Goodyear, formally The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, has used a winged foot symbol, known as the Wingfoot, as its corporate mark for more than a century. The company was founded in Akron, Ohio, in 1898 and named in honor of Charles Goodyear, the inventor of rubber vulcanization. The Wingfoot logo is one of the most enduring symbols in automotive branding, and its core elements have remained remarkably consistent since the early 1900s.
Design and History
The Wingfoot symbol was inspired by a statue of Mercury, the Roman messenger god, in the home of company co-founder Frank Seiberling. Seiberling conceived the idea of using the Wingfoot as a symbol of the company’s global ambitions. In August 1900, a meeting was held at the Seiberling home to discuss a suitable company trademark. At Seiberling’s suggestion, a sketch using the winged foot of Mercury was prepared, and those present agreed the Wingfoot should become the company symbol, placed in the middle of the word “Goodyear.” The original Wingfoot was much larger in relation to the brand name than the version seen today.[1]
Goodyear’s use of the Wingfoot trademark dates to 1901, when the company first used it in advertising to promote the launch of its new Straight Side tire.[2] The company officially trademarked the Wingfoot logo in 1900, based on the winged foot of Mercury.[3]
In 2023, to celebrate its 125th anniversary, Goodyear brought back the first iteration of its Wingfoot logo for special motorsport events. The vintage logo sidewall design, originally created in 1898, was featured on tires at NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway[4] and at other racing events including the British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park and the FIA World Endurance Championship round at Monza.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Wingfoot icon traces back to Greek mythology. Mercury, known to the Greeks as Hermes, was the messenger of the gods, and his image inspired Goodyear’s co-founder Frank Seiberling, who suggested it would be a fitting company emblem.[5] In ancient times, Mercury was the god of trade and commerce, but it was the idea of speed that had much to do with Goodyear’s symbol selection, as the wingfooted Mercury was regarded as a fast carrier of good news.[1]
Goodyear has described the Wingfoot as a “symbol of performance” in motorsport.[5] The symbol has also played a prominent role in defining the Goodyear brand for more than a century, according to company officials.[2]
Typography and Design
The Goodyear wordmark places the Wingfoot graphic in the middle of the company name, between “Good” and “year.”[1] The company’s official Hong Kong history page notes that the Wingfoot was chosen as the trademark for its elegance and swiftness.[6]
In 2025, Goodyear’s blimp Wingfoot One was re-wrapped with a black and silver color scheme featuring a vintage Goodyear logo and the return of the blue and yellow Goodyear “house flag” that adorned the company’s earliest blimps, as part of the blimp’s 100th anniversary celebration. Other Goodyear blimps maintained their current blue and yellow design.[7]
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