Karhu (sports brand)

Last updated
Karhu
FormerlyOy Urheilutarpeita [1]
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Sports equipment, textile
Founded1916;108 years ago (1916) in Helsinki
Headquarters
Finland
Products Sneakers, apparel
Parent Karhu Holding B.V. [2]
Website karhu.com

Karhu is a Finnish sports equipment company, focused on running. Originally established as "Oy Urheilutarpeita" in 1916, it was renamed "Karhu" (meaning bear in Finnish) four years later. Karhu's line of products includes sneakers, t-shirts and jackets. In past years, Karhu also manufactured skis. In 2008, the company was sold to a group of investors organised under "Karhu Holding B.V.". [2]

Contents

Karhu is renowned for having implemented the three stripes trademark, [3] which was then sold to German company Adidas in 1952. [4] [5] [6] [3]

History

Share of the Oy Urheilutarpeita, issued 1. October 1922 AB Sportartiklar Oy 1922.jpg
Share of the Oy Urheilutarpeita, issued 1. October 1922

The company was established in Helsinki, Finland, in 1916, as "Oy Urheilutarpeita". In 1920, the company was renamed "Karhu", adopting a bear as its logo. In addition to the discuses and javelins that were Karhu's main products, the company also produced running shoes and track spikes. [7]

The Karhu brand featured prominently at the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games, where Finnish athletes took all three medals in javelin using Karhu javelins, [4] and the "Flying Finns" took five gold medals on the track wearing Karhu spikes. Four years later, at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Paavo Nurmi won five gold medals in track events "wearing a conspicuous pair of white Karhu running spikes". [4]

In the 1930s, Karhu's production expanded to include cross-country and ski jumping skis. During the Winter War and Continuation War, from 1939–1945, Karhu produced snow-camouflage suits, tents and skis for the Finnish military. [7]

In 1952, Karhu sold the "three stripes" trademark it had been using to a then little-known German brand Adidas for the equivalent of 1,600 euros and two bottles of whiskey. [4] [8] In the 1960s Karhu began to use the M-logo in its place. [7] The 'M' (that comes from "Mestari" which means "champion" in Finnish) is still in use on Karhu shoes. [3]

During successive years, Karhu's innovations included the first use of nylon and air cushioning in running shoes. [3] The 1960s also saw the development of Karhu's line of pesäpallo (Finnish baseball) equipment. In 1966, the Karhu company changed its name to "Oy Urheilu Karhu Sport Ab". By 1968, Karhu launched the Trampas, a shoe that came in two versions, one for trainers and the other for casual wear. The shoe was a great success, being used by the Finnish Olympic team, being praised by Arthur Lydiard, who called them "the best training shoe in the world". [3] A new name change came in 1972 to "Karhu-Titan", reflecting its strong ice hockey equipment brands Titan (sticks), Koho (protective and goaltender equipment) and Jofa (helmets). [7]

By the 1980s, the brand had started to struggle and sold off its outdoor shoe division to Merrell and its hockey division to The Hockey Company. However, a collaboration of research and design with the University of Jyväskylä led to the development of "Fulcrum technology". [3] In 1982, Karhu launched the "Albatross" shoe model, one of the best-selling sneakers of that time. Two years later, the company launched the basketball shoe "Harlem Air" model. [3]

In 1997, Karhu-Titan's name changed to Karhu Sporting Goods. [7] In 2008, Karhu Sporting Goods sold the Karhu brand to Karhu Holding B.V., a Dutch holding company led by Huub Valkenburg and Jay Duke. [9] [10]

Karhu signed an agreement with Italian Paralympic Committee to dress athletes competing at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. [11]

Products

Shoes

Karhu's main line of running shoes is based on its "Fulcrum Technology", which has been developed in cooperation with the University of Jyväskylä since the 1980s. The line includes several models for both men and women, intended to suit different types of pronation and training, off-road or trail running shoes and racing needs. In early 2000s, Karhu launched the M-Series, which earned popularity at the time, but was discontinued when Karhu was sold to foreign investors in 2008. [2] In 2009, the Karhu Fulcrum Strong model of running shoe was awarded "Best Debut" by Runner's World magazine.

Karhu also released a line of casual shoes called Karhu Originals, a range of retro inspired footwear, which were nominated for "Sneaker of the Year 2005" at the Global Sports Style Awards in Munich in 2005. [12]

Skis

Market share of Karhu skis were sold in Finland each year, but greatly reduced over past two decades by the fact the same factory also supplies Yoko and Järvinen branded skis and overall ski production in Kitee went down to about one-tenth due to national and global demand decline. The major export markets for Karhu skis were Sweden, Japan, Estonia and Germany. Production of Karhu skis was briefly leased and Sporten (Cz, Now Kästle Cz) made the Karhu skis between 2013 and 2015, but the license agreement was resigned with Kitee Ski oy (known until 2012 as Karhu Ski oy) in Kitee, now KSF Sport Oy, Finland. [13]

Further reading

Related Research Articles

Silja Line is a Swedish-Finnish cruiseferry brand operated by the Estonian ferry company AS Tallink Grupp, for car, cargo and passenger traffic between Finland and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adidas</span> German multinational clothing and apparel corporation

Adidas AG is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the world, after Nike. It is the holding company for the Adidas Group, which also owns an 8.33% stake of the football club Bayern München, and Runtastic, an Austrian fitness technology company. Adidas's revenue for 2018 was listed at €21.915 billion.

CCM Hockey is a Canadian brand of ice hockey equipment owned and manufactured by Sport Maska Inc. The history of the brand traces to 1905, when the Canada Cycle and Motor Company, which had been founded in 1899, began manufacturing hockey equipment as a secondary business. After Canada Cycle went bankrupt in 1982, it sold off its cycling and hockey divisions to separate owners. The hockey division was acquired by Sport Maska of Montreal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sneakers</span> Sport and casual shoes

Sneakers (US) or trainers (UK), also known by a wide variety of other names, are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but which are also widely used for everyday casual wear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salomon Group</span> French sports equipment manufacturing company

Salomon SAS is a French sports equipment manufacturing company headquartered in Annecy, France. It was founded in 1947 by François Salomon in the heart of the French Alps and is a major brand in outdoor sports equipment. Salomon is owned by Finnish retail conglomerate Amer Sports, along with Wilson, Atomic, Precor, and Arc'teryx, among others.

Koho is a Finnish brand of ice hockey equipment owned and manufactured by Sport Maska Inc. of Quebec. Koho equipment was made originally by the company Koho-tuote Oy, which was founded in 1964 in Forssa, Finland by Kari Aro (1935–2003).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amer Sports</span> Finnish sporting good company

Amer Sports, Inc. is a Finnish multinational sporting equipment company based in Helsinki, Finland. Established in 1950 as an industrial conglomerate with interests as diverse as tobacco trading, ship owning and publishing, Amer has gradually evolved into a multinational firm devoted to the production and marketing of sporting goods. The company employs over 9,700 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reebok</span> Footwear and clothing company

Reebok International Limited is an American fitness footwear and clothing brand that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company which had been founded in 1895 in Bolton, Lancashire. From 1958 until 1986, the brand featured the flag of the United Kingdom in its logo to signify the origins of the company. It was bought by German sporting goods company Adidas in 2005, then sold to the United States-based Authentic Brands Group in 2021. The company's global headquarters are located in Boston, Massachusetts, in the Seaport District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adidas Stan Smith</span> Tennis shoe by Adidas

Adidas Stan Smith is a tennis shoe made by Adidas, and first launched in 1965. Originally named "Adidas Robert Haillet" after the brand endorsed French prominent player Robert Haillet, in 1978 the sneakers were renamed after Stan Smith, an American tennis player who was active between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onitsuka Tiger</span> Japanese sports fashion brand

Onitsuka Tiger is a Japanese sports fashion brand started in 1949 by Onitsuka Shōkai, a sports shoes company founded by Kihachiro Onitsuka. Onitsuka Shōkai changed its name to Onitsuka Co., Ltd. before becoming Asics Corporation in 1977. Since 1977, Onitsuka Tiger has been sold as a lifestyle brand of Asics.

Jofa is a Swedish brand of ice hockey equipment owned by Sport Maska Inc. of Quebec. The brand originated in the company Jonssons Fabriker AB, later renamed Jofa AB, which was founded in Malung, Sweden in 1926 by Niss Oskar Jonsson (1909–2002). Jofa was a pioneer in the development of the plastic helmet, which was worn most notably by Wayne Gretzky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anta Sports</span> Chinese sportswear company

Anta Sports Products Limited is a Chinese sports equipment multinational corporation headquartered in Jinjiang, China. It is the world's largest sports equipment company by revenue and third-largest manufacturer of sporting goods overall, behind Nike and Adidas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three stripes</span> Adidas trademark

Three stripes is a trademark of Adidas consisting of three parallel lines, which typically feature along the side of Adidas apparel. Adidas was known for this branding early in its history, with its owner, Adolf Dassler, describing it as "The three stripe company".

One Way or One Way Sport is a brand of sports equipment and apparel for cross-country skiing, alpine skiing and other outdoor sports. The company One Way Sport Oy was established in 2004 by Andreas Bennert in Vantaa, Finland, to produce ski poles. It went bankrupt in 2018, and the trademark and patent rights were bought by Fischer Sports. They currently make Nordic, cross-country, and alpine skis and poles as well as goggles, gloves, and other skiing textiles.

MS <i>Viking Grace</i> Finnish cruise ship

MS Viking Grace is a cruiseferry constructed at STX Europe Turku Shipyard, Finland for the Finland-based ferry company Viking Line. The ship was delivered to her owners on 10 January 2013, and entered service on 13 January 2013. She is the first large-scale passenger ferry to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) And diesel as well as being fitted with a rotor sail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kankainen Manor</span> Manor house in Masku, Finland

Kankainen Manor is a late medieval manor in Masku, Finland, located along a small river about one kilometre south of Masku town centre. Kankainen Manor is considered to be the oldest surviving residential building in Finland, as its oldest parts may be from the end of the 15th century. In 2009, the Finnish Heritage Agency defined it as one of Finland's nationally significant built cultural environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas</span> Finnish furniture producer

Huonekalutehdas Korhonen Oy, formerly called O.Y. Huonekalu- ja Rakennustyötehdas A.B is a former furniture producer located in Littoinen, Kaarina, Finland. The company was once known for manufacturing Alvar Aalto designed furniture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meyer Turku</span> Finnish shipbuilding company

Meyer Turku Oy is a Finnish shipbuilding company located in Turku, Finland Proper. The company is fully owned by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft GmbH. The main products are cruise ships and cruiseferries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66</span> Line of shoes by Onitsuka Tiger

Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66, simply known as Mexico 66, is a line of shoes released by Onitsuka Tiger in 1966. The shoe was first developed to be used by athletes for the 1968 Summer Olympics. The name "Mexico 66" wasn't officially given to the shoe until 2001 when it saw a resurgence in popularity. This is the first shoe to use the trademark stripes that would be featured in Onitsuka Tiger and Asics shoes.

Titan is a brand of ice hockey sticks owned by Sport Maska Inc. of Quebec. The company Titan OY was founded in Tampere, Finland in 1966 by Antti-Jussi Tiitola (1936–2021), and began by making alpine skis. Later in its first year of operations, Titan began manufacturing ice hockey sticks. Until the 1960s, hockey stick manufacturing was seen primarily as carpentry. Tiitola, an engineer by training, introduced science and technology to the design and production of sticks.

References

  1. ↑ Karhu history
  2. 1 2 3 Finnish firm believes in natural power of Feet by Gary on Endurance.biz, May 28, 2020
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 History Check: Over 100 Years of Karhu on Sneakers Mag
  4. 1 2 3 4 Smit, Barbara (2007). Pitch Invasion, Adidas, Puma and the making of modern sport. Penguin. p. 44. ISBN   978-0-14-102368-7.
  5. ↑ Three stripes and Karhu
  6. ↑ EU COURT RULES THAT ADIDAS' ICONIC THREE STRIPES TRADEMARK IS INVALID BY HEATHER SNOWDEN on HighSnobiety
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Vehmanen, Jukka (18 December 2010). "Karhu kirmaisee juoksuun". Turun Sanomat (in Finnish). Turku, Finland. p. 12.
  8. ↑ Simon Chadwick, Dave Arthur (2007). International cases in the business of sport. Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 438. ISBN   978-0-7506-8543-6.
  9. ↑ "Industry Veterans Acquire Finnish Running Brand, KARHU". PRNewswire. 25 June 2008. Archived from the original on 19 February 2009.
  10. ↑ "Karhu-merkki tallustaa ulkomaille". Taloussanomat . 25 June 2008.
  11. ↑ Karhu by Fausto Sottini on Venti5 Shop, 12 Apr 2020
  12. ↑ "KARHU originals". Archived from the original on 2009-09-07. Retrieved 2009-08-27.
  13. ↑ Itkonen, Anja (18 December 2010). "Hiihtobuumi ja pitopohja vahvistavat suksiyhtiöitä". Turun Sanomat (in Finnish). Turku, Finland. p. 12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.