The Varsity Jacket Style Returns With The Saucony Shadow 5000 ‘Letterman II’

After the success of last year’s Saucony Grid 9000 Letterman, the brand has followed up with another winter warmer in the form of the SAUCONY SHADOW 5000 ‘LETTERMAN II’.

Saucony’s Lettermans are modeled on their namesake jackets, also known as varsity jackets, that are a mainstay of American varsity athletes. With their distinctive wool bodies, leather sleeves and chenille patches, they make an ideal source of inspiration for trainer design. Which brings us to the ‘Letterman II’ – the silhouette is clad in black heathered wool, making it ideal for the remainder of the winter. A premium leather logo and accents along the eyestays elevate the premium qualities of the shoe. To finish things off, a white midsole and gum outsole provide a pleasingly stylish contrast. Originally released in 1989, the popular Shadow 5000 definitely has that ’80s runner vibe to it – think the Shadow Original and Saucony Jazz, from which the 5000 evolved – but the silhouette packed in new features, such as a redesigned shock-absorbent EVA midsole, additional panelling to the upper, and a cleaner, more compact TPU heel stabiliser. Fast forward more than a quarter of a century and the brand is still finding new ways to deliver compelling iterations of the versatile silhouette.