From being the typical gym shoes knows as “plimsolls”, to their rise of stardom amongst world athletic champion, their glamorisation when James Dean wore them in a famous photo shoot and their becoming the fashion staple of today's urban generation, sneakers have been very much part of the fabric of popular culture. The following timeline illustrates the technological and culture milestones of the sneakers.
1800's
The first rubber-soled shoes, called plimsolls, are manufactured as beach wear.
1892
Goodyear, a rubber shoe company and division of the US Rubber Company, through a newly-invented process called vulcanisation, begins to manufacture rubber and canvas shoes, and settled on "keds" as the best name.
1908
Marquis M. Converse establishes Converse- the shoe company that revolution the game of basketball for more than half a century and makes Converse sneakers an American icon.
1917
Converse releases the world's first performance basketball shoe, the Converse All Star.
1920
Adi Dassler, founder of the German sportswear company later knows as adidas, begin producing handmade training shoes in his mother's washroom without electricity.
1923
The All Star gives way to the Chuck Taylor All Star when the basketball player adopts them as his preferred it to colleges and high schools in America, until it promotes a must- have for basketball players, teenagers and culture rebels for more than 50 years. Also known as Chucks, Cons and Connies, this shoe is said to be the most famous athletic shoe in history, having sold more than 744 million in 144 countries to date.
1924
Adi and Rudolph Dassler, with the help of some 50 family
members, register their business as Gebruder Dassler Schuhfabrik in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
1931
Adidas produces its first tennis shoe.
1935
Converse release the Converse Jack Purcell with a rubber "smile" in the middle of the toe. It become popular amongst the early Hollywood and bad-boy crowd, but remains famous long after the renowned badminton and tennis champion, Jack Purcell, fades into history.
1948
Rudolf Dasseler found Puma Schuhfabrik as a result of a family feud. The world is introduced to the Puma Atom shoe which is worm by members of the team from west Germany at the first international football match.
1950s
Sneakers symbolise rebellion and become the preferred footwear of teenagers. These affordable and easily obtained shoes are worm by students around the world. In America, cheerleaders wear sweaters, short skirts and ankle socks with canvas-topped shoes called keds. Wearing sneakers as a fashion statement is officially sanctioned when James Dean is photographed wearing his Levi's jeans and white sneakers on set of Rebel without a Cause.
In the Middle of the 20th century, the sneakers becomes a more common cultural phenomenon with its emphasis on new technologies for athletes. Sporting legends such as Joe Namath and Steve Prefontaine become known for their shoes as much as their performance, but this is not as famed as the first major line of sneakers endorsed by Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan in the 1990s.
1962
Phil Knight, a business major at the University of Oregon and his coach, Bill Bowerman, partner each other to provide a low-cost, high-tech athletic shoe under the name Blue Ribbon Sport (BRS)
1968
BRS begins marketing new designs and technology and changes its name to Nike. Nike is named after the Greek goddess of victory.
Puma is the first sport shoe manufacturer to offer Velcro fasteners.
1969
Quarterback Joe Namath, wearing Puma shoes, leads the New York Jets to victory in Super Bowl lll.
1971
The Nike Swoosh trademark is purchased from a graphic design student for US$35.
1972
Bill Bowerman pours rubber into his wife's waffle iron, creating the basis for the popular Nike Waffle Racer - a shoe with the optimal traction of waffle soles, wedged heels, cushioned mid-soles and nylon uppers. Nike marketed this shoe by saying that four of the top seven runners at the 1972 Olympic trials wore them.
1973
Steve Perfontaine, American runner and record-holder, become the first major athlete to wear Nike running shoes.
1974
Nike release the Waffle Trainer, with bill bowerman's famous waffle outsole.
Converse releases the Converse One Star line of shoes, representing the lifestyle of independent athletes - individual whose lifestyle, sport and style are fused together by creativity, imagination and self- expression. It becomes popular with the eclectic crowd such as the surfing and skating community.
1979
Nike creates the first Nike Air sole units, resulting in the revolutionary Nike Air cushioning. Nike also release its first running shoe with the patented Nike Air technology- the Nike Tailwind.
1981
Blue Ribbon Sports and Nike merge to form Nike, Inc.
1982
Nike release the first of long line shoes, the Air Force One (AF1). This durable shoe has been released in low-mid- and high- top versions. The Air Force One has survived over two decades with little changes to its basic design and continues to remain a legacy and fashion statement with its numerous colour ways. The all-white AF1 remains a favourite.
1985
Chicago Bulls basketball rookie Michael Jordan endorses a line of Nike shoes and apparel. Nike releases the first Air Jordan.
The latter part of the 20th century and the first part of the 21st century was all about celebrity endorsements and limited editions. Nike released retro edition of classic Air Jordans and continued to release new models. Bill Bowernman passed away in December 1999, but Nike kept going strong to release a revolutionary cushioning system called Nike Shox. Reebok, in a bad to strengthen their sales, formed an unheard- of partnership with various music artists to create their sound and Rhythm.
1987
The First Nike Air Max shoes are released, giving athletes their first real introduction to Nike Air cushioning. Nike also releases the first Air Cross Trainer, a shoe cushioned enough for aerobics and court sport.
1989
Puma releases its Trinomic sport shoe system.
1991
Puma introduces its high Trinomic sport shoe system.
1996
Puma introduces the first foam- free mid-sole with Puma Cell technology.
1998
Bauer Nike Hockey is formed, dedicated to producing quality footwear for hockey players.
1999
The term "Rookie of the Year" is used for the first time to name the basketball star of the year in the US NBA.
Nike co-founder, Bill Bowerman, dies in December.
2000
Sales of Nike Golf product soar after Tiger Wood switches to Nike golf balls, winning three majors during the season.
2001
Nike introduces the Nike Shox, the most advanced support technology. The shox system is based on columns of specially-engineered form that provide superior impact cushioning, creating a new revolution in shoe design.
2003
Nike acquires long-time shoe manufacturer Converse, Inc.
Converse reissues authentic presentation of classic athletic performance shoes such the Chuck Taylor All Star and the Jack Purcell. These edition are now popular with fans of old-school fashion and those wanting to return to the purity of sports in the past.
2004
Reebok releases several edition of their popular G unit from their Sound and Rhythm line- a-never-before-seen partnership between music and footwear.
2005
Nike Jordan line celebrates its 20th anniversary and the Jordan XX is released. It has spawned 19 Air Jordan and numerous Team Jordan models.
German-based Adidas acquires rival company, Reebok, in an effort to compete with top-ranked brand, Nike.
2006
Jordan brand releases the Jordan XXl, the 21st edition of the now-legendary Air Jordan line.
(Reebook shoe)
(AF1)
(Adi Dassler,founder of Adidas)
(Converse All Star)
(reference from a book title "sneakers")
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