2. sneakerhead – a person who owns multiple pairs of shoes as a form of collection
and fashion. It is often manifested by the use of shoes primarily made for sports,
such as tennis or basketball, as normal everyday clothing.
The birth of sneakerhead culture in the US came in the late 1980s and can be
attributed to two major sources: basketball and hip hop music, whilst in Europe
sneakerheads draw their inspirations from soccer, fashion, and a wider range of
music styles.
3. (brief) sneaker history
• first rubber shoes manufactured in 1800s, called plimsolls
• first “sneaker” brand, Keds, established in 1892 by Goodyear
• Marquis M. Converse introduces Converse to basketball and changes the sport (1908)
• the term sneakers developed by an ad guy (1917), Henry Nelson McKinney, because they
make no noise on any surface
• Adidas (1931) and Puma (1948) enter the market
• visionary Phil Knight, while a student at University of Oregon (1962), along with coach, Bill
Bowerman, starts shoe company under the name of Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS)
• in 1968, BRS becomes Nike (named after Greek Goddess of Victory)
10. Adidas realized this in 2005 when they acquired the then #3 company and rival
Reebok in order to compete…
11. fact #4: there are no longer any iconic sneaker lines being made
12. Converse All Stars aka Chucks released in 1917 still grace the feet of adults and
kids alike to this day in any color and design you can imagine…
13. Vans aka Authentic (1966) were originally sold directly from manufacturing rubber
company to the public the same day that they were made…
14. Adidas Superstar aka Shelltoes (1969) were introduced as a low top basketball shoe
worn by the likes of Kareem Adbul Jabbar and popularized by rap group Run DMC
in the 80s…
15. Nike Air Force Ones aka AF1s aka Uptowns (1982) remain a fashion statement in
cities across the world thanks to recent “endorsements” by artists such as Nelly…
16. Air Jordan aka Js (1985) spawned not only a highly profitable line extension for
Nike but an entire popular culture built on the shoes and famous jumpman logo…
17. Nike Air Max (1987) debuted the first Nike Air cushioning technology designed for
runners but has since become a staple for all true sneakerheads…
18. fact #5: however there are up and coming brands that design with the
sneakerhead in mind
19. Creative Recreation (2002) – founded by Ricardo Confinco and Robert Nand in an
attempt to fill void between athletic shoes and dress shoes…
31. how do I get started on my own sole collection?
step #1 step #2 step #3
get one of the iconic look for deals (they happen Visit sneaker boutique for
sneaks in a basic color every 3-4 weeks) exclusives (go for something
funky)
