OF BASKET BALL AT SNEAKERS, A HISTORY WITH A STRONG HERITAGE
The genesis of sneakers began in the United States more than a century ago. It all started with the discovery of an American scientist who would later give his name to one of the largest tire companies in the world, Goodyear . It was in 1939 that Charles Goodyear will invent a way to make rubber more flexible, thus creating a material that is more resistant, easily handled, and waterproof. This innovation will revolutionize the design of shoes with the appearance of the first rubber soles, thus providing great durability. The first shoes to feature this technology were tennis silhouettes. This symbolizes the appearance of modern pairs. It was really at the end of the 90s that the first sneakers of modern times were created. Thus 2 companies will mark the 20th century: U.S. Rubber Company with the keds and Converse with the All Star. converse will completely revolutionize the world of basketball. First silhouette to have walked the parquet floors of the NBA , she relies on the former basketball player chuck taylor to expand its reach. Through basketball camps throughout the United States, the ambassador will spread and sell his model to all young basketball players.
In the mid-1930s, the brothers Dassler will also begin to manufacture shoes for running and high-level athletes. So the great runner jesse owen wore a pair designed by rudolf And Adolf Dassler during his 4 legendary victories at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. After the Second World War, the two men separated, each creating two basketball empires, Adidas And Cougar . But it was in the 1950s that the term sneakers was born. Young Americans are beginning to wear sneakers with their wide jeans, a symbol of rebellion and provocation. The practical, comfortable and universal aspect will make sports shoes popular to the point of seeing their first use diverted to the benefit of everyday life.
In this dynamic, many sports brands are appearing, including the most famous of all Nike . In 1970 the mark of Oregon taking its name from Greek mythology and its goddess of victory Nike will offer silhouettes dedicated to running. Bill Bowerman , one of the founders of Nike will then have an idea in his kitchen. Why not mold the soles of sneakers from a waffle iron. Thus we see the very first running silhouette equipped with this new gripping and adherent sole, the Waffle trainer . Nike perfectly captures the sneaker trend and manages to reconcile sporty model and lifestyle. With select ambassadors like Michael Jordan and his signature range Air Jordan , it will dethrone Converse's Chuck Taylor. Over the years, sports equipment manufacturers have amplified their influence by partnering with creators such as Yohji Yamamoto with Adidas, Salehe Bembury with New Balance or artists with Travis Scott and Nike. You will have understood that sneakers are now the norm in terms of shoes, everywhere around us, sneakers are present, whatever the professional environment, the moment, everyone wears a pair of sneakers and it is not ready to stop.
COLLABORATIONS OF LEGENDARY SNEAKERS: YEEZY, NIKE OFF-WHITE, Y3, NIKE TRAVIS SCOTT
Adidas is by far the first sports equipment supplier to have integrated designers into its sneaker ranges. Since 2001 the famous Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto and his line Y3 reinvents sneakers and sportswear from the 3-band brand. Taking up the artist's inspiration with sober pieces, in plain black and white colors combining dimension techwear and functional, this line revisits Adidas silhouettes such as the Pureboost . Similarly, for a time the very famous Belgian designer Raf Simons had the chance to create his own line of sneakers making a first link between luxury and sportswear with his silhouette. Raf Simons Ozweego . But the designer who will completely make Adidas a major player in sneakers is good Kanye West . Through innovative and avant-garde models, he sets his mark and invents one of the most iconic models of the last 10 years: the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 . With many color variations and different models of Yeezy as with the 700 or the 500, the German brand competes directly with the American firm Nike.
The swoosh brand marked the year 2017 with a master hand with one of the most popular collaborations in the world, Nike x Off-White . The swoosh joins the designer Virgil Abloh , founder of the Italian house Off White and current artistic director of men's collections at Louis Vuitton. The Chicago designer will redesign 10 Nike models through The Ten collection. He reveals all his art by deconstructing each pair and integrating technical materials. Air Jordan 1 , Air Force 1 , Nike Dunk Low , all these models resulting from this collaboration are now collection pieces symbolizing the meeting between a luxury house streetwear and a sports giant. A real global success, the two brands continue to extend their partnership with textile collections and sneakers revisiting each sporting discipline as with tennis, or running. But what makes Nike strong are the artists it counts among its ambassadors. She perfectly manages to integrate the creativity and the universe of the most influential artists of this decade, like her collaborations with the Houston rapper Travis Scott . Together, they offer us magnificent Nike Air Force 1, with some swoosh interchangeable or more recently with yokes of different materials as with the Nike Air Force Fossil .
These two brands are not the only ones to offer us strong collaborations. Puma has made a very nice partnership with the very famous singer Rihanna. With his collection Fenty, the German brand lets the singer's universe express itself with reworked Puma suede shoes. We see the appearance of a thick sole bringing a heel effect to this classic sneakers. Likewise Asics does not hesitate to seize creators known as Sean Wotherspoon . Highly anticipated collaboration of 2020, the famous founder of RoundTwo revisits a silhouette of the Japanese brand in its signature style with corduroy panels and customizable Asics bands. Sneakers have conquered all artistic universes to the point of becoming a fashion item in their own right.
In 2020, the Boston equipment manufacturer, New Balance is experiencing a phenomenal renaissance thanks to a new communication strategy on its products, original collaborations and impeccable product quality. The brand is associated with entities more or less known to the general public such as Jaden Smith , Salehe Bembury , the parisian fashion label Casablanca by Charaf Tajer or the New York firm Aime Leon Dore , created by Teddy Santis who is also the new creative director of the Made In USA line. These personalities have contributed to the launch of successful new models such as the New Balance 550 , the New Balance 2002R and the New Balance 327 .
SNEAKERS OF THE FUTURE: NIKE HYPER ADAPT, ADIDAS FUTURECRAFT, NIKE SPACE HIPPIE
Sports equipment manufacturers are constantly innovating, thus always pushing the limits of technology. Nike continues to make sport more comfortable and accessible to everyone. True currency of Tinker Hatfield , mythical designer of Nike , the American sports giant will offer us a brand new revolutionary technology, self-lacing. This is how the Nike Adapt was born. A real technological feat, it allows automatic lacing and molds to the shape of any foot, thus offering perfect comfort and support for all athletes. Once the sneakers are connected to a smartphone, it is possible to customize the colors of the LEDs and adjust the lacing directly in the dedicated application. Brands are also innovating in their manufacturing process. Taking environmental issues into consideration, we recently saw Nike release a collection of 4 unique models with fully biodegradable mesh. Named Nike Space Hippie , this collection is made from plastic waste. These sneakers feature an innovative design combining a trendy colorway with a very beautiful swoosh orange. This testifies to the philosophy chosen by Nike, to commit to the environment.
Similarly, Adidas was the first sports brand to commit to the environmental cause. The brand then imagined an innovative and daring device directly involving the consumer in the heart of the life of its sneakers. With his model FutureCraft , Adidas offers us the first 100% recyclable sneakers. Sporting a magnificent white shape and a boost sole, the German equipment manufacturer offers us to bring back the sneakers once worn out in order to recycle them. An emerging initiative that has been welcomed by sneaker enthusiasts and sports enthusiasts. Whether in terms of innovation technique or more ethical manufacturing process, the brands are progressing year after year. Thus one can wonder to what extent the sneakers will they go?