The Sports Shoe

"Meticulously researched and beautifully produced." Times Literary Supplement "A big and beautiful book." Journal of British Studies "A definitive history of the sports shoe." Amber Butchart, fashion historian "A necessary book [and] a great read." Samuel Smallidge, Archivist, Converse "Both educational and entertaining." Scene Point Blank The story of the sneaker's rise from the first Victorian tennis shoes to the Nike Air Max and beyond. Moving from the athletic field to the shopping mall, Thomas Turner tells a fresh story of the evolution of the sports shoe against the changing landscape of society, sport, fashion, industry, and technology. The Sports Shoe takes us on a journey from the first Victorian tennis shoes to the sneaker of today, to the adidas Superstar and the innovative technologies of Nike Air Max. Featuring newly uncovered archival material and historic images showcasing key personalities, vintage marketing and common perceptions of this hugely desirable product, this book is a must-have for any sneaker collector, historian of popular culture, or anyone interested in the place of athletic footwear in our lives today.

The story of the sneaker's rise from the first Victorian tennis shoes to the Nike Air Max and beyond Moving from the athletic field to the shopping mall, Thomas Turner tells a fresh story of the evolution of the sports shoe against the changing landscape of society, sport, fashion, industry, and technology. The Sports Shoe takes us on a journey from the first Victorian tennis shoes to the adidas Superstar and the innovative technologies of Nike Air Max. Featuring newly uncovered archival material and historic images showcasing key personalities, vintage marketing and common perceptions of this hugely desirable product, this book is a must-have for any sneaker collector, historian of popular culture, or anyone interested in the place of athletic footwear in our lives today.

Whether you call them kicks or sneakers, runners or gutties, you probably have a pair of athletic shoes in your closet. The earliest sneakers debuted in the 1800s and weren't much more than a canvas upper and a flexible sole made of a crazy new materialrubber. The stuff might have been new to Americans then, but for thousands of years, the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin of South America had been using latex made from the milky sap of hevea trees to protect their feet from rocks, sticks, and biting insects. Once Charles Goodyear figured out how to make the stuff more durable, sneakers were here to stay. Early sneakers were initially designed for elite athletes, but kids and teens quickly adopted them. Some of the first brands included Converse, Brooks, and Saucony. German companies Adidas and Puma started up during World War II. The Nike shoe debuted in the 1970s (with a bit of inspiration from a waffle iron). As fitness crazes took off in the 1980s, people all over the world started buying the shoes for workouts and everyday wear. At about the same time, companies began hiring high-profile athletes and pop stars for big-dollar endorsements, and shoe sales soared into the stratosphere to the tune of billions of dollars each year. In Sneaker Century, follow sneaker fashions and the larger-than-life personalities behind the best known athletic shoe brands in history. Learn how teen sneakerheads became important style makers and drove the success of NIKE, Inc., and other shoe companies. Look behind the scenes at the labor-intensive process of manufacturing sneakers. Explore the sneaker frontier of the futurerecycled shoes, earth-friendly initiatives, and high-fashion statements. Get ready to speed through the Sneaker Century!

This concise manual is for sports medicine specialists who want to effectively prescribe footwear and orthotics for the athlete. The book provides a logical approach designed to maximize performance and minimize injury. In addition to the fundamentals, including athletic foot types, basic biomechanics, and gait evaluation, the text also addresses the assessment and prescription of shoes, inserts, and orthotics. The work covers new technologies and sports-specific recommendations as well. By presenting essential information in a convenient and easily accessible format, this book will prove to be invaluable for sports medicine physicians, podiatrists, physical therapists, athletic trainers, and other specialists when making footwear recommendations for athletes.

Gives a brief history of sports shoes and describes the design and construction of running shoes. Includes a glossary of related terms.

Many iconic shoes, such as the adidas Stan Smith, Nike Air Jordan and Puma Suede are worn by millions as everyday footwear, but were originally born to bring victory on court, track and field. Golden Kicks reveals the stories behind some of the greatest shoes in sporting history, the roles they played in sport's most significant moments, and how they have made the transition from classic sportswear to mainstream streetwear. Discover the amazing stories behind the shoes, the people who made them, and the athletes who wore them.