Kicks: The Nice American Story of Sneakers
$3.99
Value: $3.99
(as of Apr 17, 2025 14:45:57 UTC – Particulars)
“A vivid image of how what we put on on our ft can inform us what it actually means to be an American.”—Self-importance Honest
“Expansive, thorough, and entertaining . . . a complete take a look at how a lot the sneaker turned a signature indicator of cool.”—The Wall Avenue Journal
A cultural historical past of sneakers, tracing the footprint of certainly one of our most iconic fashions throughout sports activities, enterprise, popular culture, and American identification
“It’s gotta be the footwear.”
When Spike Lee mentioned it to Michael Jordan in a 1989 industrial, it was with a wink and a nod—what makes MJ so good? His Nike Air Jordan IIIs, in fact. However as Nicholas Smith reveals on this charming historical past, Lee’s line additionally speaks to the sneaker’s place on the coronary heart of American tradition.
As soon as the athletic shoe graduated from the seashores and croquet courts of the rich elite to streetwear ubiquity, its journey by means of the guts of American life was simply getting began. On this rollicking narrative, Nicholas Okay. Smith carries us by means of the lengthy twentieth century as sneakers turned the totem of subcultures. We observe the common-or-garden athletic and watch as sneakers change into the calling card of California skaters and New York MCs, the spark of riots and gang violence, the guts of a world financial controversy, the muse of high fashion, and a lynchpin within the transformation of huge sports activities into massive enterprise.
Alongside the way in which, we meet larger-than-life mavericks and shocking visionaries: genius rubber inventor Charles Goodyear, risking all the things to get his method proper; the warring brothers who began dueling shoe empires; road-warrior Chuck Taylor, hawking footwear out of his trunk; and plenty of extra mavericks, hustlers, and dreamers. With a certain stride and a broad footprint, Kicks introduces us to an influential and evolving legacy.
From the Writer
ASIN : B074LWXT2Q
Writer : Crown (Could 1, 2018)
Publication date : Could 1, 2018
Language : English
File measurement : 32.1 MB
Textual content-to-Speech : Enabled
Display Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Phrase Clever : Enabled
Print size : 292 pages
MM –
Fascinating
Gift for my 13 year-old nephew, who is really into sneakers. He LOVES this book.
Lily Beijo –
Awesome!
Loved it! Gave more copies to family members for Christmas!
It’s Just Me –
More the history of the sneaker industry, not the history of sneakers themselves
I was hoping to learn something about how sneakers have improved over the years. There has been a lot of progress in understanding how sneakers affect our feet and how to make sneakers that improve athletic performance. Alas, although this was mentioned in Kicks, it was never explained or looked into in any detail.For those interested in the history of the sneaker industry, Kicks does have an entertaining and easy to read style. This book covers early sneaker production, the growth of various sports and how this affected the sneaker market, rivalries among sneaker brands, spokesmen, and endorsements.Since, at least at the time I write this, there is no “look inside” feature available, here are the contents:1: The Father of Invention2: Peach Baskets and Tennis Sets3: Johnny Basketballseed4: War and Brothers5: Builderman6: Swoosh7: Courting Style8: Everyone Is Doing It9: Meanwhile, on the West Coast10: Let’s Get Physical11: Style and Flow12: His Airness13: Mike and Mars14: Battle of the Brands15: Sneaker Crime and Punishment16: I, Sneakerhead17: Back at It AgainBut that’s JustMe.
g3 from the UP –
Full of Fascinating Factoids Related to the Evolution of Athletic Shoes – Couldn’t Put It Down!
You can’t tell the story of sneakers without recounting the story of rubber, the story of athletic shoes, the story of athletics, both amateur and professional, the story of the Olympics, the story of basketball, the story of Bill Bowerman and his waffle iron, the story of celebrity endorsements, the story of Michael Jordan, the story of the Boys of Dogtown, the story of another great book called Born to Run, etc. etc.So, this book covers a lot of fascinating territory and, in my opinion, is an extraordinary book, chock full of fascinating info about a wide range of topics that all connect to the history of gym shoes. I could not put this book down once I started and finished it in two evenings, reading after work. The author takes us through the evolution of the athletic shoe, which necessarily involves examining the seminal developments that have impacted the footwear we wear for sports, leisure, and style.I am a lover of trivia and this book is also a trivia geek’s bible. Do you know the closely “related” story of Puma and Adidas? [pun intended]. Do you know where the name Adidas came from? [I found myself surprised that I had never even wondered about the origin of the name – especially when the story is so interesting]. Or how Phil Knight came upon the name Nike? Or the part that empty shoes played in the protest of John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics? Or the evolution of surfaces used for track and field? Or the relation or lack thereof between Goodyear the inventor and Goodyear the company? You will find the answers to these questions, and many more, in this work.. . .I did already know some of the bits of the info in this book – partly because I was in Eugene, Oregon from 1972-75, during the glory days of track, the birth and early years of Nike, and the triumphs and tragedy of Steve Prefontaine – &, also because, though no longer a runner or jock, I’ve been wearing Vibram Five Fingers for years (ever since reading Born to Run). Other things in the book I had forgotten, like the shoe ads with Spike Lee and MIchael Jordan, and the ones with Bo Jackson. So this served as a trip down memory lane, during which I learned a lot of new stuff as well.If any of the topics mentioned interest you, I urge to pick up this wonderful read. If you are a fan of books like those written by Mark Kurlansky, pick up this book. The story flows easily and reads smoothly so check it out. You won’t be disappointed. Kicks is to gym shoes as Cod was to, er, cod!
takingadayoff –
I, Sneakerhead
Call them sneakers, tennis shoes, or plimsolls (I finally learned what that means). Whether they’re meant for walking contests, tennis, or sidewalk surfing (skateboarding), once Charles Goodyear figured out how to put rubber and canvas together to make sport shoes a lot changed.This is an American story, but it’s not a solely American story.Adi Dassler and his brother Rudi, began working together in the 1930s to make tennis shoes, but, by the time World War II was over they were lucky to have survived and each tried to sabotage the other’s business.Eventually Adi Dassler developed Adidas, and Rudi’s Ruma shoes became Puma. Both Dassler brothers knew the importance of celebrity. In 1936 they tried to get Jesse Owens to endorse their shoes at the Berlin Olympics. By the end of the war they were Nazi Party members and part of Hitler’s program to combine military training with physical fitness.Nicholas Smith also describes the political background in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. (I wouldn’t have minded a little more about international relations in that year.)Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated. The Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia. Mexican police and soldiers massacred a group of students in Mexico City.What’s most familiar about the 1968 Olympic games to Americans was when two black American sprinters, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, won medals and raised their fists in a black power salute on the podium.The reaction to Smith and Carlos wouldn’t surprise anyone paying attention to members of pro sports teams kneeling during the national anthem recently.Eventually sneaker manufacturers began designing shoes (or at least the ad campaigns) for normal people doing aerobics (which meant women as well as men) and not just dudes identifying with athletes.
RF –
It’s an okay listen…
It’s an interesting book… the person reading leaves something to be desired (he’s boring…)
Alex C. –
Un repaso interesante al mundo de las zapatillas y por qué supone un fenómeno en la actualidad. No es la obra de un mega-experto (más bien un periodista) pero tiene rigor, datos e información.
P Younger –
Loved this book – a brilliant deep dive into sneaker history inc. the glory days of 1980s! Nike Vs Reebok!
Fernanda –
Esta muy padre la textura que tiene la portada y contraportada del libro, sin embargo el libro llego súper maltratado. Todo roto de las esquinas 😠😠
,Tarun Jung Rawat –
The narrative is so well written. The nuances and history of Sneaker culture, so well captured! Pick it up if you love Sneakers, and even if you are a total novice and just want to know more about these beautiful soles!