Sneakers are also described as the biggest fashion trend of the last 50 years, but the question is whether we can still speak of a trend at all. Because sneakers have firmly established themselves and have become part of our everyday lives. The hype about the top models is still unbroken, hardly a week goes by without a sneaker release. In addition to the constantly changing collections, it is above all the limited special editions and collabs between sporting goods manufacturers and designers and artists that make the heart of every sneakerhead beat faster. You can find them all in our sneaker search engine! Whether you're looking for the cheapest price for your favorite model in your shoe size or whether you want to see the latest creations from a particular shoe designer - with Sneakers123 you won't miss a single shoe. We cooperate with over 100 online shops worldwide to offer you the best possible selection of shoes.
Why are sports shoes called sneakers?
The history of sneakers began in the 19th century. In the USA, the first canvas sports shoes with rubber soles were manufactured by the United States Rubber Company in 1860. These were in fact the forerunners of two now very popular shoe models, the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star and the Keds shoe.
Until then, shoes only had leather soles, which made an audible noise when walking. The new shoes with rubber soles were so quiet that the American merchant Henry Nelson McKinney gave them the name "Sneakers" (from "to sneak"). However, it will take a while before their breakthrough, because in the beginning they were only shoes for sports activities and for the army.
In 1924, the German Adi Dassler developed a sports shoe and the Adidas brand was born. When Jessie Owens won four gold medals in Adidas sneakers at the Olympic Games, the Adidas brand became internationally known.
The success story of the sneaker
The sneaker as a leisure shoe only became popular in the USA in the 1950s, among others the film "Rebel Without a Cause" was responsible for it, in which James Dean wore sneakers as everyday clothes. From then on the success story of sports shoes began.
Even though sports shoes slowly gained acceptance in everyday life in the USA, it was not until the 80s that sneakers became a real hype. The decisive factor was Michael Jordan's contract with Nike, the Nike Air Jordan is still considered the most successful and most famous sneaker in the world today. With the success of Michael Jordan in the NBA, more and more young people became enthusiastic about sports shoes. Hip Hop culture finally contributed to the further spread of sneaker fashion.
Nowadays we are at the peak of the sneaker culture, at least for the time being, because never before have so many new models come onto the market. Thanks to prominent athletes and musicians, and of course thanks to Instagram, it is now perfectly normal that we have not just one pair of sports shoes, but at least ten pairs of sneakers or more. Sneakers are the shoes of our time, while the sneaker trends come and go, the all-time classics remain, which appear again and again in new editions.
The most influential sneaker classics
Sneaker classics are retro shoes from today's point of view, but of course they are not from yesterday, because they are classics that have written shoe history. Most of these models are still available today, partly in revised new editions and of course in current Colorways. Some of Adidas' most successful classics include the 1950 Samba, the 1965 Superstar and the 1971 Adidas Stan Smith, while Nike has designed several classics alongside the Air Jordan models, including the legendary Air Force 1 from 1982, the 1986 Dunk, the 1987 Air Max 1 and the 1991 Nike Air Huarache.
Also unforgettable and still available today are retro classics such as the Suede by Puma from 1973, the Onitsuka Tiger Corsair from 1969 or the Reebok Ex-O-Fit from 1983.
Sneaker Collaborations
Cooperation between sporting goods manufacturers and athletes or artists has already contributed significantly to the success of today's most popular brands such as Nike or Adidas in the 20th century. The best known examples are Adidas' collaboration with Stan Smith and Nike's collaboration with Michael Jordan.
In the last 20 years there have been many spectacular collabs that have triggered a real hype. Among them were not only those with athletes, but also with artists, sneaker stores and designers. What is special about the latest Collabs is that the designs were developed by the artists themselves. Among the most successful collabs of the last ten years are the collaboration between Adidas and Kanye West (Yeezy collection) and between Off White designer Virgil Abloh and Nike. Also the Asics Collabs with Ronnie Fieg and Atmos were a great success. Many models of these Collabs have been released as limited special editions. These include coveted collectibles for which high prices are achieved at auctions.
