sneaker trivia

In the late 18th century, people wore rubber soled shoes called plimsolls. Around 1892, the U.S. Rubber Company came up with more comfortable rubber sneakers with canvas tops, called Keds.

Sneakers earned their nickname because they were so quiet, a person wearing them could sneak up on someone.

In 1924, a German man named Adi Dassler created a sneaker that he named after himself: Adidas. This brand became the most popular athletic shoe in the world.

In the 1950s, kids began wearing sneakers as fashion statements. Even more teens followed the fad after seeing James Dean in sneakers in the popular movie Rebel Without a Cause.

In 1984, Michael Jordan signed a contract to wear a Nike shoe called Air Jordans—the most famous sneaker ever made. Even after Jordan retired from the NBA, his shoes continued to be best sellers.

New sneaker technologies increase performance. Nike’s Air Force used little pockets of gas to create better cushioning, while Reebok introduced The Pump—air pumped into shoes to make them fit more snugly.

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January 13, 2009   Posted in: General

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