Sneaker culture is a relatively young niche compared to others under the fashion and footwear umbrella. Fashion historians often overlook certain subcultures in favor of older or more notable ones. Sneakers books are becoming more popular as the sneaker world continues to widen.
Books are always one of the purest forms of history. Sneaker books showcase stories, articles, opinions, and standout sneakers. As time goes on, more history will be shared and focused on just like any other subculture that floats towards the mainstream.
Historical Sneaker Stories
Countless sneaker books often focus on recent history and latest news, releases, and best of lists. However, there are some intriguing stories that delve into how major and smaller companies alike found a lasting role in the sneaker world. Everyone knows Nike, Adidas, and Puma. Not many people know the history of the household brands and their humble beginnings.
Adidas and Puma have close ties that started decades ago in Germany. Sneaker Wars: The Enemy Brothers Who Founded Adidas and Puma and the Family Feud That Forever Changed the Business of Sport by Barbara Smit focuses on how two brothers founded major sportswear companies that are both well-known across the globe. Athletic footwear brands historically began outside American borders. Germany brought two sportswear brands into the athletic apparel and footwear world in a rather short period of time.
Smit highlights the battles between the Dassler family that ultimately led two separate labels. Both of the German brothers grew up without any ill-intentions towards each other. When they went into business, things shifted drastically. Their falling-out led to two different family companies instead of just family brand.
Oregon Trail
Phil Knight is without a doubt one of the most influential figures in the footwear industry. When he first started out, not many people believed in him, even his own friends and family. If it weren’t for his perseverance and relentless determination, the most popular footwear brand today might very well be one from overseas. In his memoir he goes into great detail about all of the trials and tribulations he had to go through before he saw any sort of success. Nike represents one of the greatest stories to come out of the American sports apparel and footwear industry.
Officially founded in 1972, in Beaverton, Oregon, the corporation started from humble beginnings. The future of Nike was looking bleak when Knight first started his journey before officially founding the world-renowned sportswear company.
Knight attended the University of Oregon where he met Bill Bowerman, one of the most iconic American track and field coaches in the history of the sport. Phil Knight kept close ties with Bowerman that would be integral to the rest of his life. The two ultimately became co-founders of Nike, one of the world’s most recognizable sportswear brands of the late twentieth and the entirety of the twenty-first century so far.
Shoe Dog, goes into great detail about Phil Knight’s personal life, his early days of his entrepreneurial journey, and the Nike days up until the mid 2010s. Since being published in 2016, the memoir has been widely accepted and recognized as one of the best sneaker books of the past decade. Bill Gates even named Shoe Dog as one of his favorite books of 2016. Any Nike fan or sneaker enthusiast should check out Phil Knight’s memoir.
Best of 2018-19
Every year, the best sneaker lists are released after long waits. Collaborations typically make up the majority of the lists with very few exceptions. Sneaker books that recap particular releases throughout the years are always interesting to look back on.
Many collabs stand out effortlessly in this short period of time. Union, Travis Scott, and Off-White had memorable sneakers released that many enthusiasts will never forget. Out of Stock Sneakers: 2018-2019 showcases some unforgettable rare sneakers in a unique and unconventional way. King-Masa effortlessly makes this read easy and enjoyable. Anyone looking to add to a coffee table collection should seek out this publication.
