Brand & Heritage

The history of the brand begins in 1979 with Bob Gamm, the American founder of the company. He is the inventor of the "ORIGINAL SHOES WITH POCKETS". The architect and passionate runner is one of the jogging fans of the first hour and spends a lot of time with it. So much time that even the annoying "where to put my key" question won't let him go. During one of his daily 10-kilometer workouts, he finds the solution: running shoes with an integrated pocket. Bob christened his shoes "KangaROOS": the kangaroo a fast runner, it never moves backwards and it has a 'pouch' - the original KangaROOS Pocket.

The then super-light COMBAT is the first model with the integrated pocket, which every shoe still bears as a significant distinguishing feature. In 1980, Bill Rodgers wins the Boston City Marathon in the COMBAT. He tops his own best time and the American record at the same time. The KangaROOS success story begins. In the same year, the revolutionary design is already selling 700,000 units per month in the States and, shortly afterwards, all over the world.

Even after its birth, KangaROOS has rapidly established itself in the sports world. In 1983, the legendary KangaROOS basketball hi-top SKYWALKER conquered the National Basketball Association and became a classic among basketball boots with an ankle strap, colored outsole and the KangaROOS Pocket. Its most prominent wearer at the time, NBA legend Clyde 'The Glide' Drexler, helps the shoe gain popularity beyond the sports arenas, the SKYWALKER becomes the must-have of 80s streetwear. A team player on the '92 U.S. "Dream Team," Drexler wins gold at the Barcelona Olympics and has ranked among the top 50 NBA players of all time since 1996.

At the same time, Bob Gamm signs Ray Tonkel, a Nike designer. The KangaROOS team focuses on performance and establishes another innovation in the running segment: the energy recycling and cushioning system DYNACOIL, a patented shock-absorbing material tested by NASA and used for Apollo space flights, which from now on makes KangaROOS running soles ultra-comfortable, above all the COIL R1. To this day, DYNACOIL counts as a heritage element in running silhouettes as a success feature.

In the years that followed, KangaROOS expanded its performance-oriented sneakers to serve a variety of sports. In addition to running and basketball, the product range also includes tennis shoes, field hockey and special athletics models. In football, a special friendship is formed that continues to this day: when the Chicago Bears win the Super Bowl for the first and only time in 1986, William Perry and Walter "Sweetness" Payton wear the 'BEAR LO' and 'BEAR'. Walter Payton, with his records and awards, is still considered one of the best football players of all time.

In 1988, Bob Gamm retires from the business and sells KangaROOS to a group of investors from California. He passes away in 2010 at the age of 91. KangaROOS commemorates him with a limited edition of 91 pairs of his favorite KangaROOS sneaker, the Classic BLAZE. Since 1991, Pentland Brands Ltd, a family-owned company based in London, has held the rights to the KangaROOS brand.

We, Bernd Hummel GmbH, have been the world's largest and longest-standing licensee since the early 1980s, after Bernd Hummel discovered KangaROOS at a trade fair in the USA.

The photo shows Bernd Hummel in 1986 at the "Distributor of the Year" award with KangaROOS founder Bob Gamm (left).