Penny Power Vintage April-May 1983 Consumer Reports 1980s Sneaker Testing magazine

Here’s a 1983 vintage Consumer Reports “Penny Power” magazine featuring articles on sneaker testing kids retro runners. This article compares Nike, adidas, Sears and Kinney NBA vintage sneakers.

Article info is below:

APRIL / MAY 1983 A Consumer Reports Publication for young People

PENNY POWER

TESTING SNEAKERS

Part Three: THE TESTS

In order to pick which brands to test, Penny Power used two kinds of "experts." First, an experienced runner looked at many pairs of running shoes sold in children's sizes, and told us which ones were sturdy and well made. Second, junior-high students weeded out the "dorky-looking" pairs from a group of good quality sneakers. They liked the four models you see in the "before" picture below. These ranged in price from $14 to $25.

Before

NIKE ($25)

KINNEY'S NBA ($20)

ADIDAS ($20)

SEARS ($14)

We decided to put these sneakers through the toughest test of all—a "kid" test. The 8-to-13-year-olds you see on these pages were each fitted with two different brands. All wore both pairs through an entire summer and into the fall. One pair was worn one day, the other pair the next day, so that each pair received the same amount of wear— at camp, on the beach and in the country. Running, jumping and skidding would show up differences among the sneakers, we thought. We were wrong! When we gathered in the 20 pairs of sneakers at the end of the test, a few were slightly shabbier or a bit more worn. But, as the "after" picture shows, most came through the test in about the same condition. One reason they were still in good shape was that the testers were switching between two different pairs. Changing your sneakers every day gives them a chance to dry out between wearings, and that's good for all shoes. It's also better for your feet. The testers were asked to choose the more comfortable of the two pairs they had worn. No one brand proved to be more comfortable than the others. Some testers liked one feature (such as the Sears's thinner sole or the NBA's cushioning), some another. We then washed a few pairs of each brand to see how well they would clean up. Again, all four brands washed pretty much the same. Only the light-colored sneakers were hard to get clean. The dark suede trim faded in the wash, however. (Turn to the back cover to see the results of our sneaker spruce-up.)

After

NIKE

ADIDAS

SEARS

KINNEY'S NBA

What did The Sneaker Project teach us? Since no brand stood out in durability or over-all comfort, you should look for a well-made model that fits your particular pair of feet. While you're looking, don't ignore some of the well-made but less-famous brands. Some of our testers were firm Nike or Adidas fans until they discovered the fit and comfort of a less-expensive brand. They were surprised. Maybe you will be too!

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 The Winner II Runner 3 stripe vintage sneakers ad from 1978 @ The Deffest

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.