The History of Sneakers

Part Two: 1962-1985

The History of Sneakers I (1800 - 1950)
The History of Sneakers II (1950 - 1985)
The History of Sneakers III (1986 - 2005)

In the mid part of the 20th century, the sneaker becomes a more common cultural phenomenon with emphasis being put on new technologies for athletes. Sports legends such as Joe Namath and Steve Prefontaine became known as much for their performance as for their shoes, however, the first major line of sneakers was endorsed by Chicago Bulls player, Michael Jordan. The Jordan line, to date, has spawned 19 released Air Jordans, the soon to be released Jordan XX, and numerous Team Jordan models.

1962

Phil Knight, a business major at the University of Oregon, and his coach, Bill Bowerman, partner to provide a low cost, high tech athletic shoe under the name Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS)

1968

BRS begins marketing new designs and technology and changes their name to Nike. Nike is named after the Greek Goddess of Victory.

1968

PUMA is the first sports shoe manufacture to offer Velcro fasteners.

1969

Quarterback Joe Namath, wearing PUMA shoes, leads the New York Jets to victory in SuperBowl III.

1971

The Nike Swoosh trademark is purchased from a graphic design student for $35.

1972

Bill Bowerman pours rubber into his wife's waffle iron, creating the basis for the popular Nike Waffle Racer; a shoe with the optimal traction of waffle soles, wedged heel, the cushioned mid-sole, and nylon uppers. Nike marketed its waffle soled shoe by saying that four of the top seven runners at the 1972 Olympic Trials wore Nike shoes.

1973

Steve Prefontaine, runner and an American record-holder, becomes the first major athlete to wear Nike running shoes.

1974

Nike releases the Waffle Trainer, with Bill Bowerman's famous waffle outsole.

1974

Converse releases the Converse One Star line of shoes, representing the lifestyles of Indie athletes; individuals whose lifestyle, sports and style are fused together by creativity, imagination and self-expression. Always popular with an eclectic crowd these shoes are now popular in the surf and skate community.

1979

Nike creates the first Nike Air sole units, resulting in the revolutionary Nike Air cushioning. Nike also releases their first running shoe with the patented Nike Air technology, the Nike Tailwind.

1981

Blue Ribbon Sports and Nike merge to form Nike, Inc.

1982

Nike releases the first of a long line of shoes, the Air Force One. This durable shoe has been released in a low, mid, and high-top versions. The Air Force 1 has survived over two decades with little change to its basic design and continues to remain a legacy and a fashion statement with its numerous colorways, however, the all white AF1 remains the favorite.

1985

Chicago Bulls basketball rookie, Michael Jordan, endorses a line of Nike shoes and apparel. Nike releases the first Air Jordan.

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