Pony International, commonly referred to as simply Pony, is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 brand of footwear

Footwear

Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for fashion, protection against the environment, and adornment. Being barefoot is commonly associated with poverty, but some cultures chose not to wear footwear at least in some situations....

 and other apparel

Clothing

Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...

. Founded in 1972 on Madison Avenue in New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, Pony was created by industry veteran Roberto Mueller, along with financing provided by adidas Chairman Horst Dassler (see details in the book Sneaker Wars). Pony became one of the top athletic brands worldwide. By the mid-1980s, Pony's sales volume reached US$800 million. The Pony brand has been worn by championship athletes in every major sport, including the World Cup, NFL Super Bowl, MLB World Series and the NBA championship.

Pony was owned by Pentland, based in England, in the 1990's before a sale to The Firm entertainment group, based in Los Angeles, CA. The Firm relaunched the brand in 2001 with celebrity entertainers including Justin Timberlake, Korn, Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton. In 2003, Global Brand Marketing, based in Santa Barbara, CA, acquired a majority share of Pony, along with Symphony Holdings and Itochu Corporation. In 2006 Pony was purchased by Symphony Holdings, a public company based in Hong Kong, under the company Sharp Gain Profits Ltd. Symphony brought in former partner Infinity Associates (Mardy Cason and Bill Simon), who were the principals who purchased Converse from bankruptcy in 2001, turned the brand around and sold to Nike in 2003 for $305 million. Jim Stroesser, who was the key partner in rebuilding Converse, was asked to be the CEO/President of Pony in 2006. Stroesser's team relocated Pony from Santa Barbara, CA, to downtown San Diego, CA. Pony was in need of a complete turnaround, and Stroesser's team rebuilt the company's infrastructure and positioned the brand as one of America's most authentic sports brands. In 2010 the company's U.S. headquarters were moved to Los Angeles, CA.

Endorsees

Pony athletes include Pelé

Pelé

However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...

, Dan Marino

Dan Marino

Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...

, Earl Campbell

Earl Campbell

Earl Christian Campbell , nicknamed The Tyler Rose, is a former professional American Football running back. He, Paul Hornung and O.J Simpson are the only people to have won the Heisman Trophy , were first overall National Football League draft picks and are in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame...

, Franco Harris

Franco Harris

Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...

, Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...

, Willie Stargell

Willie Stargell

Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...

, Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson

Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...

, Pete Rose

Pete Rose

Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....

, David Thompson

David Thompson

David Thompson may refer to:In exploration:*David Thompson , founder of the first European settlement in New Hampshire, United States...

, Spud Webb

Spud Webb

Anthony Jerome Webb , also known as Spud Webb, is a retired American NBA professional basketball point guard most notable for winning a slam dunk contest despite being one of the shortest NBA players in the history of the league...

, Darryl Dawkins

Darryl Dawkins

Darryl Dawkins is a retired American professional basketball player, most noted for his days with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he also played briefly for the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz late in his career...

 and Wilson Chandler

Wilson Chandler

Wilson Chandler is an American basketball player currently with Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association. He previously played in the National Basketball Association with the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets...

. The Pony brand has a strong heritage in boxing, endorsing Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...

, George Foreman

George Foreman

George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...

, Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....

, and Leon Spinks

Leon Spinks

Leon Spinks is a former American boxer. He had an overall record of 26 wins, 17 losses and 3 draws as a professional, with 14 knockout wins, and was the former World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association heavyweight champion of the world...

.

In 2002 and 2003, Pony clothing and shoes were highly promoted by rock bands Korn

Korn

Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...

, Staind

Staind

Staind is an American rock band that was formed in 1995 in Springfield, Massachusetts. For 16 years, the band consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki...

, and Limp Bizkit

Limp Bizkit

Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...

. Pony made a signature shoe model for Jonathan Davis

Jonathan Davis

Jonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...

, the lead singer of Korn, which he wears while performing live.

Offerings

Originally Pony was known for producing athletic footwear. The company expanded its offerings to include sport apparel, and it has more recently produced streetwear

Streetwear

Street wear is a distinctive style of fashion not to be confused with hip hop fashion. Its roots are in skateboarding and the "skatewear" of the 1980s. It was later adopted as an urban fashion in Japan before growing to an international business...

. As a result, Pony has partnered with and been endorsed by non-athlete celebrities including Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...

, who in 2005 launched his Doggybiscuitz range. http://www.pony.com/doggybiscuitz. Most recently, National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 (NFL) star Randy Moss

Randy Moss

Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...

 had his own line of football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 cleats

Cleat (shoe)

Cleats or studs are protrusions on the sole of a shoe, or on an external attachment to a shoe, that provide additional traction on a soft or slippery surface...

 developed. http://www.eastbay.com/catalog/productdetail/microsite--Pony/model_nbr--97307/sku--163001/supercat--microsite/cm--GLOBAL%20SEARCH%3A%20KEYWORD%20SEARCH/node--35003280/

Pony also designed several football teams' kits in the 1990s, including teams such as Oldham Athletic, Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town F.C.

Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

, Dundee United

Dundee United F.C.

Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...

, West Ham United

West Ham United F.C.

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

, Hearts

Heart of Midlothian F.C.

Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...

, Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

, Southampton

Southampton F.C.

Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

 and Norwich City

Norwich City F.C.

Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

, Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

's Colo Colo, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

's Puebla, Club León

Club León

Club León, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of León, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. They currently play in the Liga De Ascenso formerly known as "Primera A", the second tier of football in Mexico since their relegation from the Primera Division in 2002.León has won...

, and Santos Laguna

Santos Laguna

Club Santos Laguna is a Mexican football club. They represent the urban area of Comarca Lagunera, which is made up of Torreón, Gomez Palacio, and Lerdo. Santos Laguna currently plays in the Primera División. The club was founded in 1982, and reached Mexico's top division after buying the franchise...

, among others.

Pony has been named the official shoe of the American Basketball Association (ABA).