Sears The Winner II 1979 sneakers

Here’s a page out of the 1979 Sears Spring catalog featuring the The Winner II 1979 sneakers.

Catalog info is below:

SPORTS SHOES FOR THE WHOLE

The W1nner II
IMPORTED SPORTS SHOES

• Uppers reinforced with sturdy sueded split-leather and lined with soft, absorbent nylon tricot
• Thick sponge rubber insole with contoured arch to support foot

In your choice of nylon uppers in 5 colors with contrasting trim or white vinyl with blue trim

Men’s, Women’s Big Boy sizes $16.49
Children’s sizes $15.49

UPPERS: Choose lightweight nylon or vinyl uppers. Both have sueded split leather toe caps, counter, and eyelet area. Tongue is lined with cushioned nylon tricot_ Padded topline. Peaked back. Shoes are imported. See Note on facing page.

SOLES AND HEELS: Traction treaded, high rise rubber sole. Cushioned insole. Extra padding at arch.
SIZES. COLORS, ORDERING INFORMATION: Available in medium sizes. Please state size as listed when placing your order.

Hoop Stars: Sears The Winner by Converse 1975 Hoops Champs vintage sneaker ad

We’re celebrating the start of March Madness 2022 🏀 with this old school vintage ad for Sears The Winner by Converse from 1975. We’ve covered this line of 3 and 4 stripe Sears shoes throughout the blog and you can checkout a bunch of other old vintage ads here if you’re interested.

Ad info is below:

GET THE FEEL OF A WINNER

padded comfort all around

cushioned "shock-absorbers"

thick tough rubber soles

variety of colors, stripes, and solids

The Winner. Built CONVERSE® Just for Sears
At the Shoe Place

Low-cuts and high-tops. At larger Sears, Roebuck and Co. stores. And in the catalog.

Sears The Winner II 1978 three stripe sneaker ad

Nope, not adidas. We’ve covered the Sears Winner and Winner II lines in the past and you can see a bunch of old Sears sneaker ads here. The Sears Winner line of sneakers confusingly bounced back and forth between 3 and 4 stripe logos and from what we have seen it probably had to do with these sneakers being manufactured by both Converse and adidas at different points in time. The skateboard in this ad was called the Hobie ‘Hotdogger’ and this ad is from 1978.

Ad info is below:

SEARS WINNER II’S
25 TO 33% OFF
THEY'RE MOVIN' FAST
AT THE SHOE PLACE MARCH 26 THRU APRIL 29.

Bring your family to Sears for a test run of the entire line of Winner II imported sport shoes.
A. The Winner II Sport Shoe now $9.99
B. The Winner Runner now $1274
C. The Winner II Suede upper $1349
D. The Winner II Junior now $674

Available in most larger Sears retail stores. Prices and dates may vary in Alaska and Hawaii.

Sears

Sears 1977 Catalog featuring The Winner II four stripe runners

This is not an advertisement but instead from the 1977 Sears Fall catalog. It features Sears ‘The Winner II’ casuals, some SL72-ish four stripe runners similar to what Dale Earnhardt Sr. used to wear and some Diadora-ish looking sneakers.

Catalog info is below:

ATHLETIC SHOES FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

The WINNER II . . imported sports shoe

SO WELL CONSTRUCTED IT’S WORTH TAKING a closer look

Treaded sole for great traction

High-rise sole protect counter and toe against wear

Built-up arch area for firm support

Lined, padded tongue, sueded split-leather eyelet band

Padded topline for comfort
Vinyl uppers

Nylon Uppers

Durable sueded split-leather uppers

Sears The Winner II Runner 3 stripe vintage sneakers ad from 1978

Nope, not adidas. Here’s an old school 1978 retro sneaker advertisement for Sears ‘The Winner II’ model running shoes. The colors in this ad don’t really hold up to the actual color of the sneakers which are here. Somewhat confusingly - Sears went back and forth between using 3 stripe and 4 stripe adidas style logos during the late 1970’s - this might have been because they used Converse for production on some runners and adidas to produce others. To check out a 4 stripe pair I’ve posted these awesome 1977 yellow and black Winner runners here.

Ad info is below:

Get the feel of a WINNER.

The Winner II
Runner.

Studded outsole and extended heel for traction. Fiddle-shank and crepe heel wedge for lightness and support. See the entire line of Winner II Imported Sportshoes at The Shoe Place, in most larger Sears retail stores.

Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co., 1978

Sears 1984 catalog featuring 'The Winner' retro sneakers

Here’s a scan from the 1984 Fall Sears catalog featuring 'The Winner' retro sneakers. This catalog also has “Jack Twyman” branded tennis shoes that look a little like Stan Smith sneakers. Twyman played in the NBA for the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals who later became the Sacramento Kings.

Sears The Winner II Runner 1980 vintage sneaker ad

Nope, not adidas. Today we've got and old school 1980 three stripe vintage sneaker ad from Sears for the Winner II Runner. We’re always down for the blue and orange NY Knicks colorway.

Ad info is below:

Imported running shoe for men and big boys
The winner II runner ... designed to meet joggers' special needs
Mes’s sizes $19.99 Bigs Boys’ sizes $18.99

All colors feature reflective fabric trim. The unique trim which reflects bright silver white light to help you be seen by approaching motorists at night.

Padded tongue for snug lacing

Padded collar reduces friction

Counter holds heel firmly in place

Lightweight nylon upper reinforced with sueded split-leather

Fiddle shank design reduces shoe weight

Sponge rubber midsole flared at heel absorbs shock, stabilizes

Thick, heel-to-toe sponge rubber insole has built-up arch

Lugged outsole for long wear, traction

Colors (2 and 31 in men's sizes only

( 1 thru 4) UPPERS: Nylon with sueded split-leather reinforcement at toe. heel and eyelet are.. Absorbent cushioned nylon tricot lining. Tongue is lined and pad-ded for snug lacing. Padded vinyl collar and peaked back. Heel counter holds heel firmly. Reflective fabric on side stripes and heel counter.

SOLES, HEELS: Durable. individually molded, lugged rubber sole is flared at heel for stability and shock absor-bency. Sole rises over toe to protect against wear. Sponge rubber insole has built-up arch for comfort and support. Lightweight fiddle-shank design.

Cleaning Note: The sueded portions of these shoes should be cleaned with a wire suede-brush. Washing is not recommended for these or any other sueded leather shoes. Do not use wire brush on nylon.

Sears 440 vintage running shoe ad from 1981 ​

Here's a 1981 vintage sneaker ad for the Sears 440 running shoes. The 440 was likely named for the 440-yard dash which is a quarter-mile sprint race in track and field. Between these sneakers and "The Winner" II series Sears made some pretty alright sneakers back in the day.

Ad info is below:

You can count on Sears to look at a new product from every angle

"First we tested 16 top-rated running shoes—and the bare foot," says Sears buyer. Not many companies have the luxury of starting from scratch, but Sears spent nearly two years developing The 440. Here's why:

Sears knew it took more than a good factory to make a good running shoe—one that would fit comfortably and help reduce the foot, ankle, and knee problems that runners sometimes encounter.

They went to experts: Northwestern University Medical School Center for Sports Medicine. The doctors kept a sharp eye on stress points and suggested possible ways The 440 Running Shoe could aid in helping to prevent the problems that plague runners. The buyers and Sears own lab worked closely with these nationally-known orthopedic surgeons and the manufacturer. Prototype after prototype was discarded as not good enough.

Not good enough because Sears wanted more than a shoe that would fit comfortably and minimize problems—they also wanted one that would look attractive, wear well, and sell at a fair price. They got one. The 440 Running Shoe pleased all concerned with its innovative features.

Finding a better way of doing things is virtually a policy at Sears. Each year, Sears lab tests over ten thousand products and, along with the buyers, keeps up a running dialogue with manufacturers with this aim: How can we make it better? But there is one thing Sears hasn't had to improve on in over half a century. Its famous promise: Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back

Sears
Sean Roebuck and Co. 1981

The quest for the ideal running shoe led to critical considerations like these:
1. Superb flexibility 2. Removable insole 3. Molded back part to cup heel and aid stability 4. Shoe base that absorbs shock 5. Roomy toe area to avoid discomfort.