Karhu: The Finnish Bear Goes Global

Ab Sportartiklar Oy

Before there was Karhu, there was Ab Sportartiklar Oy.

Established in a tiny workshop in downtown Helsinki, Ab Sportartiklar Oy opened their doors in 1916 with a focus on locally-sourced birch products. As a result, the company’s initial offerings included sporting equipment such as skis, javelins and discuses. However, birch-made equipment wasn’t the only thing on the menu. Ab Sportartiklar Oy also produced running shoes from the very beginning, and pairs even landed on the feet of Hannes Kolehmainen – four-time Olympic Gold Medallist, and the very first of the famed ‘Flying Finns’.

The Flying Finns

Just a few short years later, Ab Sportartiklar Oy changed their name to something a little easier to remember – and a whole lot more marketable. In 1920, Ab Sportartiklar Oy officially changed their name to Karhu – Finnish for ‘bear’ – and the timing couldn’t have been better. 

That same year, the Finns dominated the Summer Olympics in Antwerp, sweeping the podium in the javelin (with their Karhu javelins, naturally) while the ‘Flying Finns’ scooped up five gold medals on the track while racing in their Karhu spikes. Fast-forward to the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, and Karhu would experience even more success as the official outfitters for the Finnish Olympians: after taking home a trio of gold medals (and a silver) in 1920, the ‘Flying Finn’ himself, Paavo Nurmi, upped the ante with five golds in the City of Light – all while rocking an all-white pair of Karhu spikes. And if it weren’t for Nurmi, we might know the ‘Flying Finn’ by a different name: Ville Ritola. Nurmi’s fellow countryman (and fellow Karhu wearer) raced to four golds and two silvers in those same Paris games.

That Karhu-centric Olympic success continued throughout the decades that followed, with the likes of Volmari Iso-Hollo, Taisto Mäki, and Lasse Virén. In 1952, Karhu even got the chance to dominate on their own turf, taking home 15 medals thanks to the feet of Finnish and foreign runners alike. The ‘Czech Locomotive’, Emil Zátopek, wore Karhu spikes on his way to gold in the 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres, and his first-ever marathon.

Re-Branding

All of that Olympic success did wonders to steer Karhu clear of the potential pitfalls that could have come from a complete re-brand.

Ahead of the 1952 Helsinki Games, Karhu infamously sold their Three Stripes trademark to a tiny German upstart – and, now, world-dominating sportswear giant – for the equivalent of 1,600 euros and a couple of bottles of whiskey. The sale was no real sweat for Karhu, as the brand adopted the signature ‘M’ logo – derived from the Finnish word ‘Mestari’, meaning ‘champion’ – shortly after. Karhu finally officially registered the logo in 1960, and never looked back – it’s still in use today and famously adorns just about every Karhu silhouette out there.

Innovation

After all of their ‘Flying Finn’ success and branding overhaul, Karhu quietly became one of the most innovative – and humble – running companies out there.

One of the first companies to go all-in on athlete feedback, Karhu took cues from Finnish Olympians to create their first proper trainer (sans spikes) in the late 1960s. Dubbed the ‘Trampas’, the new silhouette was universally renowned, becoming a go-to for the Finnish Olympic team, and also reaching as far as runners at top American universities. Apparently it was even a favourite of legendary track and field coach Arthur Lydiard.

Don’t let the folks in Beaverton tell you otherwise: not only was Karhu the first company to start using lightweight nylon on their running sneakers, but they were also the very first to introduce air cushioning. 1976’s Champion model beat Nike’s famed Tailwind to market by a solid couple of years, employing trademarked ‘Air Cushion’ in the heel, ‘an acquisition you will never regret’ according to Karhu advertisements at the time.

By the late 1980s, however, Karhu had ditched ‘Air Cushion’ entirely and, in 1986, joined forces with the University of Jyväskylä to develop their patented ‘Fulcrum’ tech, which – unlike air – assisted a runner’s natural biomechanics for forward propulsion.

The innovative tech has remained Karhu’s hallmark ever since.

Originals

Karhu’s innovative designs continued throughout the 90s, and have resulted in the models ’heads are most familiar with these days. 

1995’s Aria paired the Fulcrum tech with the likes of slip-on bootie-style construction and a carbon fibre plate in the midsole, while 1996’s Synchron Classic perfected the brand’s diagonal lacing across the toe box to better lock the foot in place. The Fusion 2.0, on the other hand, added outdoorsy nylon cables and moulded eyelets for reinforced support.

Thankfully, though it may be 2019, you can still cop classics like the Aria, Synchron, and Fusion 2.0. In the early 2000s, Karhu launched their Originals line-up, resurrecting these underrated classics while carefully chosen collaborators brought added attention to the designs.

These days, you can pick up the latest Karhu Originals – many featuring colourways inspired by the brand’s Finnish roots – from SneakerHub.