On Sunday, November 1, Kourtney Kardashian unveiled brother-in-law Kanye West’s Yeezy Boost 350 in Moonrock (a marbled gray) on Instagram, giving sneaker fans everywhere a measly two weeks to prep their web browser to purchase the highly-anticipated shoe. When the official release date came on November 14, the $200 Yeezy design sold out in one minute.
To those who wear the same shoe daily, this is likely a surprise. To sneakerheads everywhere, the quick-sale was unprecedented, but unsurprising as a major moment in the sneaker’s complex design, history and immense cultural significance.
The Rise of Sneaker Culture, a new exhibition opening on December 3 at the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA), traces this remarkable evolution from the 1830s to today’s Yeezy-mania. The exclusive show will stop in four cities, arriving from Brooklyn, and concluding with stops in Atlanta and Louisville.
“It’s a really different exploration of the historical and social development of sneaker culture, and the introduction of the high fashion sneaker,” said Halona Westbrook, TMA associate curator of contemporary art. “It’s a fun show for us, and we try to vary our exhibitions. Some are very scholarly and academic for a specialized audience, and some shows reach out to the community more.”
The Pierre Hardy Poworama (2011) was limited to 500 pairs and paid homage to Pop Art of the 1960s, with a focus on American icon, artist Roy Lichtenstein.
A culture rated
While sneakers once solely served a specific purpose and function, they have become equal parts fashion statement and cultural signifier.
“Our generation has athletic needs, but [sneakers are] also stylish,” said Yu-Ming Wu, founder/Editor in Chief of Sneaker News, based in New York City, who owns almost 1,600 pairs of sneakers.
The black hats and track suits once synonymous with legendary hip-hop group Run D.M.C. are weighted equally with their white, laceless Adidas with the sneaker’s tongues pushed up. Soon after the signature look was promoted by the group’s 1986 song “My adidas” they became the first non-athletes to sign a sneaker deal— solidifying the relationship between music and fashion.
“The Air Jordans really changed sneakers as we know them today,” said Wu. “I would really say the [first design of the] Air Jordan I in 1985 was the defining moment in sneakers that changed the game and made [sneakers] a culture.”
“My favorite thing about sneakers is that I consider them mass-produced sculptures,” he said. “I truly believe that they are art in themselves.”
The Converse Gripper (late 1940s-early 1950s) was created from army duck cloth, but was not intended for the battlefield— instead, these sneaks were geared toward field sports.
Leading with function
Sneakers remain popular almost everywhere. While we often refer to them as “tennis shoes,” or “kicks,” they’re known as “trainers” in England, and still “joggers” or “runners” in other parts of the world.
Also a hot topic in sneaker culture: brand loyalty.
“One of the things to take away [from the exhibit] is that there [are] different people who are loyal to different brands, but really, when you step back and look at it, I really wouldn’t say that there is one dominant brand,” Westbrook said.
Holger von Krosigk, editor-in-chief and founder of Sneakers Magazine in Cologne, Germany, believes that Nike remains the global king.
He names the yet-to-be-auctioned Self-Lacing Nike Mag— inspired by actor Michael J. Fox in the film Back to the Future— as the most coveted of them all, but also cites the Adidas Yeezy as a “very hyped” shoe, and KITH NYC’s shoe, devised by celebrated designer Ronnie Fieg, as a “hot collaboration”.
Validating the TMAs upcoming exhibit, “Sneakers are a celebration of sports history and innovation,” von Krosigk said. “Performance is behind every aspect of the culture, even behind most of the shoes that we believe are all about fashion. Whether it’s a classic white tennis shoe, a more bulky 90s runner, or a futuristic basketball boot, every sneaker looks the way it looks because it was functional at the time it was designed. Sneaker history is an amazing set of clues and quotes from the past.”
Westbrook agrees that it’s the design and chronological story that will surprise guests when they see the shoes on display.
“The beautiful designs, and [the] variations of designs of sneakers, and how they evolved over 100 years [can be surprising],” she said.
The Converse Rubber Shoe Company All Star/Non Skid (1917) is the company’s first shoe endorsed Chuck Taylor, who later became the main name associated with the brand.
The adidas x Run-D.M.C. 25th Anniversary Superstar (2011) was a collaboration between the brand and band to celebrate 25 years since the release of the Run-D.M.C. song “My Adidas.”
Collecting kicks
As with any passion, fans find the item highly collectible. Serious sneaker collectors, or “sneakerheads,” get hyped by the thrill of the shoe hunt— even if it ultimately means never wearing their treasures. The greatest signifier of a sneakerhead collection: a move rapper Fat Joe made during an episode of MTV Cribs in 2014, licking the shoe’s sole, safely clean out of the box, sans dirt or grime. Talk about fresh.
“There’s some pairs I like to look at more than wear,” said Nyle Olds, a Toledoan who has travelled through Ohio and Michigan to amass his 150 pair collection, neatly organized and carefully packed in original boxes on display shelves. But when he does decide to wear one of his special, distinct pairs in public, does he get noticed?
“A true Jordan person would know exactly what they are,” he said, with a grin.
Once in 2011, Olds waited in line for 13 hours to acquire the coveted white Air Jordan 11 model.
“I’ve been collecting pretty hard core for six years,” said Olds, 22, who has seen fellow collectors as young as 13 along with some in their 40s. “The fun part is the hunt…. the thrill of trying to find them.”
Olds’ most prized possession is a pair of Air Jordan 13 Bins: One of only 1000 pairs sold, with the limited edition shoe valued at $2k.
Olds also has several Y-3s, a higher niche-end shoe line from adidas done in collaboration with Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, though the Air Jordan line is what started his collection and what he remains in pursuit of.
“It’s the history,” Olds said. “Last year, [Jordan] made more money selling shoes than he did (in salary over) his entire basketball career. I know when [Air Jordans] started coming out in the 80s, they didn’t sell out. But, I guess it’s just when someone had it as a kid, and the shoe comes out [now again], it holds a high sentimental value. It’s just the nostalgia of it.”
Wu also asserts that he believes Jordans’ shoe line exploded because of timing.
“It was a perfect storm of the the biggest athlete, the greatest shoe design of all time, and the greatest marketing company of all time,” Wu said. “And, in the heyday, there was a perfect [commercial] director [Spike Lee] that just put the whole line into the history books.”
Wu also contends that sneakers are designed, in part, with collectability in mind.
“Some of the so-called limited-edition sneakers are made to be collectible. But, in terms of what’s available at this point, a lot of the collaborations and designs have collectability, style and performance,” he said.
Wu cites original Chuck Taylor Converse shoes as possibly the most iconic— they are also the longest running shoe series— as well as Nike’s “iron waffle” shoes and game-worn versions used by, who else: Michael Jordan.
Selected favorites from Yu-Ming’s private collection (L-R): Yo MTV Raps x Puma Clyde – Friends & Family Edition, Undefeated x PUMA Mid 24k Gold Edition and ALIFE x PUMA First Round NY – Friends & Family Edition.
Longevity popularity
The exhibit’s chronological story shows that sneakers are here to stay, and as popular as ever.
“They’re definitely still going strong,” Wu said. “We have the biggest and best selection right now. So, I would really say this is not the peak, but it is the golden age of sneakers, and the best time the sneaker collector. I think it will continue to get bigger.”
The exhibit is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum in downtown Toronto, Canada, an international collection of over 13,000 shoes and related artifacts. Many items also come direct from the archives of manufacturers Adidas, Converse, Nike, Puma and Reebok.
You’ve probably heard Nelly’s classic radio banger, “Air Force Ones,” but rap has a long history of referencing sneaker culture. These are some of our favorites:
2Pac feat. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman, “California Love”: In LA we wearing Chucks not Ballys
Beastie Boys, “Shadrach”: More Adidas sneakers than a plumber’s got pliers
Ghostface Killah, “Apollo Kids”: A pair of bright phat yellow Air Max/Hit the racks stack em up/Son $20 off no tax
Nas, “The World is Yours”: Suede Timbs on my feet makes my cypher complete
The Notorious B.I.G., “Suicidal Thoughts”: It don’t make sense, goin’ to heaven with the goodie-goodies/Dressed in white, I like black Timbs and black hoodies
Pusha T, “Grindin”: Gucci Chuck Taylor with the dragon on the side
Viktor Vaughn, “Saliva”: And just for the kicks make ‘em gel like ASICS
Jadakiss, “Run”: My Timbs start feeling like they Nike Airs on me
Kanye West (the ultimate rapper with sneaker references), “Run This Town”: Reebok baby you need to try some new things/Have you ever had shoes without shoe strings?
The Rise of Sneaker Culture runs Thursday, December 3–Sunday, February 28, 2016
Toledo Museum of Art, 2445 Monroe St.
419-255-8000 | toledomuseum.org
Free
