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35-412: Reebok Freestyle is an athletic shoe introduced in 1982 by Reebok . The Freestyle was the first sneaker designed (by Angel Martinez) and marketed for women. It helped Reebok into the mainstream athletic wear market and fashion scene along with becoming one of the most popular athletic shoes of all time. In 1984, the shoe accounted for more than half of Reebok sales. The Reebok Freestyle was popular during

70-733: A collection of different shoes including high-top Freestyles and Freestyle Double Bubble along with Classic Nylon Slim and Princess sneakers. Reebok introduced collaborations with Takahiro Miyashita and the Sand.W.Man project in 2014 for the Reebok Freestyle high-top and the Reebok Ex-o-Fit released in a signature monochromatic, sandy style look. In 2018, the Netflix original series GLOW and Reebok Classics teamed up to create two new Freestyle Hi designs to be worn by characters on

105-466: A documentary, Just for Kicks , about the sneaker phenomenon and history was released. Contemporary sneakers are largely made from synthetic materials, and the materials and manufacturing process produce, on average, about 14 kg (31 lb) of CO 2 emissions . Some companies are trying to substitute more sustainable materials in their manufacture. About 90% of shoes end up in landfills at end of life. Colette (boutique) The boutique

140-441: A flexible sole, appropriate tread for the function, and ability to absorb impact. As the industry and designs have expanded, the term "athletic shoes" is based more on the design of the bottom of the shoe than the aesthetics of the top of the shoe. Today's designs include sandals, Mary Janes , and even elevated styles suitable for running, dancing, and jumping. The shoes themselves are made of flexible compounds, typically featuring

175-433: A sole made of dense rubber. While the original design was basic, manufacturers have since tailored athletic shoes for their specific purposes. An example of this is the spiked shoe developed for track running. Some of these shoes are made up to unusually large sizes for athletes with large feet. Sneakers intended for running come in a range of shapes suited to different purposes. Generally, they are divided by running style:

210-561: A special collection of six limited-edition shoes that debuted at a New York City exclusive event in March 2007. The Reebok sponsored event called "Freestyle Forever" included celebrity guests such as Cybill Shepherd , Brooke Shields , and Tara Reid and highlighted moments in past and present Freestyle history. In 2008, Reebok introduced a Freestyle collaboration with the French boutique Colette and American women's wear company, Married to

245-460: A traditional look with increased comfort rapidly achieved wide popularity and by 2010 was displacing sales of leather shoes for adults in a parallel with the post-1950 success of sneakers among children. The shift was especially noticeable in combination with business-casual clothing. From 1970 (five models), to 1998 (285 models), to 2012 (3,371), the number of sport shoe models in the U.S. has grown exponentially. Sneakers intended for sports have

280-462: Is often attributed to American Henry Nelson McKinney, who was an advertising agent for N. W. Ayer & Son . In 1917, he used the term because the rubber sole made the shoe's wearer stealthy. The word was already in use at least as early as 1887, when the Boston Journal made reference to "sneakers" as "the name boys give to tennis shoes." The name "sneakers" originally referred to how quiet

315-422: Is that the product would be in the show, and we could sell them to our fans after we air." Sneakers Sneakers ( US ) or trainers ( UK ), also known by a wide variety of other names , are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but which are also widely used for everyday casual wear . They were popularized by companies such as Converse , Nike and Spalding in

350-415: The 1980s aerobics craze and is still in production and remodeled through various collections and style variations. Released in 1982, the Reebok Freestyle was the first athletic shoe designed for women, even though it has also become fairly popular among males. Martinez and Steve Liggett, head of Reebok production, were instrumental developing the shoe. The shoe was made to accommodate aerobics workouts and

385-901: The NPD Group , one in four pairs of running shoes that were sold in the United States in 2016 were bought from an online retailer . As of 2020 , brands with global popularity include: Sneakers have been an important part of hip hop (primarily Pumas, Nike, and Adidas) and rock 'n roll (Converse, Vans) cultures since the 1970s. Hip hop artists sign million dollar deals with major brands such as Nike, Adidas, or Puma to promote their shoes. Sneaker collectors, called " sneakerheads ", regard sneakers as fashionable items. Sneaker companies encourage this trend by producing rare sneakers in limited numbers, often at very high retail prices. Artistically-modified sneakers can sell for upwards of $ 1000 at exclusive establishments like Saks Fifth Avenue. In 2005,

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420-726: The interwar period , athletic shoes began to be marketed for different sports, and differentiated designs were made available for men. Athletic shoes were used by competing athletes at the Olympics , helping to popularise them among the general public. In 1936, a French brand, Spring Court, marketed the first canvas tennis shoe featuring signature eight ventilation channels on a vulcanised natural rubber sole. Adolf "Adi" Dassler began producing his own sports shoes in his mother's wash kitchen in Herzogenaurach , Bavaria , after his return from World War I , and went on to establish one of

455-599: The 1980s and 1990s. The shoes could be seen on the trainers of Jane Fonda workout videos and classes, and the Step Reebok workout routine was released in 1989. By 1983, Reebok's sales were over $ 13 million, accounting for half of the company's total sales and the following year concluded with $ 66 million in sales. The Freestyle success and the athletic shoe fad of the late 1980s saw new competition from Avia , LA Gear , and Nike . Many competitors, like LA Gear and off-price retailers like Fayva, had models that looked like

490-545: The 1980s, Freestyles were often seen with flop or slouch socks which were usually stretched over the bottom of the pant leg to help highlight the shoe. After the Freestyle's initial debut, Reebok released various collaborations and special edition styles of the shoe. The Freestyle had several special editions released in the 1980s including the Rainbow Suede version. The Freestyle celebrated its 25th anniversary with

525-503: The 1990s, shoe companies perfected their fashion and marketing skills. Sports endorsements with famous athletes grew larger, and marketing budgets went through the roof. Sneakers became a fashion statement and were marketed as a definition of identity and personality rather than simply athletic aids. Also during the 1990s, various vendors began producing "walking shoes" for adults using the construction technology of sneakers but visually resembling traditional leather shoes. The combination of

560-573: The Czech footwear company Botas , whose produce was one of the few foreign brands of sneakers available during the Soviet occupation . These shoes acquired the nickname ' plimsoll ' in the 1870s, derived according to Nicholette Jones' book The Plimsoll Sensation , from the colored horizontal band joining the upper to the sole, which resembled the Plimsoll line on a ship's hull. Alternatively, just like

595-483: The Freestyle high-top complete with velcro enclosures. The Freestyle debuted as a terrycloth lined sneaker with "glove-soft" leather designed for aerobics workouts. The shoe was designed for fitness purposes but became used for casual wear as well. The shoe comes in two different styles including below the ankle, like a tennis shoe, or the high-top style that covers the ankle, like a basketball shoe. The Freestyle high-top features two velcro straps that fasten around

630-582: The Los Angeles Laker Girls in the late 1980s and supplied them with white Freestyle high-tops. Since then, other professional cheerleading and dance teams have used Freestyles. High school and college cheerleading teams have used Freestyles as their shoe of choice. It is also used in competitive aerobics . Outside the gym, the Freestyle became popular casual wear. Women could wear Freestyles with jeans, shorts, capri pants, sweatpants, tights or leggings, and even as commuter shoes to work. In

665-469: The Mob. The Reebok Freestyle - Wonder Woman was released in 2009 and had design features such as a red metallic upper with a star-spangled back tab that mimicked the costume of comic book character Diana Prince , aka Wonder Woman , and the lace-stay looked similar to the tiara of the superhero while the two gold metallic straps that closely resembled her bracelets. Alicia Keys teamed up with Reebok in 2012 for

700-594: The Plimsoll line on a ship, if water got above the line of the rubber sole, the wearer would get wet. Plimsolls were widely worn by vacationers and also began to be worn by sportsmen on the tennis and croquet courts for their comfort. Special soles with engraved patterns to increase the surface grip of the shoe were developed, and these were ordered in bulk for the use of the British Army . Athletic shoes were increasingly used for leisure and outdoor activities at

735-557: The ankle and is made in women's sizes, but is considered unisex, being also worn by men. Both the low-top and high-top were offered in white, black, red, yellow, blue, pink, orange, and green colors over the years. Consumers were impressed with the styling, comfort, and support the shoe provided for working out. The Freestyle's athletic use spread to walking, bodybuilding , dance, and cheerleading . Ms. Olympia Cory Everson wore Freestyle high-tops frequently in competition, working out, and on ESPN 's BodyShaping program. Reebok sponsored

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770-468: The first rubber-soled shoes in the country, sparking a surge in demand and production. The first basketball shoes were designed by Spalding as early as 1907. The market for sneakers grew after World War I , when sports and athletics increasingly became a way to demonstrate moral fiber and patriotism . The U.S. market for sneakers grew steadily as young boys lined up to buy Converse All Stars sneakers endorsed by basketball player Chuck Taylor . During

805-1407: The latter term also used in Hiberno-English . Tennis shoes and kicks are other terms used in Australian and North American English . The British English equivalent of sneaker in its modern form is divided into two separate types: predominantly outdoor and fashionable trainers, training shoes or quality 'basketball shoes' and in contrast cheap rubber-soled, low cut and canvas-topped plimsolls , daps , or flats . In Geordie English , sneakers may also be called sandshoes , gym boots , or joggers . Several terms for sneakers exist in South Africa, including gym shoes , sports shoes and takkies . Other names for sneakers includes rubber shoes in Philippine English , track shoes in Singapore English , canvas shoes in Nigerian English , camboo ("camp boot") in Ghana English, and sportex in Greece. In Latvia any sneakers are still called botas after

840-537: The leading athletic shoe manufacturers, Adidas . He also successfully marketed his shoes to athletes at the 1936 Summer Olympics , which helped cement his good reputation. Business boomed and the Dasslers were selling 200,000 pairs of shoes each year before World War II. During the 1950s, leisure opportunities greatly expanded, and children and adolescents began to wear sneakers as school dress codes relaxed. Sneaker sales rose so high, they began to adversely affect

875-552: The majority are for heel-toe joggers/runners which are further subdivided into ' neutral ', ' overpronation ' and ' underpronation '. However, most evidence-based comparisons show no reduction in lower-limb running injuries from prescribing different types of shoe for different foot types. The shoes are constructed with a complex structure of "rubber" with plastic/metal stiffeners to restrict foot movement. More advanced runners tend to wear flatter and flexible shoes , which allow them to run more quickly with greater comfort. According to

910-870: The mid 20th century. Like other parts of the global clothing industry, shoe manufacturing is heavily concentrated in Asia with nine in ten shoes produced there. Sneakers have gone by a variety of names, depending on geography and changing over the decades. The broader category inclusive of sneakers is athletic shoes . The term 'athletic shoes' is typically used for shoes utilized for jogging or road running and indoor sports such as basketball , but tends to exclude shoes for sports played on grass such as association football and rugby football , which are generally known in North America as " cleats " and in British English as "boots" or "studs". The word "sneaker"

945-504: The only shop where I go because they have things no one else has. I buy watches, telephones, jewellery there - everything really. They have invented a formula that you can’t copy easily, because there is only one Colette and her and Sarah are 200 percent involved." In July 2017, it announced its impending closure in December 2017. Osman Ahmed of Business of Fashion called it "the end of an era". Sarah Andelman said they chose to close

980-756: The rubber soles were on the ground, in contrast to noisy standard hard leather sole dress shoes . Someone wearing sneakers could "sneak up", while someone wearing standards could not. Earlier, the name "sneaks" had been used by prison inmates to refer to warders (guards) because of the rubber-soled shoes they wore. The term "sneakers" is most commonly used in Northeastern United States , Central and South Florida , Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Canada. However, in Australian , Canadian , and Scottish English , running shoes and runners are synonymous terms used to refer to sneakers, with

1015-530: The sales of conventional leather shoes, leading to a fierce advertising war for market share in the late '50s. In the 1970s, jogging for exercise became increasingly popular, and trainers designed specifically for comfort while jogging sold well. Companies also started to target some of their products at the casual fashion market. Soon, shoes were available for football, jogging, basketball, running , etc. Many sports had their relevant shoe, made possible by podiatrist development of athletic shoe technology. During

1050-412: The show. Costume designer Beth Morgan shared how the partnership came together: "I reached out to Reebok about product placement since we used the shoes so often in the show to see if they had any reproductions of the authentic shoes. Through those conversations, I said it would be awesome to design shoes that were authentic to the period, and they were all on board... The whole idea behind the collaboration

1085-538: The turn of the 20th century - plimsolls were even found with the ill-fated Scott Antarctic expedition of 1911. Plimsolls were commonly worn by pupils in schools' physical education lessons in the UK from the 1950s until the early 1970s. British company J.W. Foster and Sons designed and produced the first shoes designed for running in 1895; the shoes were spiked to allow for greater traction and speed. The company sold its high-quality handmade running shoes to athletes around

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1120-536: The world, eventually receiving a contract for the manufacture of running shoes for the British team in the 1924 Summer Olympics. Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell won the 100 m and 400 m events, kitted out with Foster's running gear. This style of footwear also became prominent in America at the turn of the 20th century, where they were called 'sneakers'. In 1892, the U.S. Rubber Company introduced

1155-415: The world”. The shop was known for stocking the first collections of fashion brands and designers that became famous later such as Jeremy Scott , Raf Simons , Proenza Schouler , Rodarte , Mary Katrantzou , Sacai , Simone Rocha, Christopher Kane and Olympia Le Tan. Rihanna and Pharrell Williams , among others, have been hosted by Colette in pop-up shops . Karl Lagerfeld said of Colette: "It’s

1190-451: Was founded in 1997 by Colette Roussaux; her daughter, Sarah Andelman, took an active role as creative director and purchasing manager in the store's final years. Esquire called the store "like Kith , Bergdorf Goodman , and Opening Ceremony all rolled into one." The store did €32 million in sales revenue in 2016, with e-commerce accounting for 25% of revenue. In December 2005, Forbes described Colette as“the trendiest store in

1225-528: Was released during the height of the 1980s aerobics craze. Fitness Instructor Denise Austin was one first to promote the shoe by wearing them at a sport and fitness exposition in Los Angeles. "I absolutely loved this time in my career, I was the first spokesperson for the very first aerobic shoe," Austin said in a November, 22, 2019 Facebook post. Following the debut and success of the Freestyle, Reebok began sponsoring clinics and workout programs throughout

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