• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, March 28, 2018

Athletic shoemaker Saucony, which designs a special sneaker each year for the Boston Marathon, has this year partnered with Dunkin’ Donuts to create an homage to the brand that “America runs on.”

The pair-ing (so to speak) is apt in more than one way.

For starters, Bostonians are obsessed with the now-international QSR brand, which was born in Quincy, Mass., in 1950, and now headquartered in Canton, another Boston suburb. Saucony is also headquartered in a Boston burb (Lexington).

And though it may surprise non-runners, Dunkin’ reports that the Strava exercise tracking app has found coffee and donuts to be the #1 and #6 most-cited food/beverage among runners, respectively.

The Saucony X Dunkin’ Kinvara 9 model features Dunkin’s orange-and-magenta color scheme, and images of hot and iced coffee, sprinkles and (on the back of the heels) a frosted donut, along with Dunkin’s logo and “America runs” tagline. Saucony’s logo was adapted to incorporate a coffee-bean motif. The pièce de résistance: The shoes come in a box that closely resembles a Dunkin’ box.

Available in men’s and women’s sizes, the sneakers are now available for pre-order on Saucony.com. The catch: Saucony is making just 2,000 pairs.

“We’ve been keeping America running on Dunkin’ for decades and we’re thrilled to partner with Saucony to literally keep Bostonians running this marathon season,” stated Justin Unger, director of strategic partnerships at Dunkin’ Brands.

Dunkin’ is also observing the Boston Marathon, which will be held on April 16, with a special offer for members of its DD Perks Rewards Program. From April 9 to April 20, Perks members in select New England markets who order through its On-the-Go mobile app will earn double points.