First introduced in 1937, “PF” branded sneakers (short for Posture Foundation, a division of BF Goodrich) would quickly go on to dominate the American athletic industry throughout the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. The most famous sneaker, the Center-Hi, was a canvas high-top with a vulcanized rubber sole soon adopted by every 11-year-old, from Brooklyn to the San Fernando Valley, with dreams of playing in the Big Leagues.
The 1993 coming-of-age film The Sandlot, centered around baseball culture of the era, summed it up best when the film’s Jay Gatsby correlate, known to the neighborhood as “Benny ‘The Jet’ Rodriguez,” adorns a fresh pair. According to the film’s narrator, Scotty Smalls, the kicks were considered a “secret weapon” on the diamond. “Shoes guaranteed to make a kid run faster and jump higher,” he says in the film. The logo was a mark of excellence, with a name so revered it was spoken in whispers: “PF Flyers.”
Though the shoe continued to sell throughout the ’70s, even making its way into the US Army’s standard issue infantry uniform, the brand was eventually abandoned after a track record of mismanagement and changes in ownership. Decades later, all but lost to history, the legendary name was purchased in 2001 by New Balance and relaunched in 2003, rooted in the same American aesthetic remembered by vintage hunters and former MLB hopefuls.
