KangaROOS were designed by American architect and jogging enthusiast Bob Gamm. Gamm was a running enthusiast who would go ten kilometers a day, but preferred light athletic clothes without pockets. He designed the sneakers for his own personal use as a place to store his keys and money, then marketed them effectively. His marketing design was successful, leading to sales in excess of 700.000 pairs a month by the early 1980s.   Today, KangaROOS are sold in over sixty countries worldwide. The footwear moved its strategic focus from performance sports to sports lifestyle footwear. Most still bear the zippered pocket on the side.