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In Cambridge, Massachusetts, Russian immigrant cobbler Abraham Hyde opened a shoe store called A.R. Hyde & Sons in 1910. The company manufactured and sold "carpet slippers" made from rug remnants. These slippers proved to be popular, and the business expanded to include women's and children's street shoes. In 1932, Hyde added his first sport-specific footwear, "pleasure skates" for ice-skating. By 1938, under the direction of Abraham's son Maxwell, the athletic line had grown to include baseball shoes, roller boots, and bowling shoes. In World War II, the Hyde company produced Army boots, and was the only American shoe company to receive the esteemed Army-Navy E Award for manufacturing excellence. After the War, Hyde resumed the production of athletic shoes, and in 1952 purchased the Illinois Athletic Shoe Company. During the 1960's, the company produced footwear for NASA astronauts. In June 1965, the boots worn by Ed White, the first American astronaut to walk in space, carried the Hyde label. In 1968, Hyde acquired the Saucony Shoe Manufacturing Company of Kutztown, PA. Saucony running shoes remained the closely-kept secret of a small group of serious runners until 1977 when the company's shoes were recognized with an award given by a U.S. magazine. The resulting publicity established the Saucony name and the ongoing reputation for high quality and innovative technical performance for which it is known today.
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