PF Flyers is an American sneaker brand founded in 1937 in Akron, Ohio, originally an offshoot of rubber manufacturer B.F. Goodrich. Developed with Hyman J. Whitman, B.F. Goodrich invented and patented the then new technology of an arch support insole, which they initially called Posture Foundation, and was later shortened to the PF in PF Flyers.
PF Flyers are known for their white rubber sole and capped toe, commonly complemented with a canvas upper. PF Flyers was one of the first major American sneaker brands, and they pioneered endorsing pro basketball player Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics in 1958. Because of legal acquisition issues, PF Flyers was a dormant brand from 1975–2000. However, that did not stop their history and influence from being rightly claimed on screen in the 1993 feature film The Sandlot. In 2018, then owned by American sneaker brand New Balance, PF Flyers released a cleat version of their classic PF Flyers Center Hi New Balance Sandlot Composite Cleat, a collaboration with New Balance that commemorated the shoe’s film appearance.
Under different ownership again since 2021, PF Flyers has returned to their roots. Centering their collection around the classic rubber sole treatment and cap toe silhouette that made the brand famous in the mid-20th century, current releases rest in a versatile black and white color palette, accented by subtle buck leather accents and textile uppers. PF Flyers sneakers pair well with fellow heritage brands, such as Carhartt, another Midwestern American label, headquartered not far from PF Flyers’ origin in Dearborn, Michigan.
