Sneakers are so integral to the fabric of modern life that we don’t even stop to think that they once didn’t exist. That’s right: for years, human beings got by with boots, sandals, and a variety of other footwear. In actuality, sneakers are an extraordinarily new commodity.
Curious as to how sneakers came to be? Wondering how they evolved into what they are today?
Then read on. We’re going to discuss the history of sneakers.
The History of Sneakers: The Conception
Prior to the arrival of the sneaker, recreational shoes possessed a rudimentary design. Known as plimsolls, they were alike for both feet, lacking inward curves, arches, and other contours. In simple terms, they were rubber mittens for the feet.
This would all change in 1892 when the U.S. Rubber Company manufactured Keds, a form of sneakers with rubber soles and canvas tops. These shoes were specifically designed to accommodate each foot, shaped to meet their specific contours.
While basic, Keds were much more comfortable than what had come previously. For this reason, by 1917, they were being mass-manufactured throughout the United States.
The Arrival of Converse
The popularity of Keds shoes inspired other manufacturers to get in on the sneaker game as well. In 1923, Converse released their iconic All-Star basketball shoe. Named after Indiana basketball player, Chuck Taylor, these shoes have maintained massive popularity to this day.
While All-Stars were prominent in basketball for decades and decades, they found success off the court as well. In fact, it’s this off-the-court success which has turned them into the best-selling basketball shoes in history.
In short, shoes don’t get too much more iconic than Chuck Taylors. They’re instantly recognizable and have been from the time of their initial manufacture.
Adidas Makes Sneakers a Global Phenomenon
For the first 30 or so years of their existence, sneakers were an American phenomenon. This would change in 1924 when German shoe manufacturer Adi Dassler created Adidas. Dassler’s Adidas brand of sneakers was massively popular, taking the reigns as the top athletic shoe company in the world during the first half of the 20th century.
By and large, Adidas has maintained its popularity to this day. While it’s not the world’s most successful sneaker company — that honor belongs to Nike — it is the world’s second most successful sneaker company.
Puma Joins the Club
At around the same time that Adidas sprouted its wings, so too did Puma, a shoe company that’s in business to this day. Started by the brother of Adidas owner Adi Dassler, Puma has never quite reached the success of Adidas but is still quite popular in its own right.
Puma’s most iconic shoe is the Clyde, a sneaker that was originally designed for New York Knicks star, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, in the 1970s. This shoe is still being made to this day, released in a variety of colors and materials.
Sneakers Leave the Gym
For the first half of the 20th century, sneakers were relegated almost solely to athletic activities. If you weren’t playing basketball or running track, you likely weren’t going to be wearing sneakers.
This would change in the 1950s, due in large part to rebel movie icon James Dean. Dean’s popularity among teens and twentysomethings — coupled with his tendency to wear Converse All-Stars — would spark a fever for the shoes, prompting an increase in both their popularity and the popularity of sneakers at large.
By the 1950s, sneakers had left the gym. And while they were still being used for athletic activities, they had become the everyday shoes of choice for young crowds all over the world.
There’s Something in the Air
Throughout the 60s and the 70s, there were three big sneaker companies: Adidas, Puma, and Converse. These companies dominated the sneaker industry . . . that is, until a company out of Beaverton, Oregon overtook them in 1980.
That company’s name? Nike.
Running on the power of revolutionary marketing and cool, modern shoe designs, Nike took over the world sneaker market almost as soon as it had launched. Nike’s biggest get came in 1984 when it signed basketball GOAT Michael Jordan to a long-term shoe deal.
Jordan’s 1984 deal spurred on the creation of the Air Jordans, some of the most popular and impactful sneakers the world has ever known. Air Jordans are still being released to this day, and likely will be for as long as sneakers are viable.
Specialization Takes Over
The 1990s brought specialization to sneakers. Instead of manufacturing all-purpose sneakers, manufacturers began creating sneakers to suit different functions.
For instance, while one pair of sneakers might be made to accommodate basketball players, another pair might be made to accommodate runners. Some sneakers were being designed for looks alone. The point is, by the 1990s, there was a sneaker for everyone.
Every shoe manufacturer got in on specialization: Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Puma, ASICS, etc. These companies identified the footwear needs of modern consumers and began catering to those consumers’ needs with fervor.
Sneakers Today
These days, sneakers are just as much fashion statements as they are functional entities. People aren’t just buying sneakers to help them perform well on the basketball or tennis court. They’re buying them in order to look good as well.
There are all sorts of brands out there, including but not limited to Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, Puma, Fila, Vans, and more. Regardless of the style that you’re looking to present, there’s a sneaker out there that will accommodate you.
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