of an original sneaker brand. Behind her, P.F. Flyers runs toward a bright future determined to remain a cultural icon for generations to come.