Sneaker
Sneakers ( German Schleicher, singular: sneaker ) is the US collective term for sports shoes and describes shoes that can be worn both during sporting activities and in everyday life. In German, however, the term sneaker is mostly applied to shoes that are worn in everyday life and look sporty; is therefore more narrowly defined than in American English. In British English, 'sneaker' just means sneakers with a canvas upper and rubber sole.
history
The first sports shoes were built around 1860 in England (and around the same time in the USA) as croquet shoes with flexible rubber soles and a linen shaft. The color-contrasting line on the edge of the rubber sole, which lies just above the ground and runs around the shoe, earned these models the name Plimsolls (after the inventor of the loading line for ships, Samuel Plimsoll ). In 1917, sneakers (for children) called Keds and mass-produced by the US Rubber Company came onto the market in the USA and were soon found to be suitable as sports shoes ( tennis ) by adults . Marqui Mills Converse designs the first canvas sneakers. He produces the sole from vulcanized rubber. The ankle-high Converse All Star followed in 1919 and for decades became the epitome of sneakers in North America.
The term sneaker itself is an invention of the 20th century and comes from advertising specialist Henry Nelson McKinney; because apart from moccasins all other shoes had a loud appearance due to the leather soles (English "to sneak": sneak). In the 1950s, teen icon James Dean was photographed with sneakers ; As a result, the cheap and easy-care shoes became the preferred footwear of young people and in the following decades gave their name to an entire generation of trainers .
The original reason for wearing sports shoes in everyday life was the protest of the youth against the ruling establishment and the adult culture, which also manifested itself in clothing, which preferred shiny leather loafers. The significantly lower maintenance effort (no shine and no leather care, since mostly synthetic fiber uppers) and the cheaper retail prices of the sneakers made by cheap mass production (injection-molded and vulcanized design ) compared to high-quality leather shoes also contributed to the preservation and further distribution .
With the general sports euphoria of the 1980s, the sports shoe or sneaker then established itself as an accepted model of leisure shoe in large parts of the population.
Differentiation of terms and variants
In German-speaking countries, the term “sneaker” has been used to categorize specific shoe models in common parlance and in marketing only since the late 1990s. Previously, “ sneakers ” or “ sports shoes ” were spoken of (when Joschka Fischer was sworn in as state minister “in sneakers” in 1985, no one would have thought of saying that he had been sworn in in “sneakers”). Avoiding the term "sneaker" and instead using "sneaker" and "sports shoe" has become common practice since the turn of the millennium in the course of the increasing use of Anglicisms . This linguistic differentiation makes sense, however, because since then “sneakers” have also been explicitly produced and advertised as such in Germany. Since then , the “sports shoe” category has included shoes that are developed for actual use in sports and that, in addition to their fashionable appearance, take on related functions. The term “sneaker”, on the other hand, describes fashionable shoes to be worn in everyday leisure activities (less in professional life or on official occasions) that are designed and produced in a sports shoe-like look, but only fulfill a secondary sporting function. In the English-speaking countries, above all the United States and the United Kingdom , according to the purpose of the shoes (everyday life or sport), within the "sneaker scene" (a sneaker culture established and widespread among adolescents and young adults), between sneakers ( Trainers, joints, kicks, grips) and performance sneakers (indoor sports shoes, running shoes, etc. depending on the individual case). In most cases, however, these boundaries are blurred. This applies in particular to sports shoes for skaters and basketball players , which are worn both as sports shoes and as sneakers.
So-called re-issues (German: new editions) are sports shoe models (basketball shoes, athletics shoes, tennis shoes, bowling shoes, etc.) that used to be common and are now being produced again.
Overall, the number of different models has risen sharply in the last few decades, which is clear from the example of the USA. In 1970 there were only 5 different models in the USA, in 1998 there were already 285 and in 2012 3,371 different sneaker models were counted.
Features and manufacture
The shaft cut of the sneaker is based on the so-called Oxford cut . Nowadays, a sandwich floor made of various individual plastic layers usually serves as the floor , which usually provides very good damping and shows a long wedge heel. Towards the foot an insole for a better shoe climate (welding admission) is to ensure, at the same time it protects the insole (inner sole) of the shoe. The outsole is typically abrasion-resistant, with good grip and a light rubber profile. The shaft consists mainly of synthetic fibers, additional reinforcements are often made of (rough) leather. The often light (white) or even multi-colored barrel, which also usually shows the manufacturer's emblem, is striking. Like other sports shoes, sneakers are produced almost exclusively in an injection-molded design (manufacturing process) with a strobeled insole made of a natural synthetic fiber mixture in low-wage countries in the Far East.
The higher-priced market segment is almost exclusively dominated by the three large sports shoe manufacturers ( Adidas , Nike , Puma ). Numerous "premium fashion labels" ( Replay , Diesel , Prada , Dolce & Gabbana , Gucci and others) are now also producing sneakers, and there are also several shoe manufacturers in the middle and lower price segment who, according to a fashion trend, also offer shoes in the "sneaker" - Produce design. In the meantime, the sneaker business has grown so large that the products are only available in limited editions and at certain times.
Target group and carrier
The target group for sneakers are mainly teenagers and young adults. In addition to this main target group, sneakers are also worn by adults for certain leisure activities. In addition, high-quality sneakers, for example, are mainly bought by financially well-off adults due to their usually significantly higher retail price.
Sneaker fairs
Regular consumer fairs on the subject of sneakers take place worldwide . In addition to sneaker shops and private collectors, manufacturers often present themselves here, offering a preview of their upcoming collections. The following trade fairs took place in Europe in 2014:
| Trade fair name | Venue | date |
|---|---|---|
| Kicks-N-Coffee | Strasbourg | February 8, 2014 |
| Kicks-N-Coffee | Stuttgart | May 31, 2014 |
| Laced Up | Munich | April 13, 2014 |
| Sneakerness | Zurich | April 12-13, 2014 |
| NOT JUST SHOES | Hamburg | July 6, 2014 |
The following trade fairs took place in Europe in 2015:
| Trade fair name | Venue | date |
|---|---|---|
| NOT JUST SHOES | Hamburg | 17th May 2015 |
| Sneakerness | Cologne | October 10-11, 2015 |
Examples of sneaker models
- Chuck Tailor All Star
- Vans (Old Skool, Authentic, Slip-On, Sk8-Hi)
- Adidas superstar
- Adidas Stan Smith
- Nike Air Jordan
- Nike Air Max
- Nike Free
- Nike Mag
Others
At the beginning, sneakers offered a worse shoe climate than the leather shoes that were more widespread at the time. In the meantime, manufacturers have solved this problem and by using new materials such as mesh and modern manufacturing techniques ( e.g. Nike Flyknit ) they can outperform simple leather shoes in this regard. However, socks are usually required to achieve this effect .
Movie
- Thibaut de Longeville, Lisa Leone: Sneakers - The cult of sneakers. F / USA 2005, 55 min.
- Robert Garcia aka Bobbito: It's the Shoes USA 2006, 8 × 30 min.
literature
- Helge Sternke: Everything about men's shoes . Nicolai, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-89479-252-3 (with a section on sports shoes and their history).
- Unorthodox styles: sneakers. The ultimate guide . Prestel, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-7913-3313-5 (manual for sneaker collectors).
- Karin Glarner: Sneakers . Sulgen, Zurich 2003, ISBN 3-7212-0450-6 .
- Melissa Cardona: 50 Years of Sports Shoe Design . Schiffer, Adglen, PA 2005, ISBN 0-7643-2188-9 (English).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Sizeer: The History of Sneakers | Sizeer.at. Retrieved on July 11, 2018 (at).
- ^ T. Aichner, P. Coletti: Customers' online shopping preferences in mass customization. In: Journal of Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice. 15 (1), 2013, pp. 20-35.
- ↑ Nike versus Gucci: Sneakers are the latest luxury fashion battlefield. In: Grailify - Sneaker News. Retrieved January 22, 2019 .
- ↑ Sneaker Releases. In: SNKRADDICTED - Sneaker Releases. Retrieved October 30, 2019 .
- ↑ Stephen Talty: Leather Uppers. In: Time Out New York. 16.-23. July 1998, p. 8f.
- ↑ Interview with Richard Wharton, in: Valerie Steele: Shoes a Lexicon of Style. Co & Bear Productions (UK), London 1998, p. 166.
- ↑ Luella Bartley: Death Of The Trainer. In: Vogue. (British edition) London 8/98.
- ↑ Jennifer Jackson: Sneaker Chic. In: Harper's Bazaar. London, April 1998, p. 218.