(MENAFN- The Conversation) Sneakers (or trainers if you''re British), once the symbol of athleticism, have transcended their primary function to become commercial and fashionable objects of desire. From sportswear and street style to catwalk fashion, sneakers have made their mark as cultural commodities.
The global sneaker market valued at approximately (£56 billion) in 2020 and is predicted to reach US$120 billion (£85 billion) by 2026. With such huge growth, it is unsurprising that .
Such are the strides in the sneaker industry that a new exhibition at explores how the shoe became an undisputed cultural symbol of our times.
Comfort is king
The last decade has seen a huge shift in how sneakers are worn. Donning a pair is no longer frowned upon in the workplace or on more formal occasions. Even British etiquette experts have given their seal of approval, deeming them socially acceptable for .
The continued dominance of the has had a significant impact on the growing sales of sneakers – along with the pursuit of . This only grew more during the pandemic as lockdowns made people , which resulted in a rise in sales of loungewear, athleisure and flat shoes, like sneakers.
As such, sneakers have moved from the niche to become coveted as fashionable objects. Footwear is now the in the online luxury market and sneakers have made a significant contribution to this growth.
High fashion brands from Gucci to Balenciaga are setting the pace in the luxury sneaker market. In 2017, Balenciaga's Triple S and its popularity .
To understand how the sneaker has emerged to become a footwear phenomenon, it is important to trace its legacy from function to cultural icon.
From tennis shoes to track
The earliest sports shoes were created by , in the 1830s. Dunlop was an innovator who discovered how to bond canvas uppers to rubber soles. These were known as sandshoes and worn by Victorians on their beach excursions.
Historian defines the latter decades of the 19th century as a time when industrial progress and social change were twinned with a growing enthusiasm for sporting pursuits, in particular lawn tennis. This resulted in the need for a more specialised type of footwear, which Dunlop's rubber sole could fulfil. Dunlop launched their now iconic, Green Flash model in 1929, which was worn by at Wimbledon.
Other significant sports shoes of the 20th century included the , designed for basketball. However, it is Adidas and Nike that have both shaped the sneaker's evolution from sport to style.
The Cortez is Nike's original running shoe, designed by co-founder Bill Bowerman and released in 1972. 2p2play/ Shutterstock Founded by as ''Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik'', the company later rebranded as Adidas in 1949. The brand created the first track shoe with a complete leather sole and hand-forged spikes, which was .
Nike was created by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight in and became Nike Inc. in 1971. This coincided with the that hit America. Nike's first commercial design was the Cortez, cushioned for running. The Cortez was worn by , securing Nike's cultural status.
The commercialisation of cool
Research by the sociologist on sneakers defines three waves of the phenomenon. The first wave in the 1970s was defined by an underground sneaker culture and the emergence of hip-hop. Adidas'' Samba design, as a key example, within football fan subculture. In 1986, Run-DMC released the song My Adidas, leading to a sponsorship deal with the brand. This forged the sneaker's deep-rooted place in popular culture.
The second wave of the phenomenon began in 1984 with the . This gave rise to the commodification of sneakers and their desirability as status items, fuelled through celebrity endorsements. For the third wave is marked by the digital age and the resulting growth in sneaker marketing and resell culture.
The global sneaker resale market was valued at US$6 billion (£4.6 billion) in 2019 and is forecast to be worth (£21 billion) by 2030.
The growing presence of who collect and trade sneakers have ensured that they maintain cult status. Nike and Adidas routinely release associated with a celebrity, hip-hop star or athlete.
It is not unusual for people to go to extreme lengths to get their hands on these rare models, . Examples include and .
These shoes have a retail value of US$190 to US$240 (£135 to £170) and are reselling for between (£1,202 and £4,339). The lucrative sneaker resale market has created a new cult of who through entrepreneurial spirit are generating significant hype along with personal income.
From sport to fashion, sneakers dominate the consumer market. Yet, despite their adoption by the mainstream, sneakers retain their coolness as cultural icons.
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