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| ==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
| The word "sneaker" is often attributed to Henry Nelson McKinney, an advertising agent for N. W. Ayer & Son, who, in 1917, coined the term because the rubber sole made the shoe stealthy. The word was already in use at least as early as 1887, as the ''Boston Journal'' made reference to "sneakers" as "the name boys give to tennis shoes." The name "sneakers" originally referred to how quiet the rubber soles were on the ground, in contrast to noisy standard hard leather soled dress shoes. Someone wearing sneakers could "sneak up" on you while someone wearing standards could not.<ref>Mental Floss magazine, Sept-Oct 2008</ref> | The word "sneaker" is often attributed to Henry Nelson McKinney, an advertising agent for N. W. Ayer & Son, who, in 1917, coined the term because the rubber sole made the shoe stealthy. The word was already in use at least as early as 1887, as the ''Boston Journal'' made reference to "sneakers" as "the name boys give to tennis shoes." The name "sneakers" originally referred to how quiet the rubber soles were on the ground, in contrast to noisy standard hard leather soled dress shoes. Someone wearing sneakers could "sneak up" on you while someone wearing standards could not.<ref>Mental Floss magazine, Sept-Oct 2008</ref> | ||
| Sneakers have a long history. Back in the late 18th century, individuals put on rubber soled shoes called “plimsolls” but there were pretty unsophisticated and very uncomfortable. Originally, there was no right foot or left foot. Around 1892, the U.S. Rubber Company developed a more comfortable feel by making the sneaker rubber with canvas tops, also known as “Keds”. By 1917, this style of sneakers became very popular and grew to be mass produced. Shoes got their nickname “sneakers” because they were so quiet. Someone wearing them could sneak up on someone with a kind of stealth affect. | |||
| That same year a man by the name of Marquis Converse produced the first shoe made predominately for basketball called “Converse All-Stars”. In 1923, Chuck Taylor, an Indiana hoops star, endorsed the shoes, and then became known as Chuck Taylor All-Stars. These were the best-selling basketball shoes of all time. Sneakers went international in 1924. That’s when Adi Dassler, a German man, created a sneaker that he named after himself: Adidas. | |||
| During the first half of the 20th century, sports shoes were worn mostly to play sports, but in the 1950s, kids began wearing them to be fashionable. Even more teens followed the fad after seeing James Dean in sneakers in the popular movie “Rebel Without a Cause”. | |||
| Sneakers blew up in 1984, when Michael Jordan signed a contract to wear a Nike shoe called Air Jordan’s which are the most famous sneaker ever made. Although Jordan retired from the NBA, his shoes continue to sell out the same day. As companies like Nike, Reebok and Adidas competed, they changed the way sneakers looked, adding wild colors and doing away with laces. Sneakers began to be produced for every sport, including walking, skateboarding and “cross training.” | |||
| Constant upgrades and research for comfort were made to shoes and innovations like these raised the price of sneakers a lot and now Athletic shoes often cost more than $200 a pair! | |||
| <ref></http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0932723.htmlref> | |||
| ==Popular brands== | ==Popular brands== | ||
Revision as of 23:04, 20 March 2015
Sneaker is a synonym for "athletic shoes," the generic name for the footwear primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise. Additionally, sneakers have come to be used for casual everyday activities. The term describes a type of footwear with a flexible sole made of rubber or synthetic material and an upper part made of leather or canvas. Examples include athletic footwear such as: basketball shoes, tennis shoes, cross trainers and other shoes worn for specific sports.
Sneakers is the more common term used in northeastern United States and southern Florida. The British English equivalent of "sneaker" in its modern form is "trainer". In some urban areas in the United States, the slang for sneakers is kicks. In Hiberno-English, Canadian English and Australian English the term is runners or sneakers or running shoes. In South African English the term used is takkies.
Etymology
The word "sneaker" is often attributed to Henry Nelson McKinney, an advertising agent for N. W. Ayer & Son, who, in 1917, coined the term because the rubber sole made the shoe stealthy. The word was already in use at least as early as 1887, as the Boston Journal made reference to "sneakers" as "the name boys give to tennis shoes." The name "sneakers" originally referred to how quiet the rubber soles were on the ground, in contrast to noisy standard hard leather soled dress shoes. Someone wearing sneakers could "sneak up" on you while someone wearing standards could not.
Sneakers have a long history. Back in the late 18th century, individuals put on rubber soled shoes called “plimsolls” but there were pretty unsophisticated and very uncomfortable. Originally, there was no right foot or left foot. Around 1892, the U.S. Rubber Company developed a more comfortable feel by making the sneaker rubber with canvas tops, also known as “Keds”. By 1917, this style of sneakers became very popular and grew to be mass produced. Shoes got their nickname “sneakers” because they were so quiet. Someone wearing them could sneak up on someone with a kind of stealth affect.
That same year a man by the name of Marquis Converse produced the first shoe made predominately for basketball called “Converse All-Stars”. In 1923, Chuck Taylor, an Indiana hoops star, endorsed the shoes, and then became known as Chuck Taylor All-Stars. These were the best-selling basketball shoes of all time. Sneakers went international in 1924. That’s when Adi Dassler, a German man, created a sneaker that he named after himself: Adidas.
During the first half of the 20th century, sports shoes were worn mostly to play sports, but in the 1950s, kids began wearing them to be fashionable. Even more teens followed the fad after seeing James Dean in sneakers in the popular movie “Rebel Without a Cause”.
Sneakers blew up in 1984, when Michael Jordan signed a contract to wear a Nike shoe called Air Jordan’s which are the most famous sneaker ever made. Although Jordan retired from the NBA, his shoes continue to sell out the same day. As companies like Nike, Reebok and Adidas competed, they changed the way sneakers looked, adding wild colors and doing away with laces. Sneakers began to be produced for every sport, including walking, skateboarding and “cross training.”
Constant upgrades and research for comfort were made to shoes and innovations like these raised the price of sneakers a lot and now Athletic shoes often cost more than $200 a pair!
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Sneaker culture
Sneakers have become an important part of hip hop (primarily Pumas, Nike, and Adidas) and rock 'n roll (Converse, Macbeth) cultures since the 1970s. Rapper musicians sign million dollar deals with major brands such as Nike, Adidas or Puma to promote their shoes. Sneaker collectors, called "Sneakerheads", use sneakers as fashionable items. Artistically-modified sneakers can sell for upwards of $1000 at exclusive establishments like Saks Fifth Avenue. In 2005 a documentary, Just for Kicks, about the sneaker phenomena and history was released.
See also
References
- Hickey, Walter (5 June 2013). "22 Maps That Show How Americans Speak English Totally Differently From Each Other". Business Insider.
- Mental Floss magazine, Sept-Oct 2008
- 2014 Saks Fifth Avenue catalog