$6.23
June 2019
CONTENTS What is Sneaker Culture?
- a brief history on the rise of sneakers
page 2
What do Shoes Mean to You? - interviews by Jay and Ben
page 7
Sean Wotherspoon Illustration - an illustration of the Nike Air Max 97 “Sean Wotherspoon�
pages 8-9
What Shoe Matches You?
- an interactive quiz to see what shoe matches your personality
page 11
What is Sneaker Culture? Beginning of Basketball Footwear: In 1921, Chuck Taylor, a basketball player for the Akron Firestones, gained an interest in the High-Top Converse. He saw the shoe’s potential in basketball and joined the converse sales force to create the world wide known “Chuck Taylor’s.” Because of his success in the promotion and design of the All Stars, Converse rewarded him by placing the signature Chuck Taylor logo on the ankle of the shoe. Converse also introduced the white high top with red and blue accents for the 1936 olympics. As of today, more than 60% of Americans have or have had a pair of Chuck Taylor’s Converse.
Hitting The Streets: Hip-hop was responsible for making sneakers part of style. Sneakers were important in the 1980s because they were comfortable to dance in and became standard gear for performers. These performers were all about keeping style in check, most importantly sneakers, fresh and clean. In 1983, hip hop group Run-DMC came out with a hit song called “My Adidas,” which skyrocketed the sales of Adidas the target audience of people following pop culture. They were helping the Adidas shoe industry so much, that “Run-DMC x Adidas” became the first shoe deal to be signed outside of the athletic industry. 3
JORDANS: In 1984, all star basketball player Michael Jordan signed a contract with Nike, which was probably one of the most valuable business deals in sneaker history. In 1985 Nike released the first pair of ‘Jordans’ called Air Jordan Ones, which rapidly exceeded the Converse All Stars in annual sales, making its name as the most popular basketball shoe of the 80s. The Air Jordan Ones did not have the best shoe technology, but the color and style paved the way for the beginning of the commercial basketball shoe industry. Since 1985, 33 Jordans have been made and widely distributed across the world. (the first 16 Jordans are displayed)
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Rise of Sneaker Popularity When Michael Jordan first retired, Nike continued to produce Jordan brand shoes. That being said, they needed to fill the void of having a player on the court wearing their shoes. Since Jordan, the biggest NBA players that Nike signed with to get a signature shoe was Charles Barkley, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Paul George. Kev in
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Kobe Bryant 11s “Invisibility Cloak”
Future of Sneaker Collaborations The biggest names partnering with sneaker companies have been Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Drake, and and Travis Scott. Kanye West is the most prolific sneaker designer in the hip hop community, as he has worked with Louis Vuitton and Nike. Pharrell has been working with Japanese shoe Company BAPE (A Bathing Ape) to release his line of "Ice Cream" themed Shoes. Drake and Travis Scott both teamed up with Jordan Brand, in which they designed their own custom Jordans. As well as the many artists trying to attain a shoe deal, skating brand Supreme has been collaborating with Nike and Jordan. There are endless possibilities to collaborate, design, and create shoes. 5
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AIR MAG now availabe with PowerLacesÂŽ.
What do shoes mean to you? Ben Segev “I like shoes so much because they add a sense of ‘hype’ to your outfit. Favorite Shoes: - Travis Scott Air Force 1s - Jordan 1 “Breds” - “Classic” Vans
JayInTheCut “Shoes are essential to the complestion of your outfit. They are what makes you stick out, and it feels great to get compliments regarding your brand-new sneakers Favorite Shoes: - Nike Yeezy Red Octobers - Off White Air Max 90s - Revenge x Storm Vans 7
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What Shoe Matches You? Is your GPA above a 3.5?
Do you know where you’re going to college?
Are you interested in pursuing business?
Do you have a 4.0 ?
Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?
Do you play basketball?
Do you miss school often?
Are you a starter on your basketball team?
The “Travis Scott AF1” fits you well, as you play ball, but don’t start
The original Converse is made for you, as you are a goody too shoes.
This shoe makes you a bad boy, as it is simple yet extremely expensive
11
This shoe is a shoe above all others, as it is a limited LeBron shoe that he wore during the 2018 All-Star game
DAERT