Dunlop KT-26

The Dunlop KT26 is a running shoe made by Dunlop Sport (part of Pacific Brands, Australia).

The KT26 was developed in the late 1970s by Jerry Stubberfield in Portland, Oregon, USA. Stubberfield came up with the concept of Kinetic Technology and developed the unique bio-kinetic lugged sole for the OSAGA shoe company in direct competition to Blue Ribbon Sports (NIKE). The OSAGA company started three months after Blue Ribbon Sports (NIKE) and competition between those companies became quite tense that apparently OSAGA and NIKE used to fly helicopters over each other's offices in an attempt to annoy each other. They also took turns at sponsoring the Hayward track and field clock. OSAGA got into financial difficulty and closed its doors by the start of the 1980s.

Stubberfield then started AVIA shoes (AVIA became the fourth-largest sport footwear company during this time) and this is why early AVIA shoes feature 'cantilever technology' which is derived from the KT26 design. Stubberfield then sold AVIA to REEBOK by the late 1980s for a tidy sum.