Converse Thunderbolt & Equinox Arthur Lydiard vintage sneaker ad ​

Converse "The Art of Running" 1984 Arthur Lydiard Thunderbolt and Equinox vintage sneaker ad. Another popular theme of these old 80s running shoe ads is the “track coach sponsorship.” After the success of Nike and Bill Bowerman there was a long line of track coach endorsers that came out to promote different brands and lines of running shoes.

Arthur Lydiard was well known and prior to these runners with Converse he sponsored a pair of sneakers by the EB Brütting company in Germany called the Lydiard EB Brütting Road Runner. Lydiard also taught Bill Bowerman how to jog. After that he designed these Thunderbolt and Equinox shoes for Converse. Converse re-issued the Thunderbolt and these sneakers have a really cool, unique style to them.

Ad info is below:

THE ART OF RUNNING
Arthur Lydiard, the world's greatest distance coach and designer of the new Converse Lydiard Equinox and Lydiard Thunderbolt.
“As a distance coach, I don't base my running methods solely on strength. Running's a science. That's why I chose to work with Converse. Converse is dedicated to biomechanical research. And together we've developed innovative design features that provide major benefits to the serious runner. We built the new Equinox' and Thunderbolt- on my own last... a curved, contoured and balanced last...the first of its kind. Special features include the extremely lightweight, yet durable Indy 500 outsole. A removable conformal footbed. And a molded mid-sole that keeps its resilience mile after mile. We also designed the Equinox"' in widths.

The results? Shoes that fit your foot and at the same time are lightweight and flexible. Three musts for any shoe you're going a long distance on. I strongly recommend serious runners train in the new Converse Lydiard Equinox and race in the Lydiard Thunderbolt. Like I tell all my runners, being good isn't luck. It's a science. Resign yourself to that and you'll go far"

Lydiard Equinox Training

Men’s widths B, D, EE and Women’s AA, B, C.

Lydiard Thunderbolt Racing Flat

CONVERSE
Reach for the stars. Reach for Converse.
1984 Converse Inc
The Official Athletic Shoe of the 1984 Olympic Games.

Converse Thunderbolt & Equinox 1984 vintage sneaker ad @ The Deffest