History of Sneakers

Here is the CI, Short History of Sneakers:

The sneaker gets its name from its, at the timeof its invention, unique soft sole, which allows one to walk relatively silently and literally "sneak up on" another.

As a shoe style, it has its roots in the late 19th century when US Rubber invented the rubber-soled Ked.

However the sneaker first became popular when Marquis Converse produced the "Chuck Taylor All-Star" in the early 1920s (like the shoe pictured below). However the sneaker first became popular when Marquis Converse produced the "Chuck Taylor All-Star" in the early 1920s (like the shoe pictured below).

The shoes became the iconic "Converse All-Stars" though the were interchangeably known as "Chuck Taylors" early on in their existence.

The important point being taht that Converse became the first non-runnning flat to attach itself, brand-wise, to a sport. At first the sport in question was basketball, but by the 1940s Converse was also making football shoes, as demonstrated in the advertisement to the left.

With the Dassler brothers founding of Adidas in the 1950's it became difficult to differentiate from the sneaker and the 'tennis' shoe.

Both had rubber soles, but sneakers, after beginning life as a basketball shoe, began to move more into the fashion as well as other sports arenas while the tennis shoe, as manufactured by Adidas in the 1950s stuck mostly exclusivel with tennis before branching out into track and field.

In can be argued that the the Adidas and Nike's of the shoe industry never fully entered the sneaker market, proper. Rather these types of producers have opted to create innovative sports/ lifestyle alternative footwear of their own- but not "sneakers".

In the late 1950s the sneakers made a major break from the purely athletic venue with James Dean's rise to fame wearing his cool sneakers in the movies.

Today the sneaker spans price ranges and for the most part have become a comfortable fashion statement. For example see Coach Sneakers for a look at up market examples. While at the other end of the market, but just as functional (and also not cheap)see Tatoo Artist/ clothing designer Ed Hardy.

From the 1990's forward the sneaker industry has seen any number of players enetr, and sometimes leave the market. Though, it is rare to actually see a pure sneaker producer fail. The market is usually their for these shoes, as they can be as cheap.... or expensive as you want them to be.

( History of Sneakers To be continued).

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