In 1916, a small workshop was founded by Ab sportartiklar Oy in the center of Helsinki. Locally sourced wood was processed into products, including running shoes. These running shoes were also worn by Finnish athlete Ville Ritola and long-distance runner Hannes Kolehmainen, who was also known as the first 'Flying Finn'. In 1920, the company name was changed to Karhu, which means 'bear' in Finnish.
Due to the dominance of the 'Flying Finns' on the running tracks in the 1920s, the Karhu brand gained worldwide recognition. Karhu became even more famous during the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. At that time, runners wearing Karhu Spikes won a total of 15 gold medals.
M-symbol
In 1960, Karhu officially registered the well-known M-symbol that is still used on the brand's running shoes. The M refers to 'Mestari', which means 'champion' in Finnish. Over the years, Karhu has used different variations of the M-symbol for different models. Even now, you can still see the M-symbol on Karhu shoes, applied in a slightly different way for each model.
Specialized technologies
Karhu aims to constantly innovate, which is why in 1970, the brand developed the first patented 'Air Cushion' midsole system for running shoes. In collaboration with the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, Karhu also developed the 'Fulcrum' technology in 1986. The Fulcrum is a system that provides cushioning to generate forward force while running.
Ortix-Fit is the midsole and upper design of Karhu running shoes. This design was developed based on collected data on the shape of the feet of 2 million runners. Nowadays, there is also a HiVo Ortix-Fit design (more volume) and a Hera Ortix-Fit design (specifically for women).
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