Basketball sneakers have a very storied history that spans decades upon decades. Did you know the first basketball sneaker made strictly for performance was made almost 100 years ago? Today, with the help of Sports Domain Lab we’re taking a look at the history of basketball shoes and five of the most iconic basketball models of all-time.
Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star
What many consider the first “official” basketball sneaker, the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star made its debut way back in 1917 when it was released by the Converse Rubber Shoe Company. The Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star got its name in 1921 when it was named after Chuck Taylor. Taylor was a salesman for the brand who also happened to be playing for Converse’s semi-pro All-Star basketball team. Chuck Taylor needed a durable shoe and gave Converse some suggestions on how they can make that possible. Thankful for Taylor’s input, Converse agreed to the enhancements, made the shoe and named them after him. What makes this model even more iconic is the fact that it became the first basketball shoe casually worn off the court.
Pro Keds Royal
The Pro Keds Royal made its debut in 1949. Like the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star, this model was also constructed using a canvas upper and gum sole. The shoe was worn by notable players such as George Mikan and Willis Reed throughout the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Known for being an affordable sneaker that was also durable, the sneaker may look simple in appearance, but it had all the qualities and traits to support your game on the court. Unlike the Converse brand, Pro Keds did not manage to remain relevant after all these decades. That being the case, you can still find the brand at select retailers throughout the globe. Down, but not out. W could not have expected anything less from Pro Keds.
adidas Superstar
The adidas Superstar made its debut in 1969. By the 1970s, the Three Stripes model was being worn on the court by superstar players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Superstar stood out thanks in large part to its leather upper and distinct rubber shelltoe. The shoes were so highly coveted that the biggest hip hop artists in the world began wearing them casually during the 80s, shout out Run-DMC. As you can imagine, soon thereafter the adidas Superstar became a fashion staple in the urban community. It’s safe to say that the adidas Superstar has had a bigger impact off the court than on.
Puma Clyde
The year was 1973. Walt “Clyde” Frazier and the Knicks had just defeated the Lakers to win their second championship. That very same year, Frazier had signed with Puma for $25,000 a year. His on-court shoe of choice, the Puma Clyde. According to Frazier, the Puma Clyde was based on the Puma Basket and borrowed details from the Puma Suede. Just like Clyde Frazier, the Puma Clyde redefined street style with it’s smooth aesthetic. It was the perfect mix of style and substance. It was also the first sneaker that was designed to make a fashion statement, hence the suede upper, a trait rarely seen on basketball models back in the day. Even after all these years, Puma continues to release new iterations of the Puma Clyde. Talk about withstanding the test of time, eh?
Nike Air Force 1
Is there a more iconic basketball silhouette than the Nike Air Force 1!? At the very least, it has to be a top 3 candidate, right? It’s hard to argue that any other sneaker has had as much of a crossover into street culture than the Nike Air Force 1.
The Bruce Kilgore-designed model is said to have been released in at least 2,000 colorways since the shoe made its debut back in 1982. When the shoe was made, it was considered a peak-performance basketball shoe. The original Air Force 1 was a high-top that came with an ankle strap, a full grain leather upper and of course, for the first time ever in a basketball shoe, Nike Air technology. Soon after debuting on the court, the AF1 growth spread throughout the globe like wildfire. We’re now in 2019, and sneakerheads are STILL feening over certain Air Force 1 releases. That’s wild.
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It’s true what they say; fashion is a recurring cycle. No matter how outdated you think something is, everything comes back into style eventually. It may take 10, 20 even 40 years for styles to return, but make no mistake about it, what was once hit, then rejected will soon enough be hit once again. Look no further than the choice of sneakers worn by your favorite kids from the Netflix hit-series Stranger Things.
Set during the mid-80s, bright colors, pastel tones, bold patterns, and big hair were all considered to be fashionable and “in”. What we’re here to talk about though, are the choice of footwear your favorite cast member wore during the show. Did the sneakers from the show withstand the test of time? Do people still wear some of those sneakers? Are those sneakers once again considered stylish? Better yet, how do the actual sneakers worn on the show stack up to the recently released Stranger Things x Nike collection?
The cast from Stranger Things were definitely versatile when it came to their choice of footwear. Numerous footwear brands can be seen on the feet of your favorite cast members throughout the series.
Take for example Will Byers. Will was often seen rocking Three Stripes silhouettes such as the adidas Campus. The adidas Campus was originally called 'Tournament' in the early 1970s and was renamed 'Campus' in 1980. Close to 40 years later and adidas continues to deliver new (and classic) colorways of the model.
The fan-favorite Dustin Henderson was often seen wearing a sneaker known as the K-Swiss Heaven S. Although currently not on the brand’s website, the K-Swiss Baxter SP model is one that is very similar to the pair Dustin wore on the shoe. Just like the Heaven S, the Bater SP comes with 5 stripes branding on the side panels.
Mike Wheeler on the other hand was all about that Puma life back in the mid-80s as he was often seen rocking the Puma Roma model in a clean Black and White color scheme. As of today, Puma continues to release their classic Puma Roma silhouette.
Lucas Sinclair was seen wearing Saucony during season 1 of the series. Although we don’t
know the exact model, it looked very similar to the Saucony Jazz Low Pro.
Steve Harrington opted to go with the classic Nike Cortez model most of the time. It’s safe to say, that this Nike model withstood the test of time, don’t you think?
Lastly, Eleven was usually spotted wearing the iconic Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star. What makes this even cooler is the fact that Eleven has also stated that she loves and wears Converse in real life as well. It goes without saying that the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star remain as relevant as ever in 2019.
So how do these sneakers stack up and compare to the Stranger Things x Nike collection? All the sneakers opt for subtle branding and tonal finishes. It’s evident that 80s fashion (or at least fashion from the kids in Stranger Things) consisted of bold and colorful apparel paired up with Black or White tonal and subtle sneakers. Balance appeared to be essential during that decade. That very some aesthetic can be found in today’s fashion trends.
Often times when we wear bold or colorful sneakers, we tend to balance it out by pairing it up subtle muted colors on the apparel and vice versa. It’s all about balance. The Stranger Things x Nike collection gives us just that by offering not one, but two collections consisting of the OG Pack and Hawking High Pack. So whether you’re looking for a muted pair that helps balance out you loud and colorful t-shirt, or a bold sneaker to compliment your Black shirt, the Stranger Things x Nike collection has just the pair for you.
What makes the collection so good? Any one of these sneakers from the Stranger Things x Nike collection could have been on the show and none of us would have even looked at them funny since they’d fit right in. What makes the collection even better? Any one of these sneakers could be spotted on someone’s feet in 2019 and they’d all still be considered fashionable and trendy. They’d fit right in. Many sneakers from the 80s utilized subtle, yet timeless designs. The Stranger Things x Nike collection proves that classic never goes out of style.
Source: Sneaker Breaker
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