Everything You Need to Know About Sneakers

If you only read one article about sneakers, make it this one!

Finally, an article with all the important info about sneakers in one place. No waffle, no going round in circles – just the essentials, but in proper detail. Recommended for sneakerheads, required reading for parents! If you want to get up to speed in 5–10 minutes, read on!

We didn't want to leave out anything important, so this one's a bit of a long read. If you haven't got time to read it all right now, just click whichever heading in the contents below grabs you most! 👇

I. What is a sneaker?
How did sneakers get so cool?
Who are sneakerheads?

II. A short history of the coolest sneakers
Air Force 1
Air Jordan
Dunk
Yeezy

III. Which sneakers suit you?
The right sneakers for the season
Sneakers for boys and men
Sneakers for girls
Where will you wear them?

I. What is a sneaker?

Sadly, there's a load of bullshit online about what exactly counts as a sneaker. 🐂💩

But seriously: why does anyone think that just writing sneakers are sporty kicks we mostly wear on the street answers the question…? 🤦♂️

Time to set the record straight – and pour you a nice clear glass of facts! 💦🥤

It's true that sneakers were originally made specifically for athletes, and athletes were the ones mainly wearing them. Today, though, they've become one of the most popular things to wear every day. 👟

But that's just the tip of the iceberg – there's a bit more to it than that! 🧊⛰️

How did sneakers get so cool?

The history of sneakers goes all the way back to the 1920s. (Yes, people were alive back then – and they even had stuff on their feet! Just ask your grandparents or great-grandparents! 👵👴)

In fact, we can look back even further: according to some sources, rubber-soled pairs started catching on as early as the end of the 18th century (that's the late 1700s). (Of course, there wasn't much hype back then – Sándor Petőfi, Hungary's great national poet, was definitely not wearing plimsolls when he recited his famous National Song in the mid-1800s! 👨)

(Fun fact: back then, rubber-soled pairs made no distinction between left and right – both halves of a pair were exactly the same. Good thing we've moved on from that.)

Anyway, back to the early 1900s, when the rubber sole got a canvas upper to go with it, which was a massive innovation at the time. This was also when Converse basketball sneakers appeared, followed one after another by the big sports brands we still know today. 🤯

At first, these brands focused mainly on athletes. (Obviously! What did you think – that pen-pushers were their target audience?) Among others, they started making ever more comfortable pairs for runners and basketball players. (It's weird to think that comfort wasn't such a priority for athletic sneakers before that. These days we can't even imagine what they were playing in back then…) ⛹🏻🏃🏻♀️🤾🏻

Then, of course, people soon realised that comfy kicks aren't just for playing sport. Mind you, that realisation wouldn't have counted for much without two other really important things:

1️⃣ Athletic sneakers looked insanely good – way cooler than anything else out there. (Which, let's face it, hasn't really changed since.)

2️⃣ The basketball players who wore these pairs were unbelievably cool back then. (Whether that's still true today is up for debate.)

Long story short: a whole mindset/culture/trend was born – the idea that you can absolutely wear these kicks every day. Sneakers set off to conquer the world! 👟🌎

Sneakers' world takeover is split into three stages by sociologist Yuniya Kawamura, who researches the subject.

🌊The first wave of the takeover came in the 1970s and 1980s, when hip-hop culture (among others) got hooked on sneakers. RUN-DMC dropped their track My Adidas (click here to check out the video too), which you could see as a symbol of sneaker culture meeting pop culture – and even becoming part of it.

🌊The second (and maybe strongest) wave was none other than the arrival of the Nike Air Jordan. Michael Jordan (if you don't know who he is, scroll straight down to the Air Jordan section) stepped onto the court in a pair of Nikes bearing his own name – and suddenly everyone wanted a pair. (You could say Michael Jordan became the number one influencer for sneakers, or at least for Air Jordans – it's just that nobody used that word (for that) back then.)

🌊And the third wave is being driven by growing globalisation and the digital age. These days you'll find sneakers in literally every corner of the world, and since their marketing and their culture keep getting stronger and more and more alive, knowing about them is basically general knowledge now. (Dear parents reading this: yes, it's not just the young who can learn from their elders – it works the other way round too!)

Who are sneakerheads?

“Another daft new word that only young people understand…” – the old lady next door would grumble if she read this article. 😤

If you don't know who sneakerheads are either, but you don't share the old lady's view, it's time to find out. (Maybe you're one yourself and just don't know it…? 🤷♂️)

There's no set-in-stone definition of a sneakerhead – if we're relaxed about it, we can use the word for anyone who loves sneakers, and, say, collects them too, always hunting down the newest, coolest pairs.

But let's just say that's beginner level. For those who take it to the advanced level, it's about a bit more than that. They're the ones happy to camp outside a store until opening time for a single pair. The truly obsessed sneakerheads will do whatever it takes to get their hands on limited-edition pairs that are only made in small numbers. 😮

Sneakerheads also include those hardcore collectors who own more pairs of sneakers than a medium-sized Hungarian village has residents.

So basically, anyone whose passion is sneakers can be a sneakerhead. We know of plenty of sneakerhead celebs, too. Justin Bieber, Chris Brown and DJ Khaled, for example, all have seriously impressive collections.

II. A short history of the coolest sneakers

History lesson time! We know how dull some teachers can be, so we promise to do everything we can to keep this one exciting and interesting. But if you want to get clued up on the most famous sneakers, you can't skip the next bit! 👨🏫

Air Force 1

The Nike Air Force 1 is impossible to ignore when we're talking sneakers. No question: this is the pair we have to start with as we run through the most popular sneakers! 😍👟

Released in 1982, the Nike Air Force 1 was the first sneaker on which Nike used its air technology. It got its name from Air Force One, the plane the US President flies on. And speaking of soaring: the Air Force 1 is as popular as ever to this day. ✈️

This pair has been through countless versions and comes in every colourway imaginable – you just have to know where to look!

A true classic – a real icon! There's no sneakerhead out there who doesn't own a pair or two of Air Force 1s!

But what's the secret behind the Air Force 1's success? 🤷♀️

Nike's success story began in 1972. True, the company was founded back in 1960, but it was only 12 years later that it released running sneakers under the Nike name and broke into the athletic market with them. Obviously, these weren't Nike Air Force 1 sneakers yet. 😂

It also took a while before Nike got into basketball sneakers. The first Nike Air Force 1 pairs arrived in the 1980s, when designer Bruce Kilgore figured out how to build Nike's air technology into basketball sneakers too. ⛹🏻👟

After that, it didn't take Nike long to sign six NBA stars to wear the high-top version on court.

Then Nike very nearly made a terrible call. The decision-makers thought the simple, functional Air Force 1 wouldn't be able to compete with the colourful sneakers that were getting more and more popular, and wanted to stop making it. 🤦♂️

Luckily, the public saw it differently, which pushed Nike to change its mind. Production of the Air Force 1 started up again. Year after year – and later month after month – new colourways kept coming, and sneaker culture hit fever pitch. 😻

Then, in the 1990s, came the all-white Air Force 1 – the sneaker that's still a true classic today and a must in every sneakerhead's collection. The white Air Force 1 Low sells so well that more than 20 years after its release, 12 million (!) pairs were sold in a single year. 🥰

Of course, the story didn't end there. New limited, special-edition Air Force 1 pairs kept on coming – and in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nike created a whole generation of sneaker fans.

Air Jordan

If you haven't watched the docuseries The Last Dance on Netflix yet, it's time to make some time for it! 🍿📺

The series follows Michael Jordan's career with the Chicago Bulls, and it's insanely entertaining even for people who don't know the first thing about basketball. 🏀

And for sneakerheads and sneaker fans, episode five is required viewing, as it tells the story of the Air Jordan.

But if you prefer films to series, we've got a tip for you too: don't miss Air, released this spring – the film is all about the birth of the Air Jordan!

Right, enough free advertising – let's get to the real question:

How did the Air Jordan come about? 👟

In the 1980s, Converse was the official sneaker of the NBA. Michael Jordan, however, tried in vain to strike a deal with them: the company didn't want to make Jordan's pairs a priority, or push its other sponsored players (like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson) into the background in favour of Michael, who was only just spreading his wings at the time. 😕

So Michael Jordan wanted to sign with another brand, but he had no luck with Adidas either. His agent, David Falk, then started talks with Nike. But since Nike was known for its running sneakers back then, Michael Jordan wasn't keen on that direction.

His agent knew exactly how to win him over, though: he went straight to Jordan's mum and asked her to talk some sense into her son. So in the end Michael Jordan listened to Nike's offer (what else could he do…?🤷♂️), and then, on his dad's advice (it took both parents in the end👨), he accepted it.

As it happens, this was right when Nike was introducing its air technology, and since word was spreading that Jordan worked miracles on court while floating through the air, there was no question in the end: the new sneaker would be called the Air Jordan. ⛹🏻♂️👟

How did the Air Jordan become so iconic?

Legend has it that the Air Jordan got a huge publicity boost when the NBA initially banned the first version because its colours broke league rules. Michael Jordan couldn't have cared less – he wore the Air Jordan 1 in every game, and got a $5,000 fine after every single one. Nike paid the fines for him – they probably saw it as a marketing cost that paid for itself many times over. 😂

That gave it its early popularity, which never let up afterwards. By the late '80s and into the '90s, the Air Jordan 1 had become a status symbol. Everyone wanted a pair. 🙋🙋♂️

The Air Jordan has been through countless versions since – but the most iconic is arguably still the Air Jordan 1. It's no coincidence that the original version is still being made today.

Jordan Brand

Nike was behind the birth of Air Jordan sneakers, but it always made a point of giving the line its own identity – and letting it keep it. Proof? From the Air Jordan 3 onwards, the pairs got their own logo: the (now) famous Jumpman silhouette.

The Air Jordan is synonymous with young, energetic talent. Vin Baker, Eddie Jones, Derek Anderson, Michael Finley and Ray Allen all embodied exactly that, which is why they became the well-known faces of Jordan Brand after Michael Jordan retired. They did a lot to make the brand appealing to the generations that followed. ⛹🏻♀️👶🏻

But it wasn't just basketball players who came to represent Jordan Brand. As the brand gained ambassadors from every corner of the sports world, it increasingly started making pairs that weren't specifically for basketball.

That's how Jordan Brand was built. That's how the Jumpman logo became a symbol of excellence and talent – and the Air Jordan one of the best-known sneakers out there and a true status symbol…🧐

🤓 A quick side note: the Jordan brand and the Air Jordan sneaker are not the same thing. Sure, both are tied to Michael Jordan's name, but that doesn't mean you should lump them together. The Jordan brand covers loads of different products – and only one of them is the Air Jordan. Although, as it happens, it really is the best-known one.

Dunk

Now let's dive headfirst into another story! 🤸🏻♂️

The story of Dunk sneakers (also from Nike) goes back to the 1980s too. And just like the Air Jordan 1, the first Dunk was designed by Peter C. Moore. (The man knew a thing or two, that's for sure! 👌🏻)

The launch campaign for Dunk sneakers was called Be True To Your School – and not by accident! The first colourways were all based on the colours and spirit of individual colleges and universities. Nike also sponsored the most popular college basketball teams, which was a bloody brilliant marketing move: every student cheering from the stands wanted the same pair their school's stars were wearing. ⛹🏿♀️⛹🏿

Then the tables turned! 🎲

The Dunks quickly lost their popularity, outshone by Jordans. But one subculture discovered Dunks for itself: they became insanely popular with skateboarders. They were comfortable, gave great grip and could take a real beating.

Then, in the 1990s, Nike decided it was time to hype up Dunk sneakers again. They re-released the earlier pairs – with a few new versions thrown in, of course.

The next big wave of Dunk mania took a little while longer to arrive, though. It was the turn of the millennium that brought real Dunk fever. 🌡️

Dunk fever

In 2001, a collab between the fashion label Stussy and Nike brought three sneakers into the world (the first Dunks ever born from a collaboration). By teaming up with a brand that skaters knew and loved, Nike was clearly making a deliberate move towards the skate scene. 🎯

At that point, though, the goal was only partly achieved. What really hit the mark was the Nike SB Dunk. Nike asked Sandy Bodecker to come up with something that was guaranteed to be a hit with skaters. So Bodecker simply went and asked the skateboarders themselves what kind of sneaker they needed. Based on their answers, he created some of the most successful and best sneakers of all time: the Nike SB (SkateBoarding or Sandy Bodecker) Dunk line. Skaters loved the puffy tongue and the thick outsole. 🙏

Nike signed up several cool skaters (Danny Supa, Richard Mulder, Gino Ianucci, Reese Forbes) and skate companies (Chocolate Skateboards, Zoo York) – and loads of new SB Dunks hit the market.

And then they managed to crank it up another notch! 🧹

In 2002, even the biggest figure in New York's skate subculture, Kenneth McGriff, and the Supreme Team he founded gave in to Nike. And so the hit Supreme x Nike SB series was born.

Then in 2005, the release of the Pigeon Dunk sparked yet more legendary scenes. On release day, such a wild crowd gathered and fought over the pairs that the police had to step in. The lucky few who managed to buy a pair could only be got out of the store with a police escort. Naturally, it was all over the front pages the next day. You couldn't buy better advertising. 👮♂️

Travis Scott and Virgil Abloh

Then, by the 2010s, the excitement around Dunks faded again. It looked like the Dunk era was over, and plenty of people started writing them off. ⚰️

Then along came Travis Scott! 👼🏾

The fearless rapper hit the big time with Nike Dunks on his feet, making Dunks popular all over again – first his fans, then rap and hip-hop lovers everywhere started wearing Dunks. 👟

Then the rapper got together with Kylie Jenner – and of course, Kylie ended up in Dunks too. That made Dunks a hit with women as well. 💥😱

And the story doesn't end there!

One of the most influential fashion designers ever, Virgil Abloh, joined the party too. The Nike Dunk Low Off-White hit the market – and from then on, every sneaker was a smash hit if it had anything to do with Virgil Abloh, which also gave sales of earlier Dunks a boost. 💣

More recently, a sad occasion made Dunks hugely sought-after once again: Virgil Abloh's death. The designer passed away from illness at the end of 2021. His memory lives on through his incredibly rich and influential body of work – including the Dunk sneakers he designed.

Yeezy

Anyone who hasn't heard of Kanye West (Ye) either doesn't live on this planet – or is getting on a bit. The rapper, who has won more than 20 Grammys, is a defining figure in 21st-century rap, hip-hop and pop culture, and one of the most influential artists of all time. ☝🏿

OK, Who's Who corner is over – let's get to the point: with Yeezy sneakers, Kanye West changed sneaker culture from the ground up. 👀

In the early 2000s, Kanye still wore colourful clothes (unlike his style today). That's how a pair he designed with a Japanese clothing brand – the BAPE (BAPE "Dropout Bear" Bapesta) – became his trademark for a while back then.

Not long after, as Ye's style began to change, he started working with a far more upmarket brand: Louis Vuitton. That partnership produced three sneakers (in various colourways).

Next, Kanye West made his way to Nike, and in came the Yeezy era. At the 2008 Grammys, Ye turned up in a pair that could be seen as the forerunner of the Air Yeezy I – and it sparked demand for Yeezy sneakers. The Air Yeezy I eventually dropped in three colourways.

Three years later came the Air Yeezy 2 – initially in two colourways, with a third added two years after that. That last one, the Air Yeezy 2 Red October, was a massive hit – and it looks insanely good, too. Yet this pair marked the final chapter of Kanye's partnership with Nike. 🔚

Kanye and Adidas

In 2015, it became public that Kanye had signed with Adidas and would be releasing the Adidas Yeezy Sneaker line. Reportedly, he switched to Adidas because the brand gave him complete freedom to design the pairs.

That's how first the Adidas Yeezy Boost 750 and then the Yeezy Boost 350 "Turtle Dove" came to be. Many believe this was when the Yeezy name became what it is today: a symbol of extravagant hype. 😎

Then, at the end of 2015, Kanye came out with a completely new model: the Yeezy 950 Duck boot, which, on top of the usual colourways, also dropped in a brand-new colour: Peyote.

Shortly after that came the second generation of the Yeezy Boost 350. It was the first Yeezy to feature the “SPLY-350” lettering, and it was such a hit that more than 60 colourways were eventually released.

Yeezys got pricier by the day. Kanye wasn't happy about that – and even less happy that people were fighting over new pairs without caring who got hurt. His goal was for his sneakers to be available to everyone. So more and more pairs were made, in more and more colourways. Prices dropped, and the sneakers became widely available. 🤜🤛

Then, at the end of 2022, Kanye made waves big time. He made antisemitic, hateful remarks that set off a serious avalanche. Practically everyone he worked with cut ties with him – Adidas included. Even now, in the first half of 2023, the whole thing is still pretty heated: it's not yet clear what will come of it, for example, now that the number of Yeezy fans has dropped. Adidas is currently trying to offload €1.2 billion worth of unsold Yeezy sneakers – ideally without making a loss… 😬😲

III. Which sneakers suit you?

Now that the bell has finally rung and history class is over, it's time to get down to business: which sneakers suit you?

Well, the short answer is: any of them! 🤭

We believe sneakers are closer to art and self-expression than to fashion itself. And the great thing about art is that there are basically no rules! If you're original, you can break the mould, go against the flow and create something nobody's ever thought of before! 🎨

So if you know exactly which sneaker is closest to your heart and which suits your personality and style best, don't listen to all the know-it-alls – wear the pair that feels like you! 👊

Only read on if you're not getting that feeling, however long you've been browsing (for example, here)! If you've already found the one (or the ones), don't hesitate – order from us today!

The right sneakers for the season

Boomers like to say that sneakers are “universal”. 👵🧓

Well, it might be boomer talk, but they've got a point. Whatever you're wearing and whatever the season, throw on a pair of sneakers and you'll look good! Summer, winter, autumn or spring, jeans, a tracksuit or a coat – sneakers will go with your fit and the season! ⛅️❄️

So there's not really any clever, one-size-fits-all rule about sneakers and the seasons either. At most, we'd say that in muddy weather (from late autumn to early spring) a white pair isn't necessarily the best choice – unless you love carefully cleaning your kicks every evening. (And we're not joking: some people treasure their pairs so much that they clean them every single night. Hats off to them! 🎩)

And while we're on the subject of colours: light shades are huge in spring and summer, while darker ones tend to come out in winter. Luckily, among sneakers you'll genuinely find every shade going, so if you want to take that into account, there's nothing stopping you!

Sneakers for boys and men

That “universal” line really is a good one, because it fits here too: there's no such thing as men's or women's sneakers, really. OK, there are one or two pairs that boys rarely wear (like the Nike Dunk Low Fuchsia)... but we genuinely can't name a single pair we've never seen on a girl! 💃

The Air Jordan 1 Mid True Blue, with its grey leather overlays on a white leather base, could maybe be called a bit boyish.

Or, thanks to its suede, we'd picture the Air Jordan 1 Low SP Travis Scott Black Phantom best as part of a smart men's look. But maybe we're wrong… 🤔

Sneakers for girls

If you take a closer look at the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Light”, you'll notice it isn't actually off-white but has a pink tint. 🌸

And the Nike Dunk Low Next Nature “White Mint” looks like a glass of ice-cold, refreshing lemonade turned into a sneaker. 🍋🥤

And we haven't even mentioned the Air Jordan 1 Mid Coral Chalk, which looks just like a slice of pink-iced punch cake, a Hungarian classic. 🍰

Why are we telling you this? Because these might just be the shades that make sneakers properly girly. 💁

But let's say it again: nothing is set in stone! So whether you're a pretty girl or a cheeky lad, you can buy any sneakers you like!

Where will you wear them?

Last but not least, let's look at the practical side!

It's worth thinking about why you're buying a pair right now!

If it's for everyday wear and it'll be on your feet all day, a good choice might be a sneaker that's guaranteed to breathe well. (Pairs with suede panels usually do, for example.) 🌬️

Or if you know you'll be doing a lot of walking in them, you should definitely look for a pair you know you can comfortably wander around in for hours. 🚶

But if you'll mostly be driving in them, it's worth going for a pair with a properly flat sole, so you've got no problems when you put your foot down! 🏎️

If you're a real pro, you've got a different pair for every purpose and every occasion (or you will have). There are a pair or two you wear to school (and/or to work). There are the ones you wear to go out and unwind. There's one that's perfect for smart occasions. And there's one you can hike, walk and go on day trips in. And of course, there's yet another pair you play sport in. If you build your wardrobe cleverly, over time you'll work out which sneakers go on your feet when.

 

 

And you can grab your next pair right now – just click here and browse the range!

We're so glad you're here – hopefully we'll be sending you one of the coolest pairs around very soon! 😻

If you enjoyed this post, go ahead and share it with your mates – or send it to your parents, so they finally get why sneakers are so cool! 🤭