The Drive Behind The Sneaker

Once this subculture started getting more popular it attracted more people. “Even at retail price back then $125 stores couldn’t keep the shoes on the shelfs” (Lammle). People didn’t care what the price was, they wanted the sneakers of any cost. Till this day there is people “who spend all night in line eagerly awaiting the release of a new shoe and devote staggering amount of time and money to collecting footwear” (Kahn). Shoe collecting contributed to society young

But, omnisciently speaking, both entities faced severe scrutiny and criticism from United States and international citizens for their capitalistic business practices. Furthermore, a vast number of American citizens, mainly teenagers, had been killed over Nike Air Jordan sneakers because of their high price tag, while the cost to produce the shoes were rapidly declining due to Nike’s unprecedented offshore production. Bill Bigelow’s, The Human Lives behind the Labels: The Global Sweatshop, Nike, and the Race to the Bottom accurately portrays this capitalistic mentality when mentioning, “children as young as 6 are ‘sold and resold like furniture, branded, beaten, blinded as punishment for wanting to go home...’ For pennies an hour, these children work in dank sheds, stitching soccer balls with the familiar Nike swoosh and logos of other transnational athletic equipment companies” (Bigelow, 113). What is most disturbing to fans of Nike and Jordan were their comments and proposed remedies on the matter. Essentially, Jordan did nothing to curtail the number of kids being killed for his shoes and, as far as his affiliation with capitalistic Nike, Jordan did not want to cause any kind of rift between himself and the corporation that made him millions

The revolutionary marketing campaign surrounding the unproven rookie was considered very urban for the time. During Nike’s early years, they had a difficult time pushing sales for their brand new athletic sneakers filled with air. This all changed seemingly overnight when the young Jordan took the basketball world by storm, dominating the opposition night in and night out. The Air Jordan I launched in 1985 in a black and red colorway to match the uniform of the Chicago Bulls. For $80, people could purchase a pair and experience what Nike called “human flight”. To add even more to the Nike and Jordan craze, the Jordan I failed to meet the National Basketball Association’s sneaker color standards at the time, due to a lack of white color. Jordan refused to stop wearing his own shoe, and the NBA began to fine him $5,000 per game that he wore the shoe. Because of Michael’s outstanding performance on the court, the Jordan I was flying off the shelves, selling out at almost every major retailer. These sales were more than enough for Nike, so they began to pay off the fines from the NBA. Then, the greatest sports ban in history took effect. On October 18th, 1985, the NBA officially banned the Nike Air Jordan I from the league, making it illegal to wear them for play. What was thought to be the death of the sneaker was the complete opposite. Nike pushed back

Gladwell begins by discussing the incomprehensible recovery of then-terminally-uncool Hush Puppies shoes amongst a few of hipsters in Manhattan’s cutting-edge regions in the 1990s, a development which soon extended across the United States and lead to exponential increases in the company’s sales. Using this sensation as an introduction to the book’s methodical theme, the author states that he will recognize, dissect and give details on the mechanisms by which certain trends occur, while others fail.

In this chapter of Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, he talks about rumors, sneakers and the power of translation. Throughout the chapter he kept with the theme of change and the way that things can change over time. The concept of change and shoes throughout this chapter is evident. Gladwell writes, “They expanded their focus to include not just skateboarding but also surfing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and bicycle racing, sponsoring riders in all of those sports and making Arwalk synonymous with active, alternative lifestyle”( Gladwell 194). Many people ask why do they have to produce so much more to compliment everyone in every sport or just for everyday wear? Gladwell explains how companies expanded their mind to appeal to everyone's

Michael Jordan’s, Nike, Adidas and Puma their shoe sales went up in the 1980’s. Amber J. Keyset started to design different shoes starting with Michael Jordans. When one pair was released more people grew into them either for the style or the history behind the pair. “Sneakerhead;a person who collects trade and/or admires sneakers as a form of a hobby, knowledgeability on sneakers”(Powell). Sneakerhead culture impacted the society with its new look and style by making them more desirable and increasing the shoe industry.

The Air Jordan IV had the same design and had more Michael Jordan/Mars Blackmon commercials with them. They were also popular because they were in Spike Lee’s movie, “Do The Right Thing”. Michael Jordan wore these shoes when he hit “The

When you hear the word sneakers, what do you think of? For me sneakers was a word that inspired me to be great. When i think of sneakers i think of people of a high caliber. For example, i think of Raf Simmons, Lebron James, Michael Jordan, kanye, and so many more. Fortunately, there's not only one way to view sneakers. Some people may see shoes as just a shoe, but others may see it as a culture and/or a way of life. At a young age i fell in love with sneakers. At the age of 12 i probably owned over 20 pairs of sneakers. I did this because i saw sneakers in a way that others didn't. For example, Jordan sneakers aren't just Jordan sneakers to me. This is because the men in my life have made very terrible decisions. For example, there was a point

It all started with a Jumpman and a swoosh, it was more than just a shoe it was the start of a culture. What most people look at as just a shoe to protect their feet has a story behind it and a deeper meaning to me and many others than “just a pair of shoes”. Don’t put on a pair of shoes unless you know how to wear them right. For every pair I own I could explain the troubles I went through and the people I met to get each sneaker. The best feeling was opening that fresh shoe box and taking out that paper wrapping. Putting on each new pair of sneakers is like taking a breath of fresh air each pair crisp as bacon. I am one among many sneakerheads, people who love to buy, sell, trade, and collect rare shoes. There is a culture, lifestyle, and history behind sneaker collecting. Most people would think dropping hundreds if not thousands on a pair of shoes is crazy but I believe sneakers are essential.

The famous basketball shoe Air Jordan’s, are the number one shoe bought by consumers. The Air Jordan shoes originated from no one but the basketball star Michael Jordan. His shoes not only were a hit on the court, but also shortly became a fashion statement with years to come. Jordan took his skill on and off the court to further his business with his shoes.

Not to mention, Michael Jordan also had a thing for shoes. Nike seen the opportunity to let him be a part of the Nike family and Jordan happily accepted. His first shoe was

The year an NBA legend started his professional career, Michael Jordan. He established himself as a very dominant player averaging 28.2 points per game in his rookie year. Soon after that he won the rookie of the year award topping off his first season in the NBA. Outside of the court, Jordan signed off a major deal with Nike shoes called Air Jordans. Which influenced the fashion industry forever. Every company wanted to associate themselves with the next big star. Throughout the decade every company from Adidas to Reebok was throwing their names out there to get into the act this started the so-called “sneaker wars”.

He began by discussing the incomprehensible recovery of then-terminally-uncool hush puppies shoes in the midst of a few of hipsters in Manhattan’s cutting-edge regions in the 1990s, a development which soon extended across the United States and resulted to exponential increases in the company’s sales. Using this sensation as an introduction to the book’s methodical theme, the author states that he will recognize, dissect and give details on the mechanisms by which certain trends occur, while others fail.

The Air Jordan sneakers series are mostly inspired by stories of success and triumph that were synonymous with Hall of Famer and superstar athlete Michael Jordan. And the Air Jordan 6 "UNC" has also followed in the footsteps of its predecessors as it seeks to go back in time into a chapter of the legend’s life when he was plying his trade at a little known North Carolina colleague team.

The primary target market of TOMS is males and females between the age of 19-24 that want to combine the creativity of being a trend-setter with the satisfaction of being socially responsible. This age range is a part of what is known as Generation Y, or the Millennials. Generation Y has brought a trend of social awareness and activity. From 2002 to 2005 the number of people volunteering went up 25%. This generation is all about giving back to the people, so Toms allows this group to give back by purchasing their shoes. TOMS has also done its homework on this group as well. Utilizing social media, TOMS reaches out to over 488,000 twitter followers, 280,000 Facebook fans, and several thousands of YouTube users. TOMS understands that generation Y prefers hands on involvement. In order to make that happen, TOMS fans are allowed to take part in a yearly One Day Without Shoes movement to understand what it is like to be shoe-less. In addition to the giving back and the social movements, TOMS shoes let young adults be expressive in their style. The plain shoe design makes way for creative minds to manipulate the shoe as anyone may please. TOMS is mainly focused in the U.S., but the shoes are available in over 30 countries globally