An
athletic shoe is a
genericGeneric is something that is general, common, or inclusive rather than specific, unique, or selective.* Generic mood, a grammatical mood used to make generalized statements like Snow is white...
name for footwear designed for
sportSport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determinant of the outcome , but the term is also used to include activities such as...
ing and
physical activitiesPhysical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health. It is performed for many different reasons. These include strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance and for enjoyment...
.
Athletic shoes, depending on the location and the actual type of footwear, may also be referred to as
trainers (
British EnglishBritish English, or UK English or English English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
),
sandshoes,
gym boots or
joggers (
Australian EnglishAustralian English is the form of the English language spoken in Australia.-Socio-historical linguistic context:...
)
running shoes,
runners or
gutties (
Canadian EnglishCanadian English is the variety of English used in Canada. More than 26 million Canadians have some knowledge of English . Approximately 17 million speak English as their native language. Outside Quebec, 76% of Canadians speak English natively...
,
Australian EnglishAustralian English is the form of the English language spoken in Australia.-Socio-historical linguistic context:...
,
Hiberno-EnglishHiberno-English also known as Irish English is the dialect of English spoken in Ireland. The English language was first brought to Ireland during the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century. However, due to England's inability to control the country, it was only spoken by a small...
),
sneakers,
tennis shoes (
North American EnglishNorth American English is the variety of the English language of North America, including that of the United States and Canada. Because of their shared histories and the similarities between the pronunciation, vocabulary and accent of American English and Canadian English, the two spoken languages...
,
Australian EnglishAustralian English is the form of the English language spoken in Australia.-Socio-historical linguistic context:...
),
gym shoes,
tennies,
sport shoes,
sneaks, or
takkies (
South African EnglishThe term South African English is applied to the first language varieties of English spoken by South Africans, with the L1 English variety spoken by Zimbabweans and Namibians, being recognised as offshoots....
) and
rubber shoes (
Philippine EnglishPhilippine English is the variety of English used in the Philippines by the media and the vast majority of educated Filipinos. English is taught in schools as one of the two official languages of the country, the other being Filipino, an official and liberalized form of Tagalog.English is used in...
)
canvers (
Nigerian EnglishNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger...
).
Etymology
The
British EnglishBritish English, or UK English or English English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
term "trainer" derives from "training shoe". There is evidence
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/wordhunt/fashionistasextras.shtml that this usage of "trainer" originated as a genericised tradename for a make of training shoe made in 1968 by
GolaGola is a sporting goods manufacturer based in the United Kingdom. It was founded on 22 May 1905, in Leicester, England. Gola was purchased by the Jacobson Group and has since expanded its range drastically....
.
PlimsollsA plimsoll shoe or simply plimsoll is a type of athletic shoe with a canvas upper and rubber sole, developed as beachwear in the 1830s by the Liverpool Rubber Company . The shoe was originally, and often still is in parts of the UK, called a 'sand shoe' and acquired the nickname 'plimsoll' in the...
(English English) are indoor athletic shoes, and are also called
sneakers in American English and
daps in
Welsh EnglishWelsh English, Anglo-Welsh, or Wenglish refers to the dialects of English spoken in Wales by Welsh people. The dialects are significantly influenced by Welsh grammar and often include words derived from Welsh...
. 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. All other shoes, with the exception of
moccasinsA moccasin is a shoe made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp . The sole is soft and flexible and the upper part often is adorned with embroidery or beading, et cetera...
, were unsuitable for sneaking due to the noise they inevitably produced. However, the word was in use at least as early as 1887, as the
Boston Journal of Education made reference to "sneakers" as "the name boys give to tennis shoes".
History
The idea of a "sneaker" did not come along until an American
inventorAn inventor is a person who creates or discovers a new method, form, device or other useful means. The word inventor comes form the latin verb invenire, invent-, to find...
,
Charles GoodyearCharles Goodyear was the first American to vulcanize rubber, a process which he discovered in 1839 and patented on June 15, 1844...
, patented the process for the vulcanization of
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
.
While many believe that the first basketball shoe was the famous Converse All Stars (developed in 1917), this is mistaken. This belief is easily attained simply because it was one of the highest selling sneakers of the early sneaker generation. The
SpaldingSpalding is a sporting goods company founded by Albert Spalding in Chicago in 1876 and now headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. The company specialises in the production of balls for many sports, being perhaps most well known for its basketballs, but it also makes a range of products for...
company produced shoes specifically for the game of
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
as early as 1907, and an estate sale led shoe experts to believe that some of the earliest shoes were produced by Colchester Rubber Company of Colchester,
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and New York to the west and south ....
, which went out of business in 1893. Although there is no hard evidence suggesting this, the shoes were found only a few miles away from the birthplace of basketball, and two years after the
gameA game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more concerned with the expression of ideas...
was invented.
By the early 1900s, sneakers were being produced by small rubber companies who specialized in the production of
bicycleA bicycle, also known as a bike, push bike or cycle, is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist or a bicyclist....
tires. U.S. Rubber, introduced
KedsKeds is a brand of canvas shoe with rubber soles, introduced in 1916 by U.S. Rubber , and now owned by the Stride Rite Corporation....
in 1916, about the same time that Converse was marketing its All Star. Other companies, including B.F. Goodrich and Spalding Co., were producing tennis shoes and smaller family-owned companies were manufacturing early cleated shoes. At first, the market for sneakers was small and practically invisible, but after
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, the U.S. turned to sports and athletes as a way to demonstrate moral fiber and
patriotismPatriotism is love of and/or devotion to one's country. The word comes from the Greek patris, meaning fatherland. However, patriotism has had different meanings over time, and its meaning is highly dependent upon context, geography and philosophy....
. The U.S. market for sneakers grew steadily as young boys lined up to buy sneakers endorsed by
football playerAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
Jim ThorpeJacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28
* , americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete...
and
Converse All StarsChuck Taylor All-Stars, or Converse All-Stars, also referred to as "Chuck's" or Cons ' are canvas and rubber shoes produced by Converse...
endorsed by basketball player
Chuck TaylorCharles Hollis "Chuck" Taylor , was an American basketball player and shoe salesman/evangelist. He is best known for his association with the Chuck Taylor All-Stars sneaker, the most successful selling basketball shoe in history...
.
As the 1920s and 1930s approached, these companies added traction, and also started marketing them for different sports. A huge breakthrough of this time was the separation of designs for men and women. At this time, sneakers were used strictly for athletic events. When the Olympics were revived, this attracted more fans not only to sports, but to sneakers as well. In 1936, a French brand by the name of Spring Court was born as the first canvas tennis shoe featuring signature 8 ventilation channels on the vulcanized natural rubber sole.
The 1950s gave American families more leisure time, and as the
baby boomA baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2% of the total population size...
started, more families chose to dress their youth in sneakers as school dress codes relaxed. Sneaker sales in the US soared to 600 million pairs a year in 1957, which led leather shoe makers to claim that "sneakers are bad for children's feet" to which sneaker producers replied "sneakers cure the syndrome of Inhibited Feet."
In the early 1960s, sneakers were imported to the US. from
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, but accounted for only a small portion of the market until
NikeNike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman began importing Tiger shoes under the name Blue Ribbon Sports.
In the 1970s, sneakers led their own way as jogging quickly became popular and so did the necessity to have a pair of shoes for the occasion. Until this time, factories had been concerned with high production, but now the companies started to market their products as a lifestyle purpose. Soon there were shoes for football,
joggingJogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running.-Definition:...
, basketball,
runningRunning is a means for an animal to move on foot. It is defined in sporting terms as a gait in which at some point all feet are off the ground at the same time. This is in contrast to walking, where one foot is always in contact with the ground, the legs are kept mostly straight and the center of...
- every sport had its own shoe.
By the 1980s, sneakers were everywhere;
Woody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, comedian, writer, musician, and playwright....
wore them to the
balletBallet is a formalized type of performance dance, which originated in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century French courts, and which was further developed in England, Italy, and Russia as a concert dance form...
,
Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands, helping to pioneer the genre...
wore them in their 1976 documentary, and
Dustin HoffmanDustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor who has had an active career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He first drew critical praise for the 1966 Off-Broadway play Eh? for which he won a Theatre World Award and a Drama Desk Award. This was soon followed by his breakout movie role as Ben...
wore them while playing reporter Carl Bernstein in the movie All the President's Men. The shoes originally developed for sports became the mainstay for most people. Nike and
ReebokReebok International Limited, a subsidiary of German sportswear giant Adidas, is a producer of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
were among the market leaders. Newer brands went in and out of fashion, and sneaker companies started shelling out major endorsements to players. One of, if not the largest, endorsements was to Chicago player
Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a retired American professional basketball player and active businessman. His biography on the National Basketball Association website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed...
, for a contract with Nike to make his own signature line of shoes and apparel.
During the 1990s, shoe companies perfected their fashion and marketing skills. Sports endorsements grew larger and marketing budgets went through the roof. Sneakers became a fashion statement, and definition of identity and personality rather than humble athletic aids.
Use in sports
The term
athletic shoes is typically used for
runningRunning is a means for an animal to move on foot. It is defined in sporting terms as a gait in which at some point all feet are off the ground at the same time. This is in contrast to walking, where one foot is always in contact with the ground, the legs are kept mostly straight and the center of...
in a
marathonThe marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres that is usually run as a road race. The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens...
or
half marathonA half marathon is a road running event of 21,097.5 meters, or miles, about 13.1 miles. It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but doesn't...
,
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
, and
tennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
(amongst others) but tends to exclude shoes for sports played on grass such as football (futbol) and
rugbyRugby football may refer to a number of sports through history descended from a common form of football developed in different areas of the United Kingdom. Today it refers to either rugby league or rugby union.- History :...
, which are generally known as "boots", or in North America as
cleatsA cleat is an American term for a type of shoe designed especially for sports played on grass or dirt, such as soccer or American football. It may also refer to a type of shoe designed especially for, and only worn in, wet weather....
.
Attributes of an athletic shoe include a flexible sole, appropriate tread for the function intended and ability to absorb impact. As the industry and design have expanded, the term "athletic shoes" is based more on the design of the bottom of the shoe than the aesthetics of the top of the shoe. Today's designs even include sandal, mary jane and even elevated styles suitable for running, dancing and jumping.
The shoes themselves are made of flexible compounds, typically featuring a sole made of dense
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
. While the original design was basic, manufacturers have since tailored athletic shoes for the different purposes that they can be used for. A specific example of this is the spiked shoe developed for track running. Many of these shoes are made up to a very large size because of athletes with large feet.
High-end
marathonThe marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres that is usually run as a road race. The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens...
running shoes will often come in different shapes suited to different
foot typeFoot type is determined by the shape and structure of the foot. Foot type affects the reduction of impact on the foot while walking, jogging, or running...
s,
gaitGait is the pattern of movement of the limbs of terrestrial animals, including humans, during locomotion. Most animals use a variety of gaits, selecting gait based on speed, terrain, the need to maneuver, and energetic efficiency...
etc. Generally, these shoes are divided into
neutral,
overpronation and
underpronation (supination) running shoes to fit the respective foot strike of the runners.
There are a variety of specialized shoes designed for specific uses:
- Racing flats
Racing flats or simply flats, are lightweight athletic shoes designed for long distance track and field, cross country, and most often, road races. They differ from normal training shoes mainly by the lack of a substantial heel...
- Track shoe
Track spikes are shoes used at most track and field events. They are lightweight shoes with spikes screwed into their bottom, or spike plate, in order to maximize traction when running, throwing or jumping.- Design :...
- Skate shoes
Skate shoes are shoes specially designed and manufactured for use in skateboarding. While many non-skaters choose to wear skate shoes, the design of the skate shoe includes many features designed for use in skating...
- Climbing shoe
A climbing shoe or kletterschuh is a piece of footwear designed for rock climbing. Typical climbing shoes have a close fit, little if any padding, and a smooth, sticky rubber sole with an extended rubber rand...
- Approach shoe
- Wrestling shoes
Wrestling shoes are active wear used in competition and practice for the sport of wrestling. Generally extremely light and flexible, they try to mimic the bare foot with slightly more traction and ankle support and less chance of contracting a disease or hurting someone with your toe nails.Some...
- Cleats
A cleat is an American term for a type of shoe designed especially for sports played on grass or dirt, such as soccer or American football. It may also refer to a type of shoe designed especially for, and only worn in, wet weather....
- Football boot
Football boots are an item of footwear worn when playing football. Those designed for grass pitches have studs on the bottom to aid grip. Modern "boots" are not truly boots in that they do not cover the ankle.-History:...
- Dance Shoe
Sneaker culture
Sneaker collectors, called "Sneakerheads", use sneakers as fashionable items. Casual sneakers like the Air Force One (Nike) or Superstar (Adidas) have become icons in today's pop culture. Artistically-modified sneakers can sell for upwards of $500.
Brands
Large brands include:
- Adidas
Adidas AG is a German-based sports apparel manufacturer and part of the Adidas Group, which consists of Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-adidas golf company, and Rockport. Besides sports footwear, the company also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear and other sports...
- ASICS
ASICS is a Japanese athletic equipment company. Asics produces professional footwear and sports equipment designed for football, running, netball, tennis, badminton, squash, martial arts, cricket, golf, wrestling, track & field, cross-training, volleyball, cheerleading, lacrosse, and for many...
- Converse
- DC Shoes
DC Shoes is an American company specializing in footwear for extreme sports, including skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, motocross, rally car racing, and surfing, as well as snowboards, shirts, jeans, hats, and jackets....
- Fila
Fila is South Korea's largest sportswear manufacturing company, founded in 1911 in Italy. Fila is headed by chairman and CEO Yoon-Soo Yoon. It now has offices in 11 countries worldwide.- History :...
- Gola
Gola is a sporting goods manufacturer based in the United Kingdom. It was founded on 22 May 1905, in Leicester, England. Gola was purchased by the Jacobson Group and has since expanded its range drastically....
- Heelys
Heelys are a brand of roller shoes that have one or more wheels embedded in each sole, similar to inline skates. Thus, the wearer can walk, run, or, by shifting their weight to their heels, roll. Braking can be achieved by lowering the back of the foot so that sole contacts the ground...
- K-Swiss
K-Swiss , Inc. is an American footwear company based in Westlake Village, California. They design, develop, and market a range of athletic shoes under the K-Swiss brand and its wholly owned subsidiary Royal Elastics, Inc.- History :...
- Keds
Keds is a brand of canvas shoe with rubber soles, introduced in 1916 by U.S. Rubber , and now owned by the Stride Rite Corporation....
- Keen
- Persons :* Alan Keen* Andrew Keen* Ann Keen* Arthur Keen* Diane Keen* Geoffrey Keen* Harold Keen* Jessica Keen* John "Speedy" Keen* John Keen * Malcolm Keen* Natalie Keen* Richard Keen* Robert Earl Keen* Sam Keen* Simon Keen* Steve Keen...
- Lacoste
- Lonsdale
-People:*Angela Lonsdale*Bruce Lonsdale*Christopher Lonsdale*Corrine Lonsdale*David Lonsdale*Derrick Lonsdale*Earl of Lonsdale*Edmund Lonsdale*Frederick Lonsdale*Gordon Arnold Lonsdale*Gordon Lonsdale*Harvey Lonsdale Elmes...
- Mizuno
is a Japanese sports equipment and sportswear company, founded in Osaka in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno. Today, Mizuno is a global corporation which makes a wide variety of sports equipment and sportswear, for golf, tennis, baseball, volleyball, football, rugby, skiing, cycling, judo and athletics...
- New Balance
New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. , best known as simply New Balance, is a footwear manufacturer based in Boston. It was founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch Support Company...
- Nike
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
- Pony
Pony International is an American brand of footwear and other apparel. Founded in 1972 in Brooklyn, Pony became one of the top athletic brands worldwide. By the mid-1980s, Pony's sales volume reached US$800 million...
- Puma
PUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport is a large German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear....
- Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of German sportswear giant Adidas, is a producer of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
- Starbury
Starbury, Inc. is an American brand of sneakers and clothing endorsed by NBA players Stephon Marbury and Ben Wallace, and marketed by Steve and Barry's. The line was launched in September 2006, as a pair of $14.98 basketball shoes to compete with higher priced products endorsed by celebrity athletes...
- Vans
Vans is an American based manufacturer of sneakers, BMX shoes, snowboarding boots, and other shoe types catering primarily to the skateboarder/surfer/snowboarder youth market...
Types
- High-top
The high-top is a shoe that extends significantly over the wearer's ankle. It is commonly an athletic shoe, particularly for basketball. It is sometimes confused with the slightly shorter mid-top. Examples of basketball shoes that are high-tops are Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars; Nike Air Forces...
s cover the ankle.
- Low-tops do not cover the ankle.
- Mid-cut are in-between high-tops and low-tops.
- Sneaker boot
Sneaker boots are a type of shoe that mimics the visual appearance of a traditional sneaker, but is equipped with a high heel. The heel makes it impossible to use them as anything but dress shoes.-Examples:...
s extend to the calf.