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 Co-branding and Limited Editions: Exploring the Economics and Cultural Significance of Sneaker Collaborations

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 Co-branding and Limited Editions: Exploring the Economics and Cultural Significance of Sneaker Collaborations

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联名与限量：探索球鞋合作的经济学与文化意义

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This research aims to dissect the market economics and cultural values of co-branded sneakers.

本研究旨在剖析联名运动鞋的市场经济和文化价值。

We will analyze how scarcity strategies employed in sneaker collaborations influence consumer behavior and shape the supply and demand dynamics of the sneaker market.

我们将分析运动鞋合作中使用的稀缺策略如何影响消费者行为，并塑造运动鞋市场的供需动态。

Furthermore, we will investigate how sneakers serve as cultural symbols that convey identity and status across different social groups, and delve into the standing of sneakers within fashion circles and street culture.

此外，我们将研究运动鞋如何作为文化符号，在不同的社会群体中传达身份和地位，并深入研究运动鞋在时尚圈和街头文化中的地位。

Lastly, the study will explore how collaborative sneaker projects impact brand image and market positioning.

最后，本研究将探讨合作运动鞋项目如何影响品牌形象和市场定位。

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在上述文章中，球鞋文化被描述为围绕着球鞋的欣

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在上述文章中，球鞋文化被描述为围绕着球鞋的欣赏、收集和时尚穿着的亚文化。这一文化不仅仅将球鞋视为实用的运动装备，还视其为时尚单品。球鞋文化起源于对球鞋设计、历史和社会意义的热情。它最初在美国由城市男性篮球迷群体中兴起，并迅速扩展到包括郊区和年长男性，以及被Air Jordan流行文化所吸引的更广泛人群。

运动与时尚界限的打破可以追溯到1985年耐克发布Air Jordan I的事件，这一事件标志着球鞋亚文化的开端，并随着时间的推移逐渐扩展。2008年的Kobe IV的发布是一个关键转折点，这款低帮球鞋的设计旨在满足运动性能需求的同时，也符合时尚外观的要求，它的发布模糊了运动与时尚之间的界限。设计师如菲瑞尔·威廉姆斯、坎耶·韦斯特和维吉尔·阿布洛将黑人男性气质融入他们的设计中，这进一步促进了球鞋文化的多样性和包容性。

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How Nike Sneaker Collecting Evolved Into a Cultural Phenomenon - Swappa Blog

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A successful running shoe company turned their average company into a global commerce and cultural juggernaut. We'll explore how a simple shoe brand turned the sports, pop culture, and fashion world on its head with a seemingly endless number of smash-hit sneaker releases that spawned the business, the hobby, and the passion of sneaker collecting.

Nike's marketing strategy tapped into the athletic performance influence and created a symbiotic relationship between sport and fashion.

Nike's innovative designs and ad campaigns made bold statements of individuality and defiance, creating icons and symbols of status and power.

Nike collections have had an immense cultural impact on sneaker culture, fashion, sports, and popular culture, influencing hip-hop culture, sportswear, and high fashion runway.

Nike sneaker collecting has evolved into a global hobby, driven by the thrill of the hunt, the appreciation for design and history, and the potential financial gain from reselling.

The birth of Nike and its early influence wasn't just about creating a new brand, it was about kick-starting a whole new culture.

Nike's marketing strategy was unique. They tapped into the athletic performance influence, creating a symbiotic relationship between sport and fashion. Nike didn't just sell sneakers; they sold a lifestyle, a dream.

Every design, every ad campaign was a bold statement, a proclamation of individuality and defiance. They didn't just create shoes, they created icons, symbols of status and power. And as you donned those sneakers, you weren't just wearing a brand; you were embracing a culture, a mindset.

The success of Nike's early influence set the stage for future breakthrough models, marking turning points in Nike's history.

Now, let's dive into the breakthrough models that served as turning points in Nike's history, forever altering the landscape of sneaker culture. Nike's marketing strategies, coupled with innovative partnerships, have been instrumental in creating iconic models that revolutionized the sneaker world.

These models didn't just set new standards in footwear design, they also became cultural symbols, speaking volumes about the era they were born in.

In your journey through Nike's history, you'll encounter the undeniable role of celebrity endorsements in propelling the brand's fame. The endorsement impact is clear: celebrities wield a potent influence on sneaker culture, shaping trends and sparking collectors' passions.

Consider Michael Jordan's transformative partnership with Nike. His signature Air Jordans became a cultural icon, stoking a surge in Nike's popularity. Similarly, Kanye West's collaboration on the Nike Air Yeezy line showcased the potent pull of celebrity influence, creating a sneaker frenzy that's still felt today.

These endorsements aren't just marketing strategies; they're pivotal moments in sneaker history, driving Nike's rise to dominance. As a sneaker connoisseur, you can appreciate how these celebrity alliances have forever altered the landscape of footwear culture.

If you want to learn more about how Michael Jordan transformed sneaker culture, check out the video below. It's a must watch for any sneaker enthusiast.

Why not delve into the art and evolution of Nike shoe design, for it's here that you'll uncover the real magic behind the cultural phenomenon of Nike sneaker collecting? As you immerse yourself in this journey, your appreciation for design innovation and sustainability efforts will grow.

In the '80s, Nike disrupted the sneaker scene with its Air technology, changing the game in comfort and performance. Today, Nike is a pioneer in sustainability, employing recycled materials in their designs. This evolution isn't accidental; it's a calculated response to societal trends and consumer demands.

Nike is even exploring artificial intelligence and how it can influence sneaker design.

They've transformed from just a sneaker company into an entity that shapes culture. So, you see, the art of Nike shoe design is more than aesthetics - it's a reflection of the zeitgeist.

You might wonder how collecting Nike sneakers transformed from a simple pastime into a global hobby that everyone's talking about. It's about the thrill of the hunt, and the respect for the sneaker's design and history.

But it's not just about passion. It's about collecting ethics and investment strategies too. You see, unlike traditional collections, Nike sneakers can appreciate in value over time. It's a game of knowledge and timing. Know when to buy, how to maintain, and when to sell.

Understand the story behind each pair, respect its place in sneaker history, and you'll never look at these kicks as just another pair of shoes. It's more than that. It's a lifestyle, a statement, a testament to your discerning taste.

It's Nike sneaker collecting.

Before we can appreciate how sneaker collecting has become a cultural phenomenon, it's essential that you delve into the rich history of sneaker culture. This isn't just about shoes. It's about authenticity, counterfeit culture, and the evolution of a community.

Consider:

The birth of sneaker culture in the 1980s: Michael Jordan's Air Jordans led to a sneaker obsession, with fans eager for sneaker authentication to ensure legitimacy.

The rise of counterfeit culture in the 1990s: Knock-off sneakers flooded the market, challenging the authenticity of collections.

The digital era: online platforms revolutionized sneaker collecting, making it easier for enthusiasts to connect and trade.

Sneaker culture has evolved dramatically, mirroring societal shifts and technological advancements. It's more than a hobby; it's a way of life.

As you navigate the sneaker-collecting landscape, it's clear that trends and tastes have shifted drastically over time, and Nike has consistently remained at the forefront of these changes.

From the early days of collecting for personal enjoyment, the trend has morphed into a quest for limited editions, creating a shift in collecting ethics. Sneakerheads now face the dilemma of 'wear or store', affecting sneaker maintenance strategies.

The rise of 'deadstock' collecting has presented new challenges in keeping sneakers in pristine condition. These changes haven't only impacted the collector's culture but also influenced Nike's designs and release strategies. This evolution in trends and tastes signifies the dynamic relationship between Nike and its ardent followers.

Now, let's dive into Nike Retros: a unique aspect of Nike collections.

While you're sifting through the vast array of Nike collections, you'll notice that 'retros', or re-released versions of classic sneakers, have become an integral and unique aspect of the brand's appeal. They embody Nike's rich history, reinstating iconic designs that have shaped sneaker culture.

These retros' rarity and the market dynamics surrounding them contribute to their allure. Here are a few key points:

Rarity: Retros are limited editions, adding a layer of exclusivity.

Market dynamics: Their scarcity drives demand, escalating their market value.

Cultural impact: Their nostalgic appeal resonates with collectors, further fuelling their popularity.

The retro releases give sneakerheads the ability to re-connect with their childhoods or formative years growing up. It's often the case that a sneaker enthusiast just couldn't afford a particular Nike shoe on release. As an adult, retro releases finally give them the chance to get their hands on a pair of sneakers that may not have been able to afford growing up.

Why don't you consider the immense cultural impact that Nike collections have had, not just on sneaker culture, but on fashion, sports, and popular culture itself?

It's not just about the shoes; it's about Nike's social impact. The brand's innovative designs have been woven into hip-hop culture, sportswear, and even the high fashion runway.

This has opened up new sneaker investment strategies, turning footwear into a lucrative asset class.

The sneakerhead subculture, born out of Nike's iconic line, has evolved into a global community where people connect over shared passions.

The impact of Nike collections goes beyond aesthetics or function; it's about how it has shaped our attitudes, behaviors, and the way we express ourselves.

You'll find that the world of Nike sneaker collecting has many layers, including the intriguing subtopics of market trends, collector motivations, and the sneaker trading economy.

Delve deeper, and you'll encounter:

Market Trends: Here, the Counterfeit Nike Dilemma comes into play. With replicas flooding the market, discerning authenticity becomes a skill.

Collector Motivations: This involves the thrill of the hunt, the joy of owning a rare piece, and the potential financial gain.

Sneaker Trading Economy: It's here that the Collecting Ethical Implications arise. How does one balance passion with the moral questions of supply, demand, and fair trade?

Understanding these aspects not only enriches your appreciation for the culture but also equips you to navigate the complexities of the Nike sneaker-collecting world.

Has the Rise of Online Shopping and E-Commerce Platforms Impacted the Way Nike Sneakers Are Collected?

Yes, the rise of online shopping has greatly impacted how you collect Nike sneakers. E-commerce's influence and digital scarcity impact have created a new, exciting, and sometimes challenging landscape for sneaker enthusiasts. Swappa's foray into the online sneaker marketplace brings fair fees and a passion for facilitating commerce between members of a passionate community.

What Environmental Initiatives Has Nike Taken in the Production of Their Sneakers?

You've probably noticed Nike's shift towards sustainable materials. They're tackling their carbon footprint head-on, incorporating recycled and organic materials into their sneakers, making a significant impact on the environment and sneaker production.

How Does Nike's Sneaker Collecting Compare to Other Major Brands Like Adidas or Reebok?

Like pieces in a chess game, brand perception impact and celebrity endorsements play pivotal roles. Nike's sneaker collecting, compared to Adidas or Reebok, has a unique allure, fueled by historical significance and trendsetting designs.

So, you've journeyed through the annals of Nike's history, from its humble beginnings to the cultural titan it is today.

You've seen how celebs and design evolution fueled a fervor for collecting these iconic kicks.

Sneaker collecting isn't just a hobby, it's a cultural movement.

And retros? They're not merely reissues, they're reminders of our shared history, wrapped in nostalgia and style.

The impact of Nike on our collective culture? That's not just big, it's monumental.

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How Nike Sneaker Collecting Evolved Into a Cultural Phenomenon

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A successful running shoe company turned their average company into a global commerce and cultural juggernaut. We'll explore how a simple shoe brand turned the sports, pop culture, and fashion world on its head with a seemingly endless number of smash-hit sneaker releases that spawned the business, the hobby, and the passion of sneaker collecting.

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Cape Town’s Sneaker Culture is Unlike Anywhere Else in the World

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Balenciaga Cargo Sneaker Unboxing & First Impressions

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From everyday occasions to more formal ones: our selection of limited edition sneakers is designed to make your style younique. Discover our exclusive sneakers, available online and just in selected stores.

Limited Edition Sneakers (68)

From everyday occasions to more formal ones: our selection of limited edition sneakers is designed to make your style younique. Discover our exclusive sneakers, available online and just in selected stores.

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Women's limited edition sneakers | Golden Goose

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Discover women's limited edition sneakers: unique sneakers made by Golden Goose's craftsmen in a limited series not to be missed.

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LeBron James, Serena Williams, Michael J. Fox, Tinker Hatfield, and more tell the untold stories behind the Swoosh's most seminal kicks.

In 1972, Nike began with a holy trinity. Phil Knight was the fearless entrepreneur who foresaw the rise of running culture. Bill Bowerman, Knight's former college athletics coach, was the tireless tinkerer who sliced open his running shoes to make adjustments and commandeered his wife's waffle maker to develop new rubber soles. And Steve Prefontaine was the otherworldly athlete whose gutsy style and cult of personality lent the Nikes on his feet a sheen of credibility and transcendent cool.

For 50 years, Nike has hewed pretty closely to that basic formula - weaving together bleeding-edge innovation and galactic superstars, and then backing that with savvy industrialism - as it mushroomed into a global powerhouse. The superstars, for the first three decades or so, were almost entirely athletes we all knew on a first-name basis: Michael, Bo, Tiger, Serena. But since the early noughties, the Swoosh has courted a vastly wider array of talent, working with generational hitmakers like Kanye West and Drake, cult art heroes like Tom Sachs and Futura, and fashion world luminaries like Virgil Abloh, Jun Takahashi, and Rei Kawakubo.

"Outside collaborations push us towards the edges as a company," says Mark Parker, Nike's executive chairman and former CEO. "Through that exchange, it accelerates our own culture of thinking and innovating."

The partnerships have produced thousands of products, but these 50 shoes, in particular, tell the epic story of Nike's culture of collaboration. GQ spoke to dozens of athletes, designers, scientists, and artists to understand the dynamic creative processes and boundary-pushing technological research that helped transform Nike into a vital creative nexus - and established a model for collaboration that has coursed through the fashion industry at large.

"As the world gets crazier and more complex, the notion of anybody doing anything by themselves is simply going away," says Tinker Hatfield, the legendary Nike designer. "There needs to be a lot of horsepower behind any new idea. It's just not possible to win without higher and higher levels of collaboration. Simple as that.

1970s

Steve Prefontaine liked to look good. "Pre was flashy," remembers Pat Tyson, his roommate and teammate at the University of Oregon. "He'd drive around in convertible cars wearing a fringed leather coat and flared trousers. He was the guy." As the first athlete to sign with Nike, the record-shattering runner funnelled all that swagger into the upstart brand. "He brought showmanship to Nike," says Tyson. "During that era, most shoes were black-and-white. Steve's input led to brighter, more shocking colours. He wanted to walk into the room and say, 'I've got a pair of something that no one else has.' " Pre's untimely passing in 1975 meant he never got to wear these early Nike track spikes at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, but his fearlessness and flair were forever encoded in the company's DNA.

1980s

The Air Jordan 1 might look simple now, but Michael Jordan's first shoe single-handedly reversed Nike's fortunes in the mid-'80s. It established a signature line so mammoth it span off into its own brand, dissolved the division between athletics and fashion, and is one of the most desirable models for collaborators to adapt.

"To me, the Air Jordan 1 represents more than just a shoe," Mark Parker says. "It ignited the concept of letting an athlete's personality shine through a product. Michael and our designers proved that footwear could be more than functional; it could be an expression of the person."

Jordan's persona helped establish a certain tone at Nike. "Whenever I ran into a little resistance in a meeting," says Tinker Hatfield, "I would take a card out of my pocket, put it on the table, and say, 'Here's Michael's phone number. If you guys want to talk to him directly about changing his design, go for it.' Nobody ever called him."

In 1985, Nike released the now iconic Be True to Your School collection, featuring seven Dunks doused in the colours of UNLV, Kentucky, Syracuse, Michigan, Iowa, Villanova, and St. John's - plus one entirely different shoe. Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr., fresh off a trophy-winning season, demanded that his team have its very own model. Nike appeased him with the Terminator, the first sneaker it ever developed exclusively for a college squad, with "Hoyas" emblazoned across the rear of the team-only court version.

"Pops absolutely loved it, because it was bold," says John Thompson III, the late coach's son. "People immediately knew that was the Georgetown shoe."

When the producers of Back to the Future Part II asked Nike to create a trainer from the future, Tinker Hatfield's imagination instantly came alive. "I thought about how a shoe might have an artificial intelligence that could recognise you and then shape to your foot," he says. "I storyboarded the scene where he puts on the shoes and says, 'Power laces, all right!' "

"I was grumpy that day, but when they opened the case I asked Tinker question after question," Michael J. Fox says. "They were a mood changer and a game changer."

Nike later released the shoe twice - without the power laces in 2011, and then with them in 2016 - in support of Fox's foundation, raising more than £13 million.

1990s

Nike Air Tech Challenge II

The first-time Tinker Hatfield sat down to sketch a shoe for Andre Agassi, he scribbled three huge words, "Anti Country Club," across the top of the page. "Andre was different," Hatfield says. "He lived in Vegas, for crying out loud. He was the perfect vehicle for us to turn tennis into a different kind of sport." To achieve that, Hatfield infused the Air Tech Challenge II - Agassi's second signature trainer - with advanced cushioning and wild neon tones. "It wasn't just tennis players buying the sneakers anymore," Hatfield says. "It became part of the street culture. It helped us become a tennis company with an edge."

To craft US sports star Bo Jackson's first shoe, Hatfield began to develop "an alter ego for him", based on having watched him play both baseball and American football, their brief phone calls, and the classic cartoon character Mighty Mouse. "I kept a little character on my desk, and I used him as my muse. Everything got exaggerated and kind of blown out of proportion, like Mighty Mouse - and like Bo. That's how that design process got started." The resulting shoe, the Air Trainer SC, was a huge hit thanks to its blocky, aggressive lines and the now iconic Bo Knows campaign.

It's hard to overstate just how historic the Air Swoopes was and remains. Designed for WNBA great Sheryl Swoopes, it was the first basketball shoe crafted specifically for women, the first signature sneaker to bear a female athlete's name, and was successful enough to spawn a just-as-popular sequel. But it was also just a really good shoe, with an instantly recognisable strap along the mid-foot that allowed for both superior stability and striking colour-blocked colourways.

The first time Nike designer Wilson Smith met Charles Barkley, he got a taste of that infamous Barkley snark. "Charles was wearing a pair of walking shoes I had designed," Smith remembers. "He goes, 'Man, these are the most uncomfortable shoes I've ever had.' But that's just Charles Barkley - hilarious." The Air Max CB34, as a result, "was honestly inspired by his mouth a little bit," Smith says. "I had this photo of him [smirking], and I based the chunky shapes along the toe on his molars."

The TV ads, with basketball star Penny Hardaway and his Chris Rock-voiced L'il Penny puppet, were huge in the US. But the shoes those ads were hawking were plenty special too. The side panelling and bulbous shape made the original one of the most loved basketball shoes of the '90s.

Baseball cleats rarely cross over into the street, but Ken Griffey Jr.'s immense popularity led to his muscular signatures getting a spike-free release. The success of the Swingman line - with its Jordan-esque logo of Junior hitting a dinger - landed its namesake his own building on Nike's Oregon HQ.

2000s

Nike x Stüssy Air Huarache LE

Nike's first link-up with a clothing label wasn't quite a true collaboration. Eager to work with the crew at Stüssy UK, Nike offered the label's leader at the time, Michael Kopelman, the chance to stock two exclusive colourways of his favourite model at the brand's London shop. The Stüssy Air Huarache LE became beloved enough by sneakerheads to warrant a rerelease in 2021, and it jump-started the streetwear OG's long and fruitful relationship with the Swoosh.

HTM is the ongoing design partnership between Mark Parker, Tinker Hatfield, and the godfather of Japanese streetwear, Hiroshi Fujiwara. "You could compare our process to a jazz jam session," Parker says, "like musicians riffing and building on one another's ideas." The trio's first project, in the early noughties, was a take on the Air Woven, a trainer that had struggled to gain traction at Nike HQ. "HTM came to the rescue," Hatfield says, by unlocking the aesthetic potential of the shoe's avant-garde construction - and turning the silhouette into an instant classic in the process.

There's never been a more perfect pairing of an athlete and trainer technology than Vince Carter - arguably the greatest dunker of all time - and Shox, Nike's springlike cushioning system. Carter made headlines in the BB4, the first Shox hoops model, by leaping over French centre Frédéric Weis at the 2000 Olympics. But his line reached its apex two years later with the Shox VC 4, which featured the smoothest, swoopiest design of its era. The Shox VC 2 inspired Andy Caine, Nike's vice president of footwear design, to work at the Swoosh. "That shoe was incredible," he says. "I probably had 10 pairs but could never work out how it all worked. It was complex and simple all at once."

Nike x Atmos Air Max 1 B "Safari"

To celebrate the Air Max 1's 15th anniversary, Nike tapped Atmos - then the hottest underground sneaker boutique in Tokyo - for a limited Japan-only release. The result helped kick-start Japan's reputation as a haven for the rarest, most beautiful Nikes. "It was a good era," Atmos creative director Hirofumi Kojima reflects. "There was more opportunity to work freely. And for collectors, you had to do your research or you might miss a release - there was no iPhone, no Instagram, no Twitter. It was a lot of fun."

Nike SB x Supreme Dunk Low Pro

In 2002, Supreme wasn't yet the world-conquering, Louis Vuitton-collaborating, billion-dollar behemoth it is today. It was just a skate shop on NYC's Lafayette Street where in-the-know downtown kids milled about. A collaboration with Nike's fledgling skateboarding division, Nike SB, changed that forever. Supreme's take on the skateboardified Dunk Low, an homage to the Air Jordan 3's elephant print, helped give the young label the juice and hype it's been synonymous with ever since.

Nike x Geoff McFetridge Vandal Supreme

Geoff McFetridge grew up wrecking his Nikes. "I've always been a skateboarder, and part of skateboarding is you destroy your shoes," the Canadian artist says. So, given the chance to design his own kicks, McFetridge wanted to "play with this idea that to enjoy the shoe, you have to wreck it. If you skated in the shoe it would naturally turn into this second shoe."

The outer layer of McFetridge's Vandals is a classic striped Oxford cloth based, he says, on a Brooks Brothers shirt. Hidden just beneath the surface was a layer of printed vinyl covered in McFetridge's art. "It was silver and garish, and I drew this little character based on the idea of vandalism and my own personal history of vandalising things as a kid."

From the moment she signed with Nike in 2003, Serena Williams had one simple goal. "I wanted to make sport and fashion more synonymous," Williams says. "I wanted to be daring and bold both on and off the court. I've always challenged Nike to think bigger and more fashion-forward in their designs."

Designer Wilson Smith answered that call with the tennis great's first signature shoe, a slick Shox model with a detachable bootlike extension that doubled as a compression sleeve. "She walked out at the US Open like she was on the Paris runway," Smith recalls.

Nike SB x Futura Dunk High Pro "FLOM"

Futura wants to make one thing clear about his currency-covered Dunks. "FLOM doesn't stand for 'For love of money,' " the street-art luminary says. "It's 'For love or money.' Some people do things for profit, some do things for love. As an artist, I'm the latter." With only 24 pairs produced - to commemorate the opening of his store in Fukuoka, Japan - the FLOM remains one of the world's rarest trainers, with a single pair selling for a whopping £52,000 at auction in 2020.

Nike x Marc Newson Zvezdochka

Originally designed for use aboard the International Space Station, the Zvezdochka was meant to provide astronauts with versatility. "You could wear them as booties to float around," says legendary industrial designer Marc Newson, "and then you pulled on this outer to turn them into trainers for the treadmill." As Nike's first entirely computer-designed shoe, Newson recalls, "we had to actually write a lot of code and algorithms to do what we did, because the stuff just really didn't exist." The Zvezdochka ultimately never made it to space, but its influence remains evident everywhere you look in modern trainer culture.

Nike x ESPO Air Force II Low

It took a lot of convincing for Nike to let Stephen "ESPO" Powers make the company's first-ever see-through shoe. "Nike's in the business of performance," the street artist says, and his concept of an invisible all-plastic trainer didn't quite gel with that. "I steered it back to their comfort zone by saying it was going to be a performance shoe, but it would be performing as art. " Powers and Nike landed on a design that balanced large transparent panels with original ESPO artwork. But he admits Nike may have had a point about performance. "Within two blocks, the plastic was cutting my feet," he says. "I never wore them again."

Nike x Union Air Force 180

Union's take on the Air Force 180 - designed by the influential LA boutique's then manager (and current owner) Chris Gibbs - reads like a time capsule of streetwear's 2000s heyday: "Streetwear was a rebellion against the fashion industry at large," he says, "which typically only played in blacks and navies, so I wanted the colours to stand in contrast to that."

Nike SB x Staple NYC Dunk Low Pro "Pigeon"

The release of Jeff Staple's NYC-inspired Dunks, doused in feathery grey suedes and an embroidered pigeon (the city's unofficial mascot) on the heel, caused a riot outside his Lower East Side boutique. For much of mainstream America, the shoe served as an introduction to the rising hysteria of sneaker culture.

Nike SB Zoom Air Paul Rodriguez 1

"At first, Nike wasn't planning on making signature shoes for skate, and that was a deal breaker for me," says Paul Rodriguez Jr. Eventually, the brand changed its tune and granted P-Rod the first SB pro model - a retro-inflected low-top with a quilted leather heel and full Zoom Air cushioning. "I'm just happy that my teenage self stood his ground and stuck to his dream."

Graffiti legend Stash was one of Nike's first and most important non-athlete collaborators. He introduced his trademark tonal blue palette on an Air Classic BW in 2003, but the colourway hit its high-water mark three years later when Stash applied it as a gradient to the cascading stripes on the Air Max 95. The 95 is one of his favourites, Stash says, "because look how fucking crack it came out. You don't have to touch it. That's one of those 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' models."

Nike x CLOT Air Max 1 Kiss of Death

Hong Kong streetwear stalwart CLOT's mission is to bridge the East and West through thoughtfully designed goods. And its Kiss of Death Air Max 1 succeeds at that swimmingly. Inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, the clear toe box (as in you can see the tops of your toes) reveals an acupuncture chart on the insole, while the outsole is printed with a diagram outlining the pressure points of the foot.

Nike x Bobbito Garcia Air Force 1 Low Premium '07

Few Nike collaborators earned their own shoe more than Bobbito Garcia, the New York street-basketball folk hero, DJ, documentarian, author, and OG steward of sneakerhead culture. His Air Force 1 is blessed with a gorgeous mix of suede, leather, and mesh alongside nods to Garcia's passion for vinyl records and basketball.

Nike SB x Dinosaur Jr. Dunk High Pro

Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis's Dunk High Pro is the epitome of a simple idea executed flawlessly. "I wanted it to look like Ace Frehley's silver platform space boots from Kiss," he says. Mission accomplished. Doused in gleaming metallic silver with bright violet accents and the band's logo and mascot stamped on the sides, the shoe became an instant grail that earned Mascis fans well beyond his regular listeners. "People will come up and talk to me about the sneakers and have no idea I'm in a band," he says.

"What's tough with LeBron is that he's superhuman," says Nike's Tony Bignell. "He's so powerful that everything is stiffer, tighter, harder, firmer. How do you make something work great for him - and work for the kids who are playing in the shoes too?" The LeBron VII answered that call with ultralight Flywire uppers and full Air Max cushioning. "We hit that one outta the park," LeBron James reflects. "It was a great time in my career and an unbelievable shoe."

"Kobe Bryant was maniacal about performance," says Jonathan Johnsongriffin, Nike's vice president of global creative. "He always wanted an edge, and we learned so much from him pushing us to get that edge." To satiate the Lakers legend's demand for increased quickness, Nike cooked up a revolutionary low-top silhouette for the Kobe IV. "The conventional wisdom was that a high-top gave you the support you needed," Johnsongriffin says. "Kobe was always challenging that."

2010s

Nike Gyakusou LunarSpider LT+

Since 2010, Undercover founder Jun Takahashi has helmed Gyakusou, a technical running imprint that's become one of Nike's longest-running collaborations. Japanese for "reverse running" - a nod to Takahashi's morning ritual of running through Tokyo's Yoyogi Park anti-clockwise - Gyakusou blends the designer's moody, experimental impulses with Nike's performance expertise. "Jun has an insight with colour that we would never have come up with," says Nike global marketing director Fraser Cooke, who sold Takahashi on the project. "We wanted to intersect with a younger running community that is more design-led - not just the pure running community that Nike is built on as a company."

Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 Premium

Designed by the Dutch artist Piet Parra, this luxed-up Air Max 1 was released to celebrate the Amsterdam trainer shop Patta's fifth anniversary. It's a testament to the power of simple colours and great materials: the deep red suede uppers, chenille details, and contrasting hits of baby blue combine for one of the most richly alluring and supremely wearable sneakers of all time.

While designing the Air Yeezy 2, former Nike designer Nathan VanHook got a taste of Kanye West's full capacity for creativity. "We went to Paris for a two-day trip in the middle of the Watch the Throne sessions," VanHook recalls. "Kanye, Virgil [Abloh], and I worked through all the colourways while they're making an album and a documentary. Being able to take time away from creating one of the most iconic albums of the decade to create his shoe? It was surreal."

That shoe, of course, wound up being just as iconic as the album - thanks in no small part to Kanye's exacting attention to detail. "We don't want something mall," Kanye once told VanHook, who notes, "It couldn't be basic, it couldn't be cheap."

Tom Sachs is bothered by his Nike sneaker's hype. "When I first got involved with Nike, the motivation was to make a sculpture for everyone," the artist says. "So when it became so coveted, it was really annoying." The appeal is obvious: the shoe is packed with rare technologies intended for serious use.

"I gave a pair to a friend who later asked, 'Oh, do I get the new ones, too?' And I said, 'No, because the Mars Yards are still in the box on your mantel, so you didn't pass the test.' Another friend of mine wore them to death, put a new sole on 'em, patched 'em - and that friend gets a lifetime supply."

Kevin Durant's sixth signature trainer employed a football boot-like, low-slung cut and asymmetrical lacing for an extra-close fit and improved lateral quickness. Those unusual details made the KD 6 one of the most distinctive and instantly recognisable basketball shoes of its era, and the easily printable synthetic upper lent itself well to a slew of memorable colourways, from the rose-covered Aunt Pearl makeup to the paint-splattered Texas version, inspired by his old university.

Nike x Riccardo Tisci Air Force 1 Boot SP

"How can I work on something that is so iconic?" Riccardo Tisci asked Fraser Cooke when the then Givenchy designer prepared to put his spin on the Air Force 1. "He described it as the Hermès Kelly bag of footwear," Cooke recalls. "He was scared to destroy this thing he had so much reverence for." Despite those fears, Tisci still took a radical approach to the shoe - adding a boot-inspired leather collar that extended all the way up to the knee.

Nike x Acronym Lunar Force 1

When Nike approached Acronym designer Errolson Hugh about collaborating on the Lunar Force 1, he had only one question. "I said, 'Yeah, we'll do it, but you know we don't just want to change the colour, right?' "

A few weeks later, a crate of shoes arrived at Acronym's Berlin workshop. "We got out the scissors and the masking tape, and just went to town," Hugh remembers. They sliced the shoe open straight down one side and added a stark black zipper. "We wanted to treat what we did to the shoe as an intervention," he says.

That approach made the Lunar Force 1 one of the most divisive sneakers of the era. "People would stop my friends in the street and say, 'Yo, did you do that yourself? Why did you destroy your Nikes?' Or like, 'Where did you get those?' You could really tell the type of philosophical outlook somebody had by how they reacted to that shoe."

Nike x Off-White Air Presto

Virgil Abloh worked fast. The Ten, his visionary debut footwear collection with Nike - a literal deconstruction of 10 classic Swoosh shoes - was produced in record time. The first five models of The Ten, including this standout take on the Air Presto, came together after just five hours in a workshop, says Shamees Aden, a Nike designer who worked on the project. "It was an incredibly hands-on session. We certainly knew that we were on the right track, but I still couldn't have fathomed the impact that these sneakers would have on the world. They're works of art."

Nike x Sean Wotherspoon Air Max 1/97

In 2017, Nike tasked a dozen creatives to design their own Air Max model and let fans vote on which shoe they wanted to see produced. Sean Wotherspoon, co-founder of the vintage store Round Two, read the rules carefully. "One of the big points was involving your community," he says. So he rounded up his friends - including A$AP Nast and the jeweller Ben Baller - to help design his corduroy-happy hybrid. "It literally changed my life," Wotherspoon says.

Nike x Undefeated Zoom Kobe 1 Protro

To help launch the Zoom Kobe 1 Protro - a remastered version of Kobe's 2006 kicks for the modern game - Nike asked the LA sneaker outpost Undefeated, one of the Swoosh's longest-running collaborators, to put its spin on the silhouette. The shop decked the shoe out in several different shades of camouflage, including a gold-and-purple version worn by LeBron on his first appearance as a Laker. "It speaks to Kobe's mentality," says Fred Lozano, Undefeated's chief operating officer. "When you're on court, you're at war."

Nike x Martine Rose Air Monarch IV

The Air Monarch IVs are your dad's Nikes: clunky, sterile, and severely uncool. In the hands of the superstar London designer Martine Rose, however, they got transformed into a beacon of postmodernist funk. "[Rose] was looking at how athletes' feet, because of the impact during games, can get morphed out of shape," Nike designer Andy Caine says. To mimic that phenomenon, Rose amplified the Monarch's ungainly proportions into something more amorphous and sculptural - and then coated it in Pepto Bismol pink.

Nike x Cactus Plant Flea Market Air VaporMax 2019

It's not often that an outside collaborator brings a working prototype to their first Nike meeting, but that's precisely what Cactus Plant Flea Market designer Cynthia Lu did with her take on the Air VaporMax 2019. "It was one of those moments," Andy Caine says, "where you walk in and see that for the first time and just go, wow. I wasn't mentally prepared for that." Lu's handmade mock-up - with its tubular swoosh and bubble lettering - wound up going into production with almost no edits. "Cynthia brought almost the opposite of what had been successful in VaporMax" - imposing her whimsical aesthetic on a sleek silhouette - "and it connected in such a humanistic way. That's why collaborations are so powerful, because they bring that different mindset. That's the magic of it."

Nike x Ambush Air Max 180

When she first met with Nike, Yoon Ahn sheepishly admitted she wasn't much of an athlete. "I had this impression that you had to play sports to collaborate with Nike," says Ahn, the Ambush founder and Dior Men jewelry designer. "They said, 'That's okay, that's not why we want to work with you.'" What Nike wanted was Ahn's offbeat perspective and Y2K-tinged aesthetic, which she wove seamlessly into her first shoe-a hybrid of the Air Max 180 and Gary Payton's Air Zoom Flight The Glove.

Nike x MMW Free TR 3 Flyknit SP

You know how sometimes you have to lug an extra pair of indoor shoes around all day because you're hitting the gym after work? Matthew M Williams, the Alyx founder and Givenchy creative director, had a solution. For his first Nike trainer, Williams employed the outsole savants at Vibram to create a detachable rubber crampon for roaming around the streets. Un-Velcro it and you'll find a futuristic high-performance trainer featuring tracklike speed laces and sci-fi moulded overlays.

Sacai founder Chitose Abe made her name on mash-ups - military flight jackets fused with cotton button-downs; chinos spliced with nylon tracksuit bottoms. So it made sense that the Japanese designer would bring this "Frankensteined" approach to her Nike sneakers. The double-swooshed LDV Waffle, an elevated, forward-thinking blend of the old-school Long Distance Vector and Waffle Racer models. "You can tell that they're based on Nike," Abe says, "but the silhouette and design work show Sacai's ideas and identity."

2020s

Nike SB x Ben & Jerry's Dunk Low Pro

"I had a friend over at Nike SB, and he dropped me a text: 'What do you think about a collab?' " says Jay Curley, Ben & Jerry's global head of integrated marketing. "I'd love to say it was a much deeper thought than that, but I really don't think it was." Just like that, the wackiest shoe of 2020 was born. Affectionately dubbed the Chunky Dunky, the low-top SB Dunk came smothered in Ben & Jerry's iconography: hairy cow print, stitched-on clouds, and a whole lot of tie-dye for good measure. Despite its goofiness, the shoe was a surprise smash, reselling for thousands of dollars online and showing up on the feet of unlikely fans like Quavo and Killer Mike. What do the eponymous ice cream moguls think of the kicks? "Ben and Jerry each got a pair," Curley says. "I've never seen them wearing them, but I think they thought it was cool."

Nike Zoom x Alphafly Next%

When Eliud Kipchoge ran the world's first sub-two-hour marathon in October 2019, it was hailed as a remarkable feat of individual speed. But getting to that moment required hundreds of scientists, designers, and engineers at Nike working closely with him for years to develop a prototype for a revolutionary new running shoe. "We needed a faster shoe," Kipchoge says. "But above all, we needed faster recovery. A shoe where you could run for three hours and then have your muscles recover very fast."

To perfect the Alphafly's propulsive carbon plate and foam cushioning, Kipchoge sent daily data and biweekly notes from his training camp in Kenya to Nike HQ for months. In order to build his trust in the final version of the shoe, Kipchoge clocked more than 800km in a single pair in the lead-up to race day."The shoe was still functioning," Kipchoge says. "It was ready to go."

Nike SB x Travis Scott x PlayStation Dunk Low Pro

Travis Scott has been responsible for a grip of Nike's most hotly-desired trainers of the past few years, from his mossy take on the Air Jordan 1 to a desert-toned flip on the Air Max 270. But the rapper's single rarest Nike shoe is this three-way collaboration with PlayStation. Featuring Scott's signature backward swoosh and the gaming system's logo, only a handful were made and then raffled off to coincide with the release of the PS5. If you're looking to get your hands on 'em now, you'd better have deep pockets: at press time, the most affordable pair on StockX was listed for a cool £55,000.

Nike x Comme des Garçons Air Foamposite One

The Air Foamposite One's freaky moulded upper has been subject to a wild bunch of interpretations over the years. It's been chromed out with a mirrorlike shine, blanketed in a starry space scene, and dressed up in a regal rococo print by Supreme. But until Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo got her hands on it, no one had ever messed with the very structure of the shoe itself. CdG's Foamposites replace the familiar wavy moulding with a fingerprint-esque series of concentric circles, resulting in perhaps the single trippiest take on an all-time trippy shoe.

Nike Hot Step Air Terra "NOCTA"

"Drake wanted to do something new," says Matte Babel, chief brand officer at Drake's DreamCrew management company. "When big athletes sign to Nike, they create a new shoe for them. But when entertainers sign, they normally just put a new colourway on an older model. Drake said, 'I don't want to just take an existing shoe, give it some minor adjustments, and say it's my shoe.' " The 6 God got his wish with the Hot Step Air Terra, a '90s-inspired runner with a clean padded upper. Why the name? "Without hesitation he wanted the 'Hot Step,' " Babel says. "It cuts to the point and doesn't feel like a Nike shoe name."

Nike x Jacquemus Air Humara

Growing up in the South of France, where "walking and hiking are a way of life," designer Simon Porte Jacquemus became obsessed with Nike's outdoorsy All Conditions Gear sub-label. So when it came time to work on his own Nike trainer, he didn't hesitate to select the Air Humara, a classic '90s-era ACG hiker. "The Humara has always been my favourite Nike shoe," Jacquemus says. "It has this very technical design and hiking details that I love. I wanted to celebrate the utilitarian function of it, while elevating the colours so it could fit naturally into other settings, like the city."

Yang-Yi Goh is GQ' s style editor.
Additional Credits:
Nike SB x Futura "FLOM" Dunk High: courtesy of Sotheby's. Nike x Patta Air Max 1 "Cherrywood": courtesy of Parra. All other photographs: courtesy of Nike.

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The 50 greatest sneaker collaborations in Nike history

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LeBron James, Serena Williams, Michael J. Fox, Tinker Hatfield, and more tell the untold stories behind the Swoosh's most seminal kicks

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The Iconic Designer Sneakers That Redefined Fashion in the 2000s

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Sneakerheads as fans and sneaker fandom as participatory culture

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Sneakerheads as fans and sneaker fandom as participatory culture

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1. Introduction [1.1] In 2019, editor-in-chief of American Vogue Anna Wintour said, "There are sneakers everywhere" (quoted in The Selby 2019). The explosive growth in the popularity of sneakers as a fashion product and market events such as the Sotheby's July 2019 sneaker auction, which raised about 1.5 million dollars, has directed a lot of attention to collecting sneakers in recent years.

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From Leonardo DiCaprio's Chuck Taylors to Ewan McGregor's Trainspotting Sambas

You might, like us, have decided to start on the back catalogue of films you always should've watched but never got round to.

In an attempt to order our archival binges, we're starting with the Hollywood and British greats that have also served some of the most iconic on-screen trainer moments.

Whether it's Uma Thurman's Onitsuka Tigers in Kill Bill or a teenage Leonardo DiCaprio in Chuck Taylors in 1995 coming-of-age movie Basketball Diaries, we've put together the perfect list of movies to give you major trainer envy.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on the novel of the same name by Winston Groom, Forrest Gump scored Tom Hanks his second Best Actor Academy Award. It was also a major moment for Nike, with its Cortez silhouette almost stealing the Hanks-centric limelight.

The Nike Cortez was released in 1972, designed by Olympic track coach Bill Bowerman, with the aim of being the first modern running shoe. In Gump Hanks' character is seen receiving a pair of the trainers in the OG white-varsity royal-varsity red colourway as a gift from childhood friend Jenny. With so much running done in the film, and with the the sneakers' original purpose as Nike's first track shoe, it's safe to say she chose well.

Basketball Diaries (1995)

The coming-of-age film Basketball Diaries, directed by Scott Kalvert, details the troublesome, drug-addled teen years of Jim Carroll ( Leonardo DiCaprio), as his dreams of becoming a basketball star fade.

The mighty and humble Converse Chuck Taylor got more screen time here than ever before, with every member of DiCaprio's gang of NYC kids wearing a pair. They also serve as an important symbol: as the cast fall further wayward (spoiler alert), the state of their Chucks also takes a beating. By the end, they're scuffed, ruined and no longer pristine, much like the wearers.

Based on Irvine Welsh's novel, Danny Boyle's Trainspotting is set among working men's clubs and council estates in Edinburgh. Mark Renton, played by Ewan McGregor, and his junkie pals embody 1990s grunge, with the lithe protagonist's own look consisting of a buzz cut, torn and stained cropped T-shirts and drainpipe denim. He also owned a pair of Adidas Sambas.

With Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" playing in the background, McGregor - or at least his well-dressed feet - opens the film. Sporting a burgundy pair of Samba Supers, McGregor hoofs it down Edinburgh's Princes Street, making the shoes an instantly iconic cinematic sneaker.

First released in 1949, the Samba was designed for football training. They got an update in the 1980s when the brand with the three stripes introduced the Samba Super. Complete with an extra-large ribbed tongue and chunky rubber toe cap, it was the suede version that Renton made his own.

Do The Right Thing (1989)

Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing was released in 1989 and was instantly a hit with early sneakerheads. With Lee himself falling weak at the knees for a pair of Jordans (he even wore them to the Oscars) and having an unrivalled collection of kicks, it's no surprise that Do The Right Thing is littered with leather, box-fresh gems.

Just in front of the Air Trainer IIIs, the Air Jordan IVs are the film's big hitters. The Tinker Hatfield-designed Jordan IV is a mid-top sneaker that featured a nubuck upper, mesh side panels and a unique triangular plastic piece attached to the heel connected to a plastic lace lock. You might (you should) recognise the line "He stepped on my brand-new white Jordans!", which is uttered by Buggin Out, played by Giancarlo Esposito, who has his Air Jordan IV White Cement's scuffed - Spike Lee's symbol of the gentrification of the Bronx.

Back To The Future Part II (1989)

The Air Mag was designed by Tinker Hatfield for the movie, notably when Doc Brown and Marty McFly travel forward to 2015. Featuring self-fastening laces and light-up panels, they were unlike anything seen before.

When Nike and Hatfield decided to make the trainers a reality in 2011, they were hugely popular and now sit as some of the most expensive kicks on the planet (you only need a cool £13,079 to own a pair).

If the Jordan brand wasn't a household name before the release of Space Jam, it certainly was afterwards. In Michael Jordan's big screen blockbuster, as well as seeing Air Jordan IIs on Bill Murray, we are given a glimpse of the Air Jordan XI " Space Jam" in the final play of the film. A black and white colourway, with cobalt Jordan branding, the XI " Space Jam " design was first introduced during the real-life 1995 NBA Playoffs and got a rerelease in 2016.

Worn by Sigourney Weaver's character Ellen Ripley in James Cameron's Aliens, Reebok's Stomper Alien was designed specifically for the film. Ripley's kicks came in a white and red colourway, feature dust bags and gave Weaver an amped-up badass image.

Another Spike Lee film, He Got Game is again a celebration of sneakers. Featuring Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Lows, Nike Air More Uptempo, Air Foamposite One "Royal" and Total Max Uptempo, to name a few, the Air Jordan XIII even has its own scene.

When Jake Shuttleworth, played by Denzel Washington, made his way to the sneaker store, there was only one pair of trainers he, and everyone watching, was after. The Air Jordan XIII had only released a matter of weeks earlier and credit goes to Lee for getting them in the film so quickly.

While you might think of Like Mike for Bow Wow's surprise casting, it deserves remembering as a culturally iconic film thanks to its inclusion of the Nike Blazers. Finding Michael Jordan's old pair, Bow Wow's character Calvin becomes an epic basketball player.

These white sneakers with a blue swoosh were a unique take on one of Nike's oldest trainer designs, which first saw the light of day in 1973 and were worn by the likes of basketball legend "Iceman" George Gervin. Featuring a leather upper, a mesh nylon tongue and a textured vulcanised rubber sole, the design was preferable for basketball in the 1970s.

Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)

A cinematic great, Kill Bill: Volume 1 is Quentin Tarantino's fourth film. Starring Uma Thurman as a nameless woman seeking revenge on her former hit squad, the film also has another major star: the Onitsuka Tiger Tai Chi LE.

This bright yellow design matches Thurman's beehive-ready yellow-and-black two-piece and has since become some of the most famous trainers on the big screen. Oh, and they have "Fuck U" moulded onto the soles. Iconic.

Today Onitsuka Tiger has a collaboration with Valentino on the go. Again, iconic.

Another Tom Hanks joint, the Penny Marshall-directed film features a pair of Nike's Air Force II kicks. Worn during the scene at FAO Schwarz by Tom Hanks, who plays Josh Baskin, the legendary Air Force II makes its big-screen debut. It originally released in 1986, and got a "retro" makeover (a move that sees Nike reintroduce a vintage design and sneakerheads anticipate) for the first time in 2002.

When Kyle Reese faces Terminator, before doing so he needs to be kitted out in, well, clothes. To do so he robs a department store and leaves with a pair of Nike Vandals. Launched back in the early 1980s when leg warmers were a national craze and synth-pop dominated airwaves, the Vandal came complete with a removable ankle strap on the high-top version and adopted a similar silhouette to that of the Air Force I.

In the 1993 baseball-centric movie The Sandlot, Benny "The Jet" Rodriquez sports a pair of PF Flyers when he takes on the beast. Founded in 1937, it is one of the original American sneaker brands and today is manufactured by New Balance. Rodriquez's kicks came in an all-black colourway and featured the Flyers' instantly recognisable white and green disk appliqué on the inside.

An iconic film made only better by the inclusion of an epic pair of kicks, The Goonies features a young Data in a pair of a customised Nike Sky Force Hi kicks. Always with a trick up his sleeves, Data's trainers were no different and came complete with hollowed-out heels that were fitted with a spring and a latch. Nike Sky Forces came out the same year as the first Air Jordan in 1984, but fell to the wayside because of the Jordan Brand's popularity.

The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

Although a relatively recent release, The Wolf Of Wall Street is a movie that is full to the brim of iconic moments, and lest we forget when a drug-addled Jordan Belfort has a run-in with his Lamborghini Countach. During the scene, which sees Leonardo DiCaprio essentially wreck a supercar worth $118,000 (when it went on sale in 1985), we are given a flash of a pair of Nike Cortez white and black kicks.
Best trainers in the world this week Best trainers of 2020 (so far) Best white trainers for men for that box-fresh look

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The most iconic trainers in movie history

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From Leonardo DiCaprio's Chuck Taylors to Ewan McGregor's Trainspotting Sambas.

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1. introduction介绍

- What is sneaker culture (define it, and then mention cultures that pioneered it)

-什么是运动鞋文化(定义它，然后提到它的先驱文化)

- Co-Branding:

Luxury Brands and Sportwswear synergy:

奢侈品牌和运动服装的协同作用：

Why do luxury brands want to collaborate?

奢侈品牌为何要合作？

What is the purpose? 什么目的？

(audience extention, income extention, meaning extention)

（受众延伸、收入延伸、意义延伸）

2. Sneaker Culture in moving image (feature films):

运动影像中的运动鞋文化（故事片）：

- Where do we see sneaker culture in Feature films?

我们在故事片中哪里可以看到运动鞋文化？

What is the significance of this product placement in the film's narrative e.g. spider man movie features Air Jordans, Kill Bill

这种植入式广告在电影叙事中的意义是什么？蜘蛛侠电影以 Air Jordan 和《杀死比尔》为特色

3. Sneaker Culture in Fashion Film

时尚电影中的运动鞋文化

- How does fashion film as a format serve sneaker culture?

时尚电影作为一种形式如何服务球鞋文化？

- Case Studies of fashion films that promote sneaker culture

弘扬球鞋文化的时尚电影案例

- textual analysis

文本分析

- draw links to the definition of sneaker culture and the history of sneaker culture and how it is reflected in these contemproary fashion films.

联系运动鞋文化的定义和运动鞋文化的历史，以及它如何在这些当代时尚电影中体现。

4. Conclusion: Whats next for sneaker culture

结论：运动鞋文化的下一步是什么

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这些款式中包含了经典的签名鞋，如迈克尔·乔丹和科比·布莱恩特的系列，以及与流行艺术家和设计师如坎耶·韦斯特和维吉尔·阿布洛的合作款式。

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这些款式中包含了经典的签名鞋，如迈克尔·乔丹和科比·布莱恩特的系列，以及与流行艺术家和设计师如坎耶·韦斯特和维吉尔·阿布洛的合作款式。

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1. Nike Air Jordan I

2. Nike Air Jordan II

3. Nike Air Jordan III

4. Nike Air Jordan IV

5. Nike Air Jordan V

6. Nike Foamposites

7. Reebok Questions

8. Adidas Crazy Eights

9. Nike Kobe IV

10. Reebok Pump

11. Adidas Yeezy Boost 350

12. Adidas NMD（作为Human Race系列的一部分）

13. Off-White x Nike “The Ten”系列，包括重新构想的Air Jordan I和Air Force 1

14. Hardaway Galaxy Foamposite

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-1. What is sneaker culture (define it, and then mention cultures that pioneered it):

什么是运动鞋文化（定义它，然后提及开创它的文化）：

Sneaker culture refers to a subculture centered on the appreciation, collection, and wear of sneakers as fashion items rather than just practical sports gear. 运动鞋文化是指以运动鞋作为时尚单品而非实用运动装备的欣赏、收藏和穿着为中心的亚文化。It is characterized by individuals who are passionate about sneaker designs, history, and the social significance of sneakers. 它的特点是对运动鞋设计、历史和运动鞋的社会意义充满热情的人。This culture emerged from various influences, including basketball, hip-hop, and streetwear fashion, with its pioneers being urban male basketball fans in the United States. 这种文化受到篮球、嘻哈和街头时尚等多种影响的影响，其先驱是美国城市男性篮球迷。The Air Jordan I release in 1985 is often cited as a kickstart of sneaker subculture, which expanded to include a diverse group of enthusiasts beyond athletes, such as musicians and fashion designers.1985 年发布的 Air Jordan I 通常被认为是运动鞋亚文化的启动，该亚文化已扩展到包括运动员以外的各种爱好者群体，例如音乐家和时装设计师。

-2.- Co-Branding: Luxury Brands and Sportwswear synergy: 奢侈品牌和运动服装的协同作用： Why do luxury brands want to collaborate? 奢侈品牌为何要合作？

Co-Branding between luxury brands and sportswear creates a synergy where both sectors benefit from the merging of high fashion prestige and the mass appeal of sportswear. Luxury brands seek collaboration with sportswear for several reasons:

奢侈品牌和运动服之间的联合品牌创造了协同效应，两个行业都受益于高级时尚声誉和运动服大众吸引力的融合。奢侈品牌寻求与运动服饰合作有以下几个原因：

1. Audience Extension:受众延伸： Collaborations allow luxury brands to reach a wider, often younger audience that is engaged with sportswear but might not typically interact with luxury fashion. 合作让奢侈品牌能够接触到更广泛、通常更年轻的受众，这些受众喜欢运动装，但通常不会与奢侈时尚互动。It introduces luxury brands to new demographics, potentially converting them into future customers.它将奢侈品牌介绍给新的人群，有可能将他们转化为未来的客户。

2. Income Extension: 收入延伸：Collaborating with sportswear brands can lead to a new revenue stream for luxury brands. 与运动服装品牌合作可以为奢侈品牌带来新的收入来源。By entering the more accessible sportswear market, they can increase sales volume, benefiting from the scale that their high-fashion lines may not achieve alone.通过进入更容易进入的运动服装市场，他们可以增加销量，并受益于其高级时装系列可能无法单独实现的规模。

3. Meaning Extension: These collaborations imbue sportswear with a sense of exclusivity and prestige while allowing luxury brands to appear more modern, versatile, and relatable.这些合作为运动装注入了独特感和威望感，同时让奢侈品牌显得更加现代、多功能和相关。 It’s a cultural exchange that enriches the brand identity and narrative of both parties.这是一种文化交流，丰富了双方的品牌形象和叙事。

The goal is to blend the creativity and cachet of luxury brands with the widespread popularity and practicality of sportswear, often resulting in unique, highly sought-after products that can redefine trends and influence mainstream fashion.其目标是将奢侈品牌的创造力和声望与运动服的广泛流行和实用性相融合，往往会产生独特的、备受追捧的产品，可以重新定义趋势并影响主流时尚。

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The following examples support the development of sneaker as a subculture combining sports and fashion:

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The following examples support the development of sneaker as a subculture combining sports and fashion:

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以下例子支持了球鞋作为运动与时尚结合的亚文化发展：

In the aforementioned sneaker culture, the following examples support the development of sneakers as a subculture that combines both athletics and fashion:

1. Nike Kobe IV - 这款球鞋在2008年发布，它的设计打破了运动鞋与时尚鞋的界限，通过低帮设计和新技术，同时吸引了追求性能和外观的消费者。Released in 2008, this sneaker design blurred the lines between athletic and fashion footwear with its low-top design and new technology, appealing to consumers seeking both performance and style.

2. 设计师合作 - 菲瑞尔·威廉姆斯、坎耶·韦斯特和维吉尔·阿布洛等人将自己的艺术视角融入球鞋设计，推动了球鞋文化的发展。例如，阿布洛与耐克的“十件”合作和韦斯特的Yeezy系列。Figures such as Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, and Virgil Abloh have infused their artistic perspectives into sneaker design, propelling sneaker culture forward. For instance, Abloh's "The Ten" collaboration with Nike and West's Yeezy series.

3. 奢侈品合作 - 球鞋与高端时尚品牌的合作，如Off-White和耐克的合作，以及阿迪达斯和Pharrell的Human Race系列，这些合作让运动鞋走进了高级时装的领域。Sneakers have collaborated with high-end fashion brands, such as the Off-White and Nike partnership, and the Adidas and Pharrell Human Race series, moving sportswear into the realm of haute couture.

4. 球鞋在正式场合的穿着 - 例如，安迪·萨姆伯格在2009年MTV音乐奖上搭配Reebok Pump和西装的装扮，表明球鞋已经跨入了正式场合。The wearing of sneakers in formal occasions, as exemplified by Andy Samberg pairing Reebok Pumps with a suit at the 2009 MTV Music Awards, indicates that sneakers have crossed into formal wear.

5. 球鞋转售市场的兴起 - 球鞋文化的扩张导致转售市场的兴盛，限量发售和高转售价值使球鞋成为了投资和收藏的对象。The expansion of sneaker culture has led to the prosperity of the resale market, with limited releases and high resale values turning sneakers into objects of investment and collection.

这些例子展示了球鞋如何从单一的运动功能鞋演变为时尚和生活方式的标志，并在多种文化中找到了自己的位置。

These examples demonstrate how sneakers have evolved from being solely functional athletic shoes to symbols of fashion and lifestyle, finding their place across diverse cultures.

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Sneaker: Onitsuka Tiger Tai Chi LE                        Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)

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Sneaker: Onitsuka Tiger Tai Chi LE                        Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)

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As with most of Quentin Tarantino’s oeuvre, this memorable sneaker moment was pilfered from the greats of Asian cinema, in a nod to Bruce Lee’s iconic yellow-and-black fighting suit complete with matching Onitsuka Tigers. However, while Lee rocked the Mexico 66 silhouette, the Bride opted for the more streamlined Tai Chi LE model. Though the scene certainly did the costuming justice, down to the shot from underneath that highlights the ornate “Fuck U” etched into the soles.

就像昆汀·塔伦蒂诺的大部分作品一样，这一令人难忘的运动鞋时刻是从亚洲电影巨头那里偷来的，这是对李小龙标志性的黄黑相间的战斗服的赞许。然而，虽然李震撼了墨西哥66的轮廓，新娘选择了更流线型的太极模式。虽然这场戏无疑是为了打扮正义，但从下面的镜头可以看出，在鞋底上刻有华丽的“该死的U”。

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Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (7/12) Movie CLIP - The Bride Arrives (2003) HD

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Sneaker: Nike Cortez                                             Forrest Gump (1994)  

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Sneaker: Nike Cortez                                             Forrest Gump (1994)  

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Nike’s Cortez silhouette is one of the brand’s most iconic, but it would be amiss to not give credit to Forrest Gump for boosting its popularity. After Jenny gifts Forrest a pair of the OG White/Varsity Royal/Varsity Red colorway, he’s seen running literally all over the country in them, harkening back to the sneaker’s original purpose as Nike’s first track shoe.

耐克的Cortez轮廓是该品牌最具代表性的标志之一，但如果不把功劳归于Forrest Gump，那将是错误的。在珍妮送给阿甘一双OG White/Varsity Royal/Varsity Red配色的鞋子后，他看到自己穿着这双鞋在全国各地奔跑，回想起这双运动鞋作为耐克第一款田径鞋的初衷。

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The rapid growth of the sneaker market has come to an end, posing challenges for major brands like Adidas and Nike, who are grappling with overstock and cooling demand. Despite this, niche brands and newcomers may find opportunities to thrive.运动鞋市场的快速增长已经结束，这给阿迪达斯和耐克等主要品牌带来了挑战，这些品牌正在努力应对库存过剩和需求降温的问题。尽管如此，小众品牌和新来者可能会找到蓬勃发展的机会。

Key insights include:

Nike and Adidas face the challenge of excess inventory and declining relevance of certain sneaker models.

耐克和阿迪达斯面临库存过剩和某些运动鞋型号相关性下降的挑战。

Smaller brands like On, Salomon, and Asics are gaining market share as consumers seek alternatives to hyped basketball sneakers.随着消费者寻找大肆宣传的篮球运动鞋的替代品，On、Salomon 和 Asics 等较小品牌正在赢得市场份额。

Sneakers remain far from obsolete; they still comprise a large portion of luxury brand products.运动鞋还远未过时。它们仍然占奢侈品牌产品的很大一部分。

Sneakers, once the hottest category for brands and retailers, are being overshadowed by styles like mules and loafers, which better represent the current dominant style in menswear.运动鞋曾经是品牌和零售商最热门的品类，但现在却被穆勒鞋和乐福鞋等款式所掩盖，而穆勒鞋和乐福鞋更能代表当前男装的主导风格。

The overall variety of men's sneakers has decreased by 5% from 2019 to the end of 2022, while categories like sandals, mules, and clogs have grown by 5%.从 2019 年到 2022 年底，男士运动鞋的总体品种减少了 5%，而凉鞋、穆勒鞋和木底鞋等类别则增长了 5%。

The shift towards these smaller brands and performance-inspired footwear categories like Asics, Athletics Footwear, and Merrell is driven by factors such as the rise of performance-inspired footwear.向这些较小品牌和性能鞋类（如 Asics、Athletics Footwear 和 Merrell）的转变是由性能鞋类的兴起等因素推动的。

Nike and Adidas will need to clear excess stock quickly and continue to offer novelty to succeed.耐克和阿迪达斯需要迅速清理多余的库存，并继续提供新颖的产品才能取得成功。

Despite the challenges, Nike's profits for December exceeded expectations after a surge in sales of discounted footwear and apparel before the holidays.尽管面临挑战，耐克12月份的利润还是超出了预期，因为节前折扣鞋类和服装的销量激增。

Both Nike and Adidas have opportunities to capitalize on the shift in consumer preference towards preppy styles.耐克和阿迪达斯都有机会利用消费者对学院风偏好的转变。

The worst may be over for these giants as Nike's stock price surged last month with a 28% increase in sales.对于这些巨头来说，最糟糕的时期可能已经过去，上个月耐克股价飙升，销售额增长了 28%。

The sneaker market, after a decade of significant growth, has solidified its place as an essential wardrobe item, now dominating 55% of the luxury brand men's shoe variety.

We are still in a sneaker-centric world, and during economic downturns, sneakers tend to perform better than the market overall.运动鞋市场经过十年的显着增长，已经巩固了其作为衣橱必备单品的地位，目前占据了奢侈品牌男鞋品种 55% 的主导地位。我们仍然处于一个以运动鞋为中心的世界，在经济低迷时期，运动鞋的表现往往好于整体市场。

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Last year, the sneaker market finally ran out of steam.

Bloated inventories, declining sales in China and a high-profile fallout with a controversial celebrity ambassador posed challenges for the category's biggest players, Nike and Adidas. On the resale market, some of the most coveted shoes, such as the Jordan 1 Dark Marina Blue and Jordan 1 Heritage were trading below their original retail value, as consumers got tired of following drop after drop.

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Most critically, sneakers' high-growth phase appears to be over. Global sneaker sales totalled $152.4 billion in 2022 according to Euromonitor, reflecting a 2.7 percent increase in sales from the year before but a dramatic slowdown compared with the 19.5 percent spike in 2021. Now through 2027, the category is projected to grow at an annual average rate of 3.6 percent.

Once the hottest footwear category for brands and retailers, sneakers are losing floor space to mules and loafers, which better represent the preppy style that currently dominates menswear. The overall assortment of men's sneakers dropped 5 percent between 2019 and the end of 2022, according to a recent BoF Insights report on the category. Meanwhile, sandals, mules and clogs saw a 5 percent increase in the same period.

"It's the cyclical nature of fashion - sneakers have certainly enjoyed a steady stream of success over the recent years, so history would tell us we may now see a shift away from the product," said Tim Newcomb, a journalist and footwear specialist.

Despite its waning growth potential, the sneaker is hardly obsolete; it's simply entering a new phase.

In this new chapter for the market, incumbents will face deepening challenges from newcomers and niche brands like Asics, Salomon and Mizuno, according to Matt Powell, a retail and sporting goods analyst at The NPD Group. These performance brands, and others like Swiss running brand On have increasingly become adopted for non-sporting use in recent years, being stocked at fashion-forward retailers, on the runway at fashion week shows and worn by celebrities for red carpet appearances.

But Nike and Adidas will also have ample opportunity for growth. Their success, analysts say, lies in how quickly they can clear excess inventory and continue to deliver freshness. Nike posted earnings which beat expectations in December after customers snapped up its discounted footwear and apparel in large quantities ahead of the holiday season. Credit Suisse analysts noted that the brand's inventory issues and declining sales in China had already reached a bottom. Adidas, meanwhile, could see a renewed sense of growth under new chief executive, Bjørn Gulden. The rollout of its Fear of God Athletics collaboration could elevate the brand's lifestyle offering.

Smaller Players Gain

There will always be demand for sneaker lines like Air Jordan 1s, Nike Dunks and Air Force 1s, but many consumers are seeking out alternatives like Swiss running brand On and Japanese performance brand Mizuno.

These styles also favour the new preppy look, and complement chinos, cargo pants and cardigans better than traditional hype sneakers, which tend to be high-top basketball styles.

The shift towards these smaller brands, and others such as Asics, Athletics Footwear and Merrell, was prompted by factors such as the rise of performance-inspired footwear, known as sportstyle (a design aesthetic which takes cues from performance footwear, like waterproofing or sole construction), according to Newcomb.

From January to September last year, Asics increased revenue from its sportstyle footwear products by 18 percent to ¥31,443 million ($229 million) compared to the same period the year before, while On's total revenue for the first half of last year was CHF 527.3 ($567 million), a 67.2 percent increase from the first half of 2021. On sneaker resale platform StockX, Salomon was the fastest-growing sneaker brand in the second half of 2022, trading up more than 2,000 percent year-over-year, according to data from StockX.

These brands have also become coveted collaborators in the industry: Salomon drove excitement in its sportstyle line with tie-ups with Comme des Garçons, Kith and Maison Margiela's diffusion label, MM6.

What's In Store for Nike and Adidas?

The world's biggest sneaker players suffered major blows in 2022, and whether they can get back on track will depend on how fast they can clear their inventory oversupply and launch products that better suit the new preppy look.

Nike's pile-up totalled $9.3 billion in the quarter ending Nov. 30, up 43 percent year-on-year, while Adidas' ended its most recent quarter with €6.3 billion ($6.7 billion) in inventory, up 73 percent from the same period last year.

For Adidas, the oversupply comes with an extra hurdle: Yeezy. The termination of its partnership with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, could cost the brand €1.8 billion ($1.9 billion) in lost revenues in 2022 alone, RBC Capital analysts estimate.

And without a culturally forward collaborator, Adidas is missing the hype factor and credibility it once had. In 2022, it cut its profit forecast four times, from an initial target of €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) target down to €250 million.

Both Adidas and Nike will have to contend with sinking sales in China, where more consumers now favour domestic brands like local sneaker giants Anta and Li-Ning.

But the worst may be over. Nike shares spiked last month after posting a 28 percent sales increase compared to the year prior and significant progress on its "aggressive" promotional strategy.

Both companies made attempts last year to capitalise on the consumer shift to preppier styles. Adidas' Gazelle and Samba lines gained widespread popularity once again, as well as its ever-present Stan Smith sneaker. Meanwhile, Nike tapped American artist Tom Sachs to design a "general purpose" lifestyle shoe, of which Nike produced sufficient quantities so that more customers could get their hands on them - a departure from the brand's usual scarcity playbook.

White Space Remains

Despite the growing playing field, investors are still bullish - especially on newcomers.

In December, sneaker design startup FCTRY Lab raised $6 million in seed funding. The goal of the founder, former head of Yeezy-Adidas Innovation Lab Omar Bailey, is to make sneaker production more accessible by open-sourcing design and innovation.

And earlier in the fall, UK-based reseller Kick Game received a £3.5 million ($4.3 million) private equity investment, and is widely reported to be exploring a £150 million sale at the end of 2022.

Like any discretionary category, the sneaker market will face difficult macroeconomic conditions in 2023 as overall consumer demand cools. But the shoe has cemented itself as a wardrobe staple after a decade of immense growth - it currently dominates the majority, or 55 percent, of assortments for men's footwear at luxury brands, the BoF Insights report found.

"We remain in a sneaker world," Powell said. "Athletic footwear has always performed better than the market in a recession."

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Hyper Growth Is Over for Sneakers. What's Next?

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As incumbents like Adidas and Nike grapple with a cooling market, niche players and newcomers have an opportunity to flourish.

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An in-depth examination of the culture and fashion of the sneaker, from its creation as athletic wear to its place as a cornerstone in hip-hop fashion.深入探讨运动鞋的文化和时尚，从运动鞋的诞生到其作为嘻哈时尚基石的地位。

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An in-depth look into the exploding subculture of sneaker collecting and the widespread influence it has had on popular culture around the world.

深入探讨运动鞋收藏的爆炸性亚文化及其对世界各地流行文化的广泛影响。

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The article "Adidas Yeezy sneakers: The rise, fall, and current state of the market" by Stefan Von Imhof, Stefan Von Imhof 的文章“阿迪达斯 Yeezy 运动鞋：市场的兴起、下跌和现状”，featuring insights from James Platt, aka The Sneaker Savant, provides a comprehensive look at the journey of the Adidas Yeezy collaboration with Kanye West. 詹姆斯·普拉特（又名“运动鞋专家”）的见解全面介绍了阿迪达斯 Yeezy 与坎耶·韦斯特 (Kanye West) 的合作历程。

Here’s a summary of the key points:

Rise to Popularity: The Adidas Yeezy collaboration began with the release of the Yeezy Boost 750 in 2015, offering a unique design that quickly became a lifestyle staple. 人气上升：阿迪达斯 Yeezy 合作始于 2015 年发布 Yeezy Boost 750，其独特的设计迅速成为生活方式的必备品。Its distinctive aesthetics and Kanye West's influence helped Yeezys compete with the dominant Air Jordan brand.其独特的美学和 Kanye West 的影响力帮助 Yeezys 与占主导地位的 Air Jordan 品牌竞争

Cultural Shift: The article captures a shift in sneaker culture as observed by the author during a family trip, noting the prevalence of Yeezys over Nike and Jordan, a stark change from the past.

文化转变：这篇文章捕捉到了作者在一次家庭旅行中观察到的运动鞋文化的转变，指出 Yeezys 相对于 Nike 和 Jordan 的流行程度，与过去相比发生了明显的变化。

Kanye's Controversy: The piece discusses Kanye West's controversial statements, which led to Adidas terminating their partnership in October 2022. Kanye 的争议：这篇文章讨论了 Kanye West 的争议性言论，这些言论导致阿迪达斯于 2022 年 10 月终止了合作关系。Despite this, a deal was struck to sell remaining Yeezy inventory, with some proceeds going to charity.尽管如此，还是达成了出售剩余 Yeezy 库存的协议，部分收益将捐献给慈善机构。

Market Analysis: James Platt reflects on the investment potential of Yeezys, considering the fluctuating resale market. 考虑到不断波动的转售市场，James Platt 反思了 Yeezys 的投资潜力。He notes the inflation and subsequent stabilization of prices for certain Yeezy models due to Adidas's strategy of re-releasing popular models.他指出，由于阿迪达斯重新发布热门型号的策略，某些 Yeezy 型号的通货膨胀和随后的价格稳定。

Ethical Considerations: The article delves into the ethical implications of supporting the Yeezy brand in light of Kanye West's actions, framing it within a larger context of consumer ethics and environmental impact.这篇文章根据 Kanye West 的行为深入探讨了支持 Yeezy 品牌的道德含义，并将其置于消费者道德和环境影响的更大背景下。

Future Prospects: Justin Truong, CEO of PUSHAS, provides insight into the current state of the Yeezy market post-termination, noting a reduced supply but a gradual increase in demand and prices. PUSHAS 首席执行官 Justin Truong 深入分析了 Yeezy 终止后的市场现状，指出供应减少，但需求和价格逐渐增加。He also comments on the resilience of the sneaker resale market in a weak macroeconomic environment.他还评论了在疲弱的宏观经济环境下运动鞋转售市场的弹性。

Closing Thoughts: The author reflects on the unexpected impact Kanye West had on the sneaker industry and the ongoing ethical and economic considerations for Yeezy owners and investors.作者反思了 Kanye West 对运动鞋行业的意外影响，以及 Yeezy 所有者和投资者持续的道德和经济考虑。

The article ends by discussing the continued interest in Yeezys despite the controversies and suggests that their value may rise again as consumer memories fade and the market adjusts to the new status quo.

文章最后讨论了尽管存在争议，但人们对 Yeezys 的持续兴趣，并表明随着消费者记忆的衰退和市场适应新的现状，它们的价值可能会再次上升。

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Today, we have a special guest post from community member James Platt, aka ​The Sneaker Savant​.

James has been collecting sneakers for 20 years and has authenticated and graded over 20,000 pairs of kicks. He writes about the sneaker industry on his ​Twitter​ and ​Substack​.

In this week's issue, James dives into the history of the fashion collaboration between Adidas and Kanye West, and the iconic collectible shoe they created together, the Yeezy.

He talks about their rise to glory, the battle against Air Jordans for sneaker supremacy, the fall from grace, and where things stand today.

Even if you're not into sneaker culture, there's a lot to learn here about pop culture, "cancel culture," and the ethics of investing in this alternative asset class.

This issue also contains quotes and commentary from ​Justin Truong​, founder and CEO of ​PUSHAS​, the rapidly growing sneaker marketplace.

Let's go 👇

Lebron vs Jordan: The GOAT of sneakers

I've been known as "The Sneaker Savant" for over a decade, and consider myself an expert in the space. But I'll never forget the last time someone called me out on my nickname.

The year was 2015. I was at Buffalo Wild Wings with a couple of friends, elbow-deep in some lemon pepper wings and a couple of pitchers of Blue Moon.

My friend from The Bronx was on my right, and another friend from Long Beach was on my left. This was their first time meeting. East coast meets west coast.

I had just launched ​The Sneaker Savant​ in 2014, so it was time for me to start discussing sneakers. Specifically, we discussed what the future held now that the industry was moving past Michael Jordan as the ​GOAT​.

We drunkenly argued over how and who would take the throne for hours. LeBron James was one possible candidate. His sneaker line debuted in 2003 with the LeBron Air Zoom, and continued to evolve into some ​really cool designs​.

That year, LeBron also brokered his famous ​lifetime deal with Nike​, guaranteeing him at least $1 billion and making him Nike's first "lifetime athlete."

We all begrudgingly agreed LeBron would take the reins. It was only a question of when.

I declared it would happen in 5 years. My friends disagreed. "No way," they said. 10-15 years at least. Their argument was simple: nobody, not even LeBron James, could hold a candle to MJ's sneaker legacy. (The debate rages on today)

A sneaker savant? Psh. Hardly. Boy, did I end up taking it on the chin.

My timeline was correct. We would have a new sneaker king within 5 years.

But my prediction for who it would be was dead wrong.

A new generation of sneakerheads arrives

Fast forward to 2022. My family and I are at the airport. Our first trip since the beginning of the pandemic. Destination: Hawaii.

My pre-trip "sneaker selection process" is always a battle. I settled on my ​Air Jordan 1 x Lance Mountain SBs​, Nike Air Rifts, and not one, but TWO pairs of my trusty ​Nike Waffle Racers​.

As we juggle kids, luggage, and breakfast, I jump through hoops to shield my AJ1's from any collateral damage.

But something feels different. My blood runs cold for a moment, as something heavy dawns on me.

I realize I no longer have my finger on the pulse of what's going on with youth sneaker culture. I suddenly feel old.

I look around the airport and realize that Nike and Jordan, once ubiquitous, are noticeably less popular.

What took their place? Adidas Yeezys.

Jumping over the "Jumpman"

It's hard to explain the impact Yeezys had when they first hit the scene.

You can love them or hate them, but one thing's for sure: They looked like nothing else out there.

The high-top sneakers featured a full suede upper body, the infamous cross-strap, a full-length zipper and the iconic, exaggerated BOOST sole. The design was inspired by ​Australian UGG boots​, and seemed styled for ​Marty McFly​ from Back to the Future - a comfy look with a futuristic edge. They looked equally as good when matched with jeans or joggers as with sweats or track pants.

Back at the airport, Yeezys were on practically every foot but my own. ​350 v2's​, ​Foam Runners​, ​Slides​, even a few pairs of ​Wave Runners​. The sight was disorienting. What was happening? When did everyone suddenly care about shoes?!

But the real surprise came next. As we traveled from airport to airport, I saw three middle-aged couples wearing Yeezys. None of them fit the typical "sneakerhead" mold. These were folks in their mid-30s to mid-40s. All of them wearing matching Yeezys.

I felt like I'd taken a huge dose of crazy pills.

I was struck by how far we had strayed from the "LeBron vs Jordan" debate back in 2015. Old-school sneakerheads like me were blindsided by this shift.

A decade earlier, nobody could have predicted this. At the time, there was a massive financial gap between Nike and Adidas, and the idea that a non-basketball star, let alone a rapper like Kanye West, would surpass Michael Jordan as the king of footwear seemed ludicrous.

But as Kanye arrogantly predicted in his ​diss track​ targeting the famous ​Air Jordan Jumpman logo​, it appears Yeezy has indeed jumped over the Jumpman.

The rise of Yeezys

Kanye began his footwear journey with some small collaborations in 2003.

In 2007 he ​partnered with Bathing Ape​ to commemorate the release of his album The College Dropout.

The first Yeezy actually came through a partnership with Nike, not Adidas. This 2009 collab led to two game-changing models: the Nike Yeezy 1 and the Nike Yeezy 2.

But Kanye didn't stick with Nike. His issue was that they ​weren't paying him royalties​ on each sale.

The new movie tells the story of Michael Jordan's big shoe deal with Nike in the 1980s. In one of the film's most important scenes, Jordan's mom is speaking with a Nike executive. she insists that Michael receive a cut of every shoe sold - a concept totally unheard of at the time.

Nike made the deal, and the rest is history.

After voicing dissatisfaction with Nike, Kanye (who legally changed his name to " ​Ye​") jumped ship, drawn to Adidas by ​Jon Wexler​. "Wex" promised more creative control and better royalties. And boy, did he deliver.

Since the debut of Yeezy 750, Adidas has rolled out around 20 different Yeezy models, and 300+ color variations. ​Adidas finally surpassed the Jordan brand​. Things were going extremely well, and everyone was happy.

But in 2022, the wheels began to fall off.

Kanye's downfall

At the best of times, Ye says some stupid stuff.

Ever the outspoken artist, many recall how he infamously ​interrupted Taylor Swift's speech at the 2009 VMAs​.

But at the worst of times, he's said stuff that is flat-out racist. All of this came to a head in an interview between Ye and political commentator Alex Jones, where he went on a tirade ​praising Hitler​.

It didn't end there. In a ​now-deleted tweet​, Kanye claimed he was going "death con 3 on Jewish people." He also posted an image of a swastika. This was too much even for free speech "absolutist" Elon Musk, who was forced to take action and ban Ye from the site.

This all put Adidas in a very tough position.

After a few weeks, the company realized their relationship with Ye was untenable, and ​terminated their partnership with Ye​ in October 2022.

But the sneaker giant faced a problem. Even though they wouldn't be making any new Yeezys, they were suddenly stuck with $1.3b in Yeezy inventory.

So in February 2023, Adidas and Ye ​negotiated a deal​ allowing Adidas to sell their remaining $500 million worth of Yeezys. 15% of profits would go to Ye, and an undisclosed amount would go to charities affected by his rants.

Are Yeezys a good investment today?

I've struggled a bit with the idea of turning a profit from Yeezys. Sure, I've bought and sold a few pairs, but they've never been my primary focus.

Pre-Yeezys, if you managed to snag a sought-after pair of ​Jordans​ or ​Dunks​, you could usually flip them for double the retail price, albeit with some risk. There were no marketplaces to track prices. Sales were confined to eBay, Craigslist, or forums like ​Niketalk​ and ​Solecollector​.

Whenever a new hot shoe was released, I had to ask myself, "If these don't resell for more than retail, would I actually wear them?"

That's where Yeezys fell short for me - they just weren't my style. And that's okay! But it meant their typical retail price of $250 - $350 felt steep.

I only questioned my decision to pass on them in 2014, when I saw an eBay seller called ​New York & Company​ listing ​Red Octobers​ for a staggering $15,000/pair. The idea of paying $15k for anything besides a car was pure insanity to me.

Non-Adidas Yeezys and some of those earlier collaborations have seen significant appreciation in value. In 2021, a performance-worn Nike Yeezy 1 prototype ​was sold to a startup​ for $1.8m. (Just a few days ago, Michael Jordan's ​"flu game" shoes​ sold for $1.38m)

Adidas, on the other hand, seems rather indifferent to the Yeezy resale market. They often re-release popular models, deflating the value of once-iconic pairs.

The ​Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Zebra​ is a perfect example. Immediately after release, it was selling for ~10x the retail price. But after multiple re-releases, its current price hovers around $470, about ~2x the original retail price.

The ethical dilemma of Yeezys

There are a lot of questions about Yeezys' place in the sneaker world. I field quite a few on my ​Instagram​.

Amid these questions, it's noteworthy to mention that Goodwill - yes, ​that Goodwill​- has directed its employees to ​discard Yeezys​ instead of donating them. Many others are wrestling with this complex ethical dilemma.

I tell people who ask me: Do whatever you feel is right.

Why single out Yeezys as morally dubious when, in reality, moral ambiguities exist in nearly every consumer product on the planet? From iPhones that rely on ​mined cobalt​, to cars and oil, to ​clothes​, to our food supply. If you look critically, all of these come with their own ethical baggage.

It's important to remember that 25 billion pairs of shoes are produced each year - three pairs for every person on the planet - and they are exceptionally carbon-intensive. A staggering ​1.4% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions​ come from sneaker production (!) To put that in perspective, the air travel industry, infamous for its heavy environmental impact, contributes 2.5%.

My point isn't that sneakers are bad. My point is that the Yeezy issue brings up important questions about what sneakers should represent for us sneakerheads:

Are they functional products to protect your feet?

Are they financial investments?

Are they a method of self-expression?

Are they a tangible tribute to music you love?

Are they meant to show your alignment with a brand?

In one sense, wearing a pair of shoes could mean you support Ye's anti-semitic views. In another sense, if Adidas decided to destroy 6 million pairs of Yeezys still in stock, it would have created a bigger environmental impact than the ​Atari Video Game Burial of 1983​.

There are no easy answers here. But it's wise to understand that our consumer decisions have societal, environmental and personal implications.

What does the future hold for Yeezys?

​Justin Truong​ is the founder and CEO of ​PUSHAS​, a popular and rapidly-growing sneaker marketplace.

Since Justin is on the front lines of the sneaker resale market, we asked him for his opinion on Yeezys and the sneaker market at large.
What changes have you seen in supply and demand for Yeezys since the termination?

Supply has definitely reduced over the past 6 months. For the first 3-4 months after it happened, despite the reduced supply, Yeezy prices were stagnant. But demand has slowly crept up over the past 2 months or so. With that said, Adidas has released new Yeezy stock into the market earlier this month, and they haven't done too well on the secondary market yet.

How have prices been affected?

In the first few months after the announcement, prices rose very slowly. My guess is that even though we had a low supply, this was all happening in conjunction with the weak macro environment. So they kind of balanced themselves out. In a better environment, prices would likely have shot up far more. I anticipate that prices will slowly rise on these sneakers over the next 3-6 months.

How is the sneaker resale market doing in general?

There's good and bad news. First, the good news: Sales volume is still incredibly great and growing. We've still seen substantial business growth despite a terrible macro environment over the last 12 to 18 months. The bad news is that while volume is up, prices aren't appreciating as quickly. Brands like Nike are artificially pulling back supply, so there haven't been many interesting releases lately. Hopefully we'll see more interesting things in the 2nd half of the year. In the meantime, buyers are moving towards lower-priced entry sneakers. Jordan 1 lows, Dunks, Sambas.

Any other thoughts on the sneaker market?

I'm actually surprised at how defensive an asset class sneakers can be. Our PUSHAS Sneaker Fund didn't have a pullback at all - just lower growth. To be candid, I anticipated us to perform worse, as people had less discretionary income. But it surprised us on the upside. Sneakers don't have big swings in price movements vs other alternative assets. My guess is because supply continues to decrease after each drop, and brands are always tweaking release quantities, so there's always limited supply in the market - even for more "general release" type stock.

Closing thoughts

Nobody anticipated the impact Kanye West would have upon the sneaker industry.

Sure, he's one of the world's most famous rappers. And his fandom probably extends as far as Michael Jordan's, if not further.

But when Adidas surpassed the Jordan brand in 2017, it was thanks almost entirely to Yeezys.

The full ramifications of the Kanye/Adidas breakup are yet to be determined. In the meantime, Yeezy owners are presented with a bit of an ethical dilemma. Do they try and make a buck flipping their soon-to-be discontinued shoes? Do they wear them with pride? Do they donate them?

The sneaker market as a whole is holding up well in otherwise uncertain economic times, and Yeezy prices have slowly appreciated as supply has dwindled.

I think the poor macro environment, along with the moral questions above, will prevent Yeezys from shooting upwards. At least in the short term.

But people have short memories, and if social media has taught us anything, it's that our short-term impulses don't always make for the smartest decisions.

The whole Yeezy debacle is no exception. Don't be surprised if these climb up once again. 👟

Further reading

Adidas confirms it will ​continue to use Yeezy designs​ even after parting ways

After much uncertainty over how (or if) it would sell, Adidas ​sold out of its first Yeezy merch drop in just two days​.

Massive ​Bloomberg report​ on sneakers as an asset class

Listen to our ​podcast with Justin Truong​

​Unbreakable Kicks​ is a YouTuber with a collection worth $350,000

Jordan Michael Geller is arguably the world's biggest sneakerhead. In 2010, Geller opened the​Shoezeum​ in Las Vegas.

​Always Legit​ provides sneaker research, product sourcing, authentication, storage, insurance, and asset ownership on-chain.

​Rares​ is a marketplace for investing in ultra-rare, vintage, and collectible sneakers starting at $10/share.

Disclosures

We do not yet have any sneaker investments in our ​ALTS 1 Fund​. We will likely be adding some.

Stefan is long $NKE. Otherwise, we have no investments in any companies or entities mentioned in this issue.

This issue contains affiliate links to ​StockX​.

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Adidas Yeezy Sneakers: The Rise, Fall, And Current State Of The Market - Alts.co

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In this special guest issue, James Platt writes about Yeezy's rise to glory, the battle against Air Jordans for sneaker supremacy, the fall from grace, and where things stand today.

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#PUMAxBALMAIN CREATED WITH CARA DELEVINGNE

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#LVandNike “Air Force 1” Savoir-Faire | LOUIS VUITTON

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The Making of the adidas x Gucci Gazelle

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GIVENCHY | The TK-360 sneakers savoir-faire

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A New Chapter for Salomon | Tomorrow is Yours

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Follows the history of sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro, and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball, Michael Jordan.

讲述体育营销主管桑尼·瓦卡罗 (Sonny Vaccaro) 的历史，以及他如何带领耐克追逐篮球史上最伟大的运动员迈克尔·乔丹 (Michael Jordan)。

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Watch the official "Are Those My Jordans?" clip from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse! In theaters now. Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered.

请看《蜘蛛侠:穿越平行宇宙》的官方片段“那是我的乔丹鞋吗?”现在正在电影院上映。迈尔斯·莫拉莱斯(Miles Morales)将回归奥斯卡获奖蜘蛛侠传奇的下一章，这是一场史诗般的冒险，将布鲁克林的全职友好邻居蜘蛛侠穿越多元宇宙，与格温·史黛西(Gwen Stacy)和一支新的蜘蛛人团队一起对抗一个比他们遇到的任何东西都强大的反派。

© Sony Pictures

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Clip - “Are Those My Jordans?” (2023)

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Fashion film, as a format, serves sneaker culture in multiple ways:

时尚电影作为一种形式，以多种方式服务于运动鞋文化：

1. Showcasing Design and Aesthetics: Fashion films focus on visuals and can effectively showcase the design and aesthetic appeal of sneakers. They allow viewers to appreciate the craftsmanship and artistry that goes into creating sneakers.

展示设计与美感：时尚电影注重视觉效果，能有效展示运动鞋的设计与美感。它们让观众欣赏运动鞋制作过程中的工艺和艺术。

2. Storytelling: Through narrative-driven content, fashion films can tell the story behind a sneaker, including its inspiration, historical significance, or technical innovation. This can deepen consumer connection to the brand and its products.

通过叙事驱动的内容，时尚电影可以讲述运动鞋背后的故事，包括它的灵感、历史意义或技术创新。这可以加深消费者与品牌及其产品的联系。

3. Cultural Representation: Sneaker culture is deeply intertwined with various subcultures, including hip-hop, skateboarding, and sports. Fashion films can reflect these associations, further cementing the cultural status of sneakers.

文化表现：运动鞋文化与嘻哈、滑板和体育等各种亚文化深深交织在一起。时尚电影可以反映这些关联，进一步巩固运动鞋的文化地位。

4. Marketing and Hype Creation: By creating hype around new releases, fashion films can drive demand. Limited-edition launches, celebrity endorsements, and creative storytelling can create a buzz that becomes part of the culture itself.

5. 营销和炒作：通过围绕新上映的影片进行炒作，时尚电影可以推动需求。限量版发布、名人代言和创意故事讲述可以引起轰动，成为文化本身的一部分。

Case studies of fashion films that promote sneaker culture include:

Nike's Air Max Day Celebrations: Short films that both honor the history of the Air Max and showcase its future designs.

Nike 的 Air Max Day 庆祝活动：短片既纪念了 Air Max 的历史，又展示了其未来的设计。

Adidas Originals Campaigns: Films that often feature collaborations with artists and celebrities, embodying the cultural and creative aspects of sneaker culture.Adidas Originals 广告活动：经常与艺术家和名人合作的电影，体现运动鞋文化的文化和创意方面。

Puma's "Run The Streets": A campaign that uses urban settings and narratives to target the streetwear community and highlight their sneakers' versatility.

Puma 的“Run The Streets”：该活动利用城市环境和叙事来瞄准街头服饰群体，并强调其运动鞋的多功能性。

Textual analysis of these films often reveals a focus on individual expression, innovation, and a connection to the cultural zeitgeist. The language, music, and personalities featured all serve to align the brand with the sneaker culture's values.

对这些电影的文本分析常常揭示出对个人表达、创新以及与文化时代精神的联系的关注。语言、音乐和个性都有助于使品牌与运动鞋文化的价值观保持一致。

In drawing links to the definition and history of sneaker culture, we can see how contemporary fashion films reflect its evolution.对这些电影的文本分析常常揭示出对个人表达、创新以及与文化时代精神的联系的关注。语言、音乐和个性都有助于使品牌与运动鞋文化的价值观保持一致。 Originally functional athletic wear, sneakers have become symbols of identity and status. 运动鞋原本是功能性的运动服，如今已成为身份和地位的象征。Fashion films often reference historical moments in sneaker culture, such as the influence of Michael Jordan or the emergence of skateboarding sneakers, 时尚电影经常参考运动鞋文化的历史时刻，例如迈克尔·乔丹的影响或滑板运动鞋的出现，to establish a lineage and authenticity that resonate with both new and long-standing members of the culture.建立一种能与新老文化成员产生共鸣的血统和真实性。

These films do not merely sell a product; they sell a piece of culture, a community, and an identity. They reflect and shape how sneaker culture is perceived and experienced in contemporary society.

这些电影不只是销售产品；而是销售产品。他们出售一种文化、一个社区和一种身份。它们反映并塑造了当代社会如何看待和体验运动鞋文化。

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Adidas Originals' "Original is never finished" campaign:

Visual Analysis:

The film often features a rotating set of scenes with different individuals wearing Adidas sneakers in various environments, from urban streets to natural landscapes, indicating the versatility of the product.

影片中经常出现一组轮换的场景，不同的人穿着阿迪达斯运动鞋在不同的环境中，从城市街道到自然景观，表明了产品的多功能性。

It employs a remix of the song "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, which has been reinterpreted to fit the contemporary style, reflecting the brand's ethos of reinvention and individuality.

它采用了 Frank Sinatra 歌曲《My Way》的混音版，经过重新诠释以适应当代风格，体现了该品牌重塑和个性的精神

Narrative and Structure:

The narrative is non-linear, reflecting the brand's emphasis on creativity and the idea that originality is an ever-evolving concept.

叙事是非线性的，反映了品牌对创造力的重视以及原创性是一个不断发展的概念的理念。

The lack of a clear storyline suggests that the essence of the brand is not confined to one single narrative but is instead diverse and multifaceted.

缺乏清晰的故事情节表明该品牌的本质并不局限于单一的叙述，而是多样化和多方面的。

Character Analysis:

Characters in the film are diverse in terms of race, gender, and style, representing the inclusivity of the brand and the broad appeal of its products.

影片中的人物在种族、性别和风格上各不相同，代表了品牌的包容性和产品的广泛吸引力。

The cast often includes notable figures from music, art, and fashion, linking Adidas sneakers to these creative worlds.

演员阵容通常包括音乐、艺术和时尚界的知名人物，将阿迪达斯运动鞋与这些创意世界联系起来。

Thematic Elements:

Themes of rebellion, innovation, and the redefining of traditions are prevalent, which are communicated through the disruptive visuals and the reimagined soundtrack.

反叛、创新和重新定义传统的主题很普遍，这些主题通过颠覆性的视觉效果和重新想象的配乐来传达。

The sneakers are consistently associated with the idea of pushing boundaries and redefining what is considered original.

这些运动鞋始终与突破界限和重新定义原创的理念联系在一起。

Symbolism:

The repeated imagery of sneakers, sometimes isolated and sometimes worn, symbolizes the central role they play in self-expression.

运动鞋的重复图像有时是孤立的，有时是磨损的，象征着它们在自我表达中发挥的核心作用。

The film's title and the refrain of the song emphasize the concept that originality is constantly being recreated, much like the sneakers themselves.

电影的标题和歌曲的副歌强调了原创性不断被重新创造的概念，就像运动鞋本身一样。

Cultural References:

The film may reference specific moments in sneaker culture history, such as the adoption of certain styles by underground music scenes or their presence in iconic sports moments.

这部电影可能会参考运动鞋文化历史中的特定时刻，例如地下音乐场景对某些风格的采用或它们在标志性体育时刻的出现。

It might also feature visual nods to important cultural movements that align with the brand's identity, further cementing the sneakers' status within these subcultures.

它还可能以视觉方式向与品牌形象相一致的重要文化运动致敬，进一步巩固运动鞋在这些亚文化中的地位。

This kind of analysis would be tailored to the specific content and unique elements of the chosen fashion film. If you can provide more details or direct me to a specific film, I can give a more accurate and detailed analysis.

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The future of sneaker culture is poised to evolve along several trajectories, influenced by technology, fashion trends, sustainability concerns, and cultural shifts. Here's an overview of potential developments:

受技术、时尚趋势、可持续发展问题和文化转变的影响，运动鞋文化的未来将沿着多种轨迹发展。以下是潜在发展的概述：

1. Sustainability and Ethical Production: As consumers become more environmentally conscious, sneaker brands are likely to focus more on sustainable materials and ethical production methods. This could lead to innovations in biodegradable sneakers or new recycling programs.

可持续性和道德生产:随着消费者的环保意识越来越强，运动鞋品牌可能会更多地关注可持续材料和道德生产方法。这可能会导致可生物降解运动鞋的创新或新的回收计划。

2. Technological Advancements: Advances in technology will continue to impact sneaker design and functionality. 技术进步：技术进步将继续影响运动鞋的设计和功能。Smart sneakers with embedded technology for tracking performance data, self-lacing systems, and improved shock absorption are some examples of what might be expected.具有跟踪性能数据的嵌入式技术、自动系带系统和改进的减震功能的智能运动鞋是我们所期待的一些例子

3. Customization and Personalization: With the rise of 3D printing and other manufacturing technologies, the opportunity for personal customization will grow. 随着3D打印和其他制造技术的兴起，个人定制的机会将会增加。Consumers will be able to design their sneakers extensively, choosing not only colors and patterns but also specific performance aspects.消费者将能够广泛地设计他们的运动鞋，不仅可以选择颜色和图案，还可以选择特定的性能方面。

4. Virtual and Augmented Reality: As retail continues to blend with digital experiences, VR and AR could allow consumers to try on and test sneakers virtually before purchasing. 随着零售业不断与数字体验融合，VR 和 AR 可以让消费者在购买前虚拟试穿和测试运动鞋。Additionally, digital sneakers for virtual avatars could become a new market as virtual reality worlds expand.此外，随着虚拟现实世界的扩展，用于虚拟化身的数字运动鞋可能成为一个新市场。

5. NFTs and Digital Ownership: The integration of sneakers with blockchain technology could lead to the creation of digital assets or non-fungible tokens (NFTs). 运动鞋与区块链技术的集成可能会导致数字资产或不可替代代币（NFT）的创建。These would allow for verified ownership and authenticity, which is particularly important for limited-edition releases and could also bridge into digital fashion realms.这些将允许验证所有权和真实性，这对于限量版发行尤其重要，也可以进入数字时尚领域。

6. Inclusive and Diverse Representation: Sneaker culture will likely continue to become more inclusive, with brands offering more sizes and designs that cater to a diverse consumer base.运动鞋文化可能会继续变得更具包容性，品牌会提供更多尺寸和设计来迎合多样化的消费者群体。 This might include gender-neutral designs and adaptive footwear for people with disabilities.这可能包括中性设计和适合残疾人士的适应性鞋类。

7. Fashion and Function Convergence: High fashion's embrace of sneakers is likely to continue, with more collaborations between luxury brands and traditional sneaker companies. 随着奢侈品牌和传统运动鞋公司之间的更多合作，高级时尚对运动鞋的拥抱可能会继续下去。This trend could blur the lines between athletic wear and high fashion even further.这种趋势可能会进一步模糊运动服装和高级时装之间的界限。

8. Cultural Impact and Community Building: Sneaker culture is deeply connected to community and identity. 运动鞋文化与社区和身份密切相关。Brands may focus on strengthening community ties through events, collaborations with local artists, and initiatives that support local and global causes related to the culture.品牌可能会重点通过活动、与当地艺术家的合作以及支持与文化相关的当地和全球事业的举措来加强社区联系。

9. Global Expansion: As markets in Asia and other regions grow, sneaker culture will become more global, with influences from these areas impacting design and trends worldwide.随着亚洲和其他地区市场的增长，运动鞋文化将变得更加全球化，这些地区的影响力将影响全球的设计和趋势。

10. Secondary Market and Resale Dynamics: The sneaker resale market is already significant, and it is expected to grow, with more platforms and services catering to sneakerheads. 运动鞋转售市场已经很大，并且预计会不断增长，有更多的平台和服务迎合运动鞋迷。Authenticity verification and price standardization might become more sophisticated, and the market could see more regulation.真实性验证和价格标准化可能会变得更加复杂，市场可能会受到更多监管。

Sneaker culture's future will likely be a blend of these aspects, reflecting broader societal trends and the ever-changing landscape of fashion, technology, and consumer preferences.运动鞋文化的未来很可能是这些方面的融合，反映更广泛的社会趋势以及时尚、技术和消费者偏好不断变化的格局。

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Sneaker culture, while a vibrant and influential part of the fashion industry, raises several ethical issues that warrant critical examination

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Sneaker culture, while a vibrant and influential part of the fashion industry, raises several ethical issues that warrant critical examination

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Sneaker culture, while a vibrant and influential part of the fashion industry, raises several ethical issues that warrant critical examination. Below, I've outlined some of these concerns in both English and Chinese for comparison:

English:

1. Labor Practices: Many sneakers are produced in countries where labor laws are not strictly enforced, leading to poor working conditions and unfair wages for workers.

2. Environmental Impact: The production of sneakers often involves the use of toxic materials and results in significant carbon emissions. Additionally, sneaker waste contributes to growing landfills as they are not easily biodegradable.

3. Consumerism and Waste: Sneaker culture sometimes encourages excessive consumerism, with people buying more shoes than they need, leading to waste and negative environmental effects.

4. Inclusivity: Sneaker releases are often limited, and this exclusivity can promote inequality as only those with access and resources can obtain certain models, sometimes leading to a secondary market with highly inflated prices.

5. Cultural Appropriation: Some sneaker designs may appropriate cultural symbols without proper respect or benefit to the communities they come from.

6. Marketing Ethics: Aggressive marketing and hype around sneaker releases can manipulate consumer behavior, leading to impulsive purchases and financial imprudence.

Chinese (中文):

1. 劳工实践: 许多运动鞋在劳工法律不严格执行的国家生产，导致工人工作条件差，工资不公平。

2. 环境影响 : 运动鞋的生产常常涉及使用有毒物质，并产生大量碳排放。此外，运动鞋废弃物也因不易生物降解而增加了垃圾填埋场。

3. 消费主义和浪费: 运动鞋文化有时鼓励过度消费，人们购买的鞋子超出了需要，导致浪费和负面环境影响。

4. 包容性: 运动鞋的发售常常是限量的，这种排他性可能促进不平等，因为只有拥有通路和资源的人才能获得某些型号，有时导致二级市场价格高涨。

5. 文化挪用: 一些运动鞋设计可能未适当尊重或惠及其来源的文化符号。

6. 营销伦理 : 围绕运动鞋发售的激进营销和炒作可能操纵消费者行为，导致冲动购买和财务不谨慎。

Critical thinking requires us to consider the implications of these ethical issues not only on individual consumers but also on society at large, prompting discussions on sustainable practices, responsible consumption, and the equitable distribution of goods.

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Non-fungible tokens are the hot new thing in tech. But can a digital copy replace your favorite sneaker?

Here's what's in the closet of the future. A few pairs of sneakers, obviously. Maybe a hoodie. A watch. And-why not?-a pair of metallic-looking pants. This being the future, none of the clothes are real. Nonetheless, they cost $147,000.

This sounds like a joke, but the closet I've just described is available for purchase now, with the clothes taking the form of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. You may have heard that NFTs are everywhere, a new asset class embraced by traditional auction houses and cryptocurrency disrupters alike. An artwork from Beeple sold for $69 million, a tweet from Jack Dorsey was "minted" as an NFT and went for $2.9 million, and Michael Jordan joined a group of investors sinking $305 million into the digital NBA marketplace Top Shot, which sells...the same highlights you can find on YouTube for free. NFTs are, for now, a big deal. But does fashion, a category so reliant on the things we physically wear, have a future in this space?

Benoit Pagotto, Chris Le, and Steven Vasilev all think so. In 2020, they founded Rtfkt, which is sort of like a sneaker brand, except its shoes exist only in a digital world. It has quickly become the most prominent seller of NFT sneakers. The trio started seriously working on the business after making Pagotto's League of Legends character a custom pair of sneakers for the 2018 World Cup. Pagotto lost in the finals, but came away with something much more important. Everyone was asking him about the shoes. How could they get a pair? The three realized they had a proper business on their hands and started on work "to really create the brand of the future," says Pagotto. A future where shoppers care more about their digital possessions than their physical ones.

It's not quite as crazy as it sounds. A recent drop with an artist named Fewocious featured three pairs of sneakers priced at $3,000, $5,000, and $10,000. In just seven minutes, users purchased $3.1 million worth of them.

On the surface, the virtual world feels like an inhospitable place for fashion, which is firmly rooted in the physical world: a T-shirt that fits just right, the nylon pants that swish-swish with each step, the sneakers you wear out to impress friends. But that hasn't stopped brands from trying to turn digital fashion into a thing. Tribute makes high-tech looking glossy fashion it calls "cyber garments," and which look like a hard-earned upgrade in a video game. Overpriced focuses on hoodies-and, true to its name, sells them for $26,000. CryptoKickers is "designing footwear for the New World," and has signed up former NBA player Wilson Chandler to be the face of the brand. There are watches, too: from brands like Jacob & Co, which sold its first NFT piece at auction for $100,000, and Vault. Your digital closet is filling up quickly.

The rush on cyber garms has a lot to do with the broader popularity of NFTs. Proof of ownership is the central tenet of NFTs: each product comes with a unique identification number that tracks ownership indefinitely. "People are still not used to [the fact that] digital goods come with a certain price," says Gala Marija Vrbanic, a co-founder of Tribute. "This is mostly because they can't touch or experience those pieces in the real world, so they don't feel like they own them. NFTs have managed to succeed in giving the people this ownership feeling." (This structure behooves creators, too, who receive a percentage of each subsequent sale of an NFT-meaning when one of Rtfkt's sneakers resell, the brand gets 10% of the revenue.)

Brands selling NFT fashion are hoping to seep into every nook and cranny of the digital world to combat their limitations in the physical one. Tribute, for instance, provides a digital avatar for everyone who purchases a piece of their clothing. That way, the buyer can then "wear" their new piece. Marija Vrbanic says many of Tribute's customers want this digital version of themselves as much as the clothes. "At the moment, the most appealing thing about NFTs to most people is their collectible character," she says. Rtfkt sneakers, meanwhile, can be ported over to owners' characters in video games like Decentraland. Overpriced sends buyers a physical replica with a scannable code that corresponds to their NFT. Rtfkt, similarly, hired two people away from shoe brand Clarks to help make physical versions of their shoes for people who purchased the NFT. Mark Schwarz, who makes NFT watches with his brand Vault, says he hopes to see future editions embedded into Grand Theft Auto games.

Rtfkt's founders argue that a new generation of customers will buy NFTs because their digital personas are just as important as their physical ones-not just to play video games, but to clothe their digital selves. There is some evidence to back up the idea that the digital clothing market is massive. Some estimates put the market for "skins," or new outfits for digital avatars in games like Fortnite, in the neighborhood of $40 billion annually. Rtfkt's Chris Le was originally a skins creator for video game Counter Strike.

It might seem strange to buy a watch you can never wear. But how often do sneakerheads actually wear their sneakers?. "Most of my friends who are sneakerheads aren't actually wearing their sneakers," says John Crain, the co-founder of digital art marketplace SuperRare. "What do they do with their sneakers? They post pictures up on Instagram and then they go into a closet. The value of the sneaker is in its digital cache." In that case, NFTs only makes this process easier, and buyers no longer have to deal with the annoyance of shipping, storing, and praying they're actually getting the real deal when they buy an expensive shoe online.

But the real potential of NFTs might not be realized for some time. Nearly everyone I spoke to insisted that NFT fashion won't quite click until augmented reality takes hold in a real way. Tech like Google Glass, or Snapchat Spectacles, can turn your regular outfit into a digitally-enhanced one. "Now your sneakers can be animated," Le says. "They can have flames flying out of it, magic effects and all that. How can you compete against that with physical shoes?" Of course, this premise relies on a majority of the population wearing a technology that's failed to catch on for years.

Being able to buy a digital hoodie from your favorite luxury brand might help speed widespread adoption, too. For now, though, the brands with names you recognize have mostly sat out of the rush on NFTs. However, their absence has more to do with a longer ramp-up period than disinterest. Gucci has dipped its toes into the virtual fashion space with digital sneakers that buyers can play around with inside an app-but a source with the brand tells Vogue that "it's only a matter of time" before it releases a true NFT. (A real NFT can bounce around the virtual world, while Gucci's current product is limited to its app.) Nike trademarked a platform for NFTs called "CryptoKicks" in 2019 but it remains a placeholder for now, the Wall Street Journal reports. Vogue also confirms that several other Gucci-level brands are working on releasing NFTs, too.

Even without conglomerate participation, fashion NFTs are raking in a breathtaking amount of money. Part of this, Crain says, is due to a new crop of wealthy Bitcoin investors who need to spend their money somewhere. The most zealous investors see something bigger, though: the chance to own a piece of history. "All of these items we're creating right now will be part of the OG history of the crypto scene and crypto movement that's going to revolutionize everything," says Pagotto. Collectors may see buying a pair of Rtfkt sneakers today as the equivalent of copping a pair of Air Jordan 1s in 1985-they believe they're buying something bigger than a virtual pair of shoes. "History is being made daily," Pagotto claims. As the old saying goes: if the digital shoe fits...

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What Is an NFT Sneaker, and Why Is It Worth $10,000?

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Non-fungible tokens are the hot new thing in tech. But can a digital copy replace your favorite sneaker?

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Footwear designer Joey Khamis uses VR when designing sneakers, manifesting the technology certainly isn’t only about digital entertainment.

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SCRY is a pioneering footwear laboratory, founded in 2020. SCRY lab takes footwear as the research object to explore the possibilities of future design and manufacturing. Working on the intersection of art, design, technology, culture, and environment, we try to bring cutting-edge innovation into real life.

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BROOKLYN, N.Y. - When Chad Jones was a kid, his mom used to poke fun at him for his fascination with basketball sneakers. Little did she know that all these years later her son would wind up with more than 1,000 pairs of sneakers and an amazing story to go with it.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Jones was all about sneakers and the culture that surrounded them. What fueled Chad's desire to build a collection of exotic kicks over the years? Maybe it was the fact that Michael Jordan and Jones were both from BK-MJ is Jones' favorite player.

Or maybe it was his very own basketball roots.

Having Brooklyn as his very own backdrop, Jones was able to play ball in New York City with the likes of Tracy McGrady, Jamaal Tinsley and Stephon Marbury. A talented player in his own right, the 36-year-old sneakerhead's skills led him to a full scholarship to play at Dominican College in 1998.

Jones spent his youth, adolescence and adulthood building a collection that would ultimately win him praise within the sneaker community, awards nationwide and cash prizes along the way. But that love for kicks almost ended tragically three years ago.

Waiting in line for the chance to land a pair of Kobe Bryant's coveted Kobe 7s "Black History Month" editions, Jones was stabbed multiple times. The injuries he sustained almost cost him his life. To this day he's still undergoing procedures related to that horrific incident.

Since then, Chad has been determined to gather shoes in a safer way, while never giving up on his lifelong passion.

Unlike a lot of collectors these days, Jones doesn't just buy every "popular" shoe that touches the marketplace. Instead, he has to appreciate the player behind the shoes, not the shoes behind the player.

"I don't know about Kyrie Irving's signature shoe just yet," Jones mentioned to me. "He's a great player, but he plays a bit out of control at times."

That type of meticulous thinking is one of the reason's his collection is so special. It's not just fluff; every shoe has meaning behind it.

All-Star Weekend's return to New York City is big for the man they call "Sneaker Galactus." It's been 17 long years since the city was blessed with the NBA and its flock of top talent.

Now with Brooklyn also playing home to local events and even the NBA's All-Star Saturday program, the borough that basketball forgot about nearly 20 years ago is finally alive and kicking.

Jones' mission this weekend was to provide fans with a taste of his very own All-Star Weekend collection.

You'll see current NBA stars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Tony Parker's kicks on display. But it doesn't stop there. Legends like Penny Hardaway, Dominique Wilkins and even WNBA savant Swinn Cash will have stuff showcased as well.

As you scan through all of sneakers he's brought along with him, it's easy to see why Jones' assortment of kicks plays out like a tremendous history lesson dedicated to on-court apparel.

Hosted at 138 South Oxford street in Brooklyn-right around the corner from the Barclays Center-sneaker enthusiasts and basketball fans alike shuffled into the venue to catch a glimpse of Jones' All-Star shoes. Mostly everything he revealed is stuff you can't buy anymore-unless you're willing to dish out briefcases stuffed full of loot.

What this event really represents is more than just shoes. It's a testament to an individual's love for the game of basketball and the city that nurtured him. For a guy who has seen it all, Chad Jones remains soft-spoken, humble and one of the most interesting people you'll meet.

As he pays tribute to Brooklyn and All-Star Weekend, let's pay tribute to him and all of the other basketball junkies out there who make this game special.

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NBA All-Star Weekend: Brooklyn Sneakerhead Chad Jones' Special Collection

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BROOKLYN, N.Y. - When Chad Jones was a kid, his mom used to poke fun at him for his fascination with basketball sneakers...

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This article explores the dual impact of sneaker culture on black men, offering them an avenue for fashion freedom and self-expression while also subjecting them to certain stereotypes and restrictions.本文探讨了运动鞋文化对黑人男性的双重影响，为他们提供了时尚自由和自我表达的途径，同时也让他们受到某些刻板印象和限制。 It begins by reflecting on the history and evolution of sneakers from mere sportswear to iconic fashion statements deeply embedded in pop culture. 首先反思运动鞋的历史和演变，从单纯的运动服到深深嵌入流行文化的标志性时尚宣言。The piece touches upon the community aspect of sneaker collecting, highlighting personal stories like that of Chad Jones, who amassed a significant collection but also experienced violence firsthand, emphasizing the darker side of the culture.这篇文章涉及运动鞋收藏的社区方面，突出了像查德·琼斯这样的个人故事，他收集了重要的收藏品，但也亲身经历了暴力，强调了这种文化的阴暗面。

The article delves into the systemic issues of racial representation in media, pointing out that negative stereotypes about black men often stem from a lack of diversity in newsroom leadership positions.这篇文章深入探讨了媒体中种族代表性的系统性问题，指出对黑人的负面刻板印象往往源于新闻编辑室领导职位缺乏多样性。 It suggests that these portrayals contribute to a societal perception that associates black men with violence, particularly in the context of sneaker-related crimes.它表明这些描绘助长了一种将黑人与暴力联系在一起的社会观念，特别是在与运动鞋相关的犯罪背景下。

The discussion then shifts to how sneaker culture has allowed men, especially black men, to embrace more diverse and traditionally 'feminine' colors in their fashion choices, signaling a shift away from hypermasculine norms.然后讨论转向运动鞋文化如何让男性，尤其是黑人男性，在时尚选择中拥抱更加多样化和传统的“女性化”颜色，标志着超男性化规范的转变。 Yet, it also recognizes the pressure women face in fashion, contrasting it with how sneakers have become a tool for men to carve their unique identity in the fashion world.然而，它也认识到女性在时尚界面临的压力，与运动鞋如何成为男性在时尚界塑造自己独特身份的工具形成鲜明对比。

The article acknowledges the historical targeting of men by sneaker companies due to their alignment with sports and athleticism, which has inadvertently excluded women from sneaker culture due to limited sizing and variety.这篇文章承认，运动鞋公司历史上一直以男性为目标市场，因为他们与体育运动和运动精神保持一致，而由于尺码和品种有限，这无意中将女性排除在运动鞋文化之外。

Looking to the future, the article is optimistic about the sneaker industry's growth and the changing ways people engage with sneaker collecting, noting the influence of online shopping and social media in shaping these new dynamics. 展望未来，文章对运动鞋行业的增长以及人们参与运动鞋收藏方式的变化持乐观态度，并指出了在线购物和社交媒体在塑造这些新动态方面的影响。It concludes by reiterating the cultural significance of sneakers and their role in challenging traditional expressions of masculinity, with a hopeful outlook for the continued evolution of sneaker culture.最后重申了运动鞋的文化意义及其在挑战传统男性气质表达方面的作用，并对运动鞋文化的持续发展充满希望。

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The ethics of "sneaker flipping" or "hype culture" in the sneaker community involves several critical thinking considerations:

运动鞋社区中的“运动鞋翻转”或“炒作文化”道德涉及几个批判性思维考虑因素：

1. Supply and Demand Manipulation: Sneaker companies often release limited quantities to create scarcity, driving up demand and prices. 供需操纵：运动鞋公司经常限量发售以制造稀缺性，从而推高需求和价格。This practice can be questioned from an ethical standpoint as it artificially inflates value and encourages consumers to overvalue a product based on rarity rather than intrinsic worth.从道德角度来看，这种做法可能会受到质疑，因为它人为地夸大了价值，并鼓励消费者根据稀有性而不是内在价值高估产品的价值。

2. Consumer Behavior: The culture encourages consumers to purchase sneakers for the purpose of reselling at a higher price rather than personal enjoyment. 这种文化鼓励消费者购买运动鞋是为了以更高的价格转售，而不是为了个人享受。This can lead to impulsive buying, financial imprudence, and a cycle of consumption that values profit over the product's intended use.这可能会导致冲动购买、财务上的轻率以及重视利润而非产品预期用途的消费循环。

3. Access and Equity: Limited releases and high resell prices create an exclusive market where only those with financial resources or connections can acquire certain sneakers. 限量发行和高转售价创造了一个独特的市场，只有那些有财力或人脉的人才能购买某些运动鞋。This raises questions about fairness and the role of income and status in accessing part of cultural expression.这引发了关于公平性以及收入和地位在获取部分文化表达方面的作用的问题。

4. Safety Concerns: There have been instances of violence and crime associated with sneaker releases. When companies and individuals prioritize profit over community safety, it raises ethical concerns about responsibility and the consequences of hyped releases.曾发生过与运动鞋发布相关的暴力和犯罪事件。当公司和个人将利润置于社区安全之上时，就会引发对责任和大肆宣传的后果的道德担忧。

5. Economic Impact: The secondary market for sneakers is substantial, but it primarily benefits resellers and secondary market platforms rather than original creators or the broader economy. 运动鞋的二级市场规模很大，但它主要有利于经销商和二级市场平台，而不是原创者或更广泛的经济。This aspect of sneaker culture can be critiqued for contributing to an economy that favors reselling over creating and selling new products.运动鞋文化的这一方面可能会受到批评，因为它促进了一种有利于转售而不是创造和销售新产品的经济。

6. Marketing Practices: The strategies used to market limited-edition sneakers often exploit consumer psychology and can be seen as manipulative. 限量版运动鞋的营销策略经常利用消费者心理，并且可以被视为操纵性的。The ethical implications of such marketing tactics must be evaluated, especially as they can contribute to unhealthy consumer habits.必须评估此类营销策略的道德影响，特别是因为它们可能会导致不健康的消费者习惯。

7. Cultural Appropriation: Sneaker designs sometimes draw from various cultures. 运动鞋的设计有时会借鉴不同的文化When these are commercialized without proper acknowledgment or benefit to the originating culture, it can be an issue of cultural appropriation.当这些在没有适当承认或没有给原始文化带来好处的情况下进行商业化时，可能会出现文化挪用问题。

8. Environmental Impact: The sneaker industry's environmental footprint, from production to disposal, is significant.运动鞋行业从生产到处置的环境足迹是巨大的。 The culture of collecting and flipping often overlooks this aspect, raising concerns about sustainability and the encouragement of disposable consumer culture.收集和翻转的文化常常忽视这一方面，引发人们对可持续性和鼓励一次性消费文化的担忧。

9. Workplace Diversity: The sneaker industry, like many others, suffers from a lack of diversity in its ranks, which can lead to a narrow perspective in design and marketing strategies, potentially alienating diverse consumer groups.与许多其他行业一样，运动鞋行业也面临着队伍缺乏多样性的问题，这可能导致设计和营销策略的视角狭窄，从而可能疏远不同的消费者群体。

In summary, while the sneaker flipping culture can offer economic opportunities and has become a fixture in contemporary fashion, it poses ethical questions that require critical analysis and thoughtful consideration. 总而言之，虽然运动鞋翻转文化可以提供经济机会，并已成为当代时尚的一种固定形式，但它也提出了需要批判性分析和深思熟虑的道德问题。Stakeholders in sneaker culture should be mindful of these issues and strive for practices that promote inclusivity, fairness, and responsibility.运动鞋文化的利益相关者应该注意这些问题，并努力采取促进包容性、公平性和责任感的做法。

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小众品牌如Asics和Salomon在中国市场上占据份额的增加，可能确实预示着炒鞋文化的逐渐衰减，以及对个性化、时尚功能化运动鞋需求的增长。这一趋势可能有几个原因：

The increasing share of niche brands such as Asics and Salomon in the Chinese market may indeed herald a gradual decline in the culture of shoe-frying and a growing demand for personalized, stylish and functional sneakers. There may be several reasons for this trend:

1. 消费者疲劳：长期以来，市场上对Nike和Adidas等主流品牌的炒作可能导致消费者感到疲劳，他们可能开始寻求更独特的品牌来表达个人风格。

Consumer fatigue: The hype around mainstream brands such as Nike and Adidas in the market for a long time can lead to fatigue among consumers, who may begin to seek out more unique brands to express their personal style.

2. 独立品牌的崛起：随着消费者对产品故事、品牌价值观以及设计原创性的重视，小众品牌凭借其独特性和专注的品牌定位，开始在消费者中间获得更多关注。

Rise of independent brands: As consumers value product stories, brand values, and design originality, niche brands are beginning to gain more attention among consumers due to their uniqueness and focused brand positioning.

3. 功能性与时尚的结合：消费者可能更加倾向于那些既能满足日常功能性需求，又具有时尚外观的运动鞋。Asics和Salomon等品牌提供的产品往往能够满足这种需求。

The combination of functionality and fashion: Consumers may be more inclined to those sneakers that can meet everyday functional needs, but also have a stylish look. Brands such as Asics and Salomon often offer products that meet this need.

4. 市场饱和与创新：Nike和Adidas等大品牌可能因其广泛的市场饱和而在某些消费者群体中失去光环。与此同时，小众品牌通过持续的产品创新和差异化设计吸引了这部分寻求新鲜体验的消费者。

Market saturation and innovation: Big brands such as Nike and Adidas may lose their aura among certain consumer groups due to their extensive market saturation. At the same time, niche brands have attracted this segment of consumers seeking fresh experiences through continuous product innovation and differentiated design.

5. 消费意识的转变：随着消费者对炒鞋文化可能带来的负面影响（如促进过度消费、环境影响、价格人为膨胀等）的认识加深，可能导致一些消费者转向更加注重实用性和设计理念的品牌。

Shift in consumer awareness: As consumers become more aware of the possible negative effects of shoe culture (such as promoting excessive consumption, environmental impact, artificial price inflation, etc.), it may lead some consumers to switch to brands that focus more on practicality and design concepts.

6. 社交媒体的影响：社交媒体和意见领袖（KOLs）对于小众品牌的宣传可能会改变消费者的购买行为，将关注点从大众炒作的产品转移到更具个性化的选择上。

The impact of social media: The promotion of niche brands by social media and opinion leaders (KOLs) may change consumer buying behavior, shifting the focus from mass-hyped products to more personalized options.

尽管如此，炒鞋文化可能不会完全消失，因为市场上仍然存在对限量版和独家合作款式的追捧。但是，我们可以预见到一个更加多元化的市场格局，其中包括小众品牌的崛起，以及消费者越来越注重个性化选择和实用性。这种变化可能导致消费者的选择更加广泛，不再局限于追求炒鞋带来的短期利益，而是寻找长期的价值和品牌故事。

Still, the shoe culture may not disappear entirely, as there is still a market for limited edition and exclusive collaboration styles. However, we can foresee a more diversified market landscape, which includes the rise of niche brands and consumers' increasing focus on personalized choice and practicality. This change could lead to a wider range of choices for consumers, who are no longer limited to pursuing short-term benefits from fried shoes, but are looking for long-term value and brand stories.

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“Momma always said there’s an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes… Where they’re going, where they’ve been…” Forrest Gump (1994)

“妈妈总是说，通过一个人的鞋子，你可以知道很多关于一个人的事情……他们要去哪里，他们去过哪里……”

《阿甘正传》（1994）

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In early February 2022, the luxury sneaker market reached a new peak with prices unheard of before. The renowned auction house Sotheby’s successfully facilitated the sale of 200 pairs of Air Force 1 sneakers in a special collaboration between Nike and Louis Vuitton, designed by the late Virgil Abloh, bearing his distinctive “Off-White” style. 2022年2月初，奢侈运动鞋市场达到了前所未有的新高峰。著名拍卖行苏富比成功地促成了200双Air Force 1运动鞋的销售，这是耐克与路易威登特别合作的成果，由已故的Virgil Abloh设计，带有他独特的“Off-White”风格。

The price paid for these 200 pairs? Over 25.3 million USD in total – an astonishing average price of 126 500 USD per pair, with the lowest price of a 6.5 (US) size sold for 75 600 USD and the highest price paid for a size 5 (US) – 352 800 USD (Dunne, 2022). Regardless of the many factors that may have affected the high price, such as this being a special charity event and the first public release of the shoes, with an exclusive leather case, and represents the last grand work of a significant for the streetwear culture artist, these numbers are still unprecedented and surpassed every expectation.

这200双鞋的售价？总计超过2530万美元 - 平均每双126500美元的惊人价格，其中最低价格是6.5码（美国）售价75600美元，最高价格是5码（美国） - 352800美元（Dunne, 2022）。尽管许多因素可能影响了这一高价，例如这是一次特别的慈善活动，鞋子的首次公开发行，附有独家皮革箱，并代表了这位对街头文化产生重大影响的艺术家的最后杰作，这些数字仍然是空前的，超出了所有预期。

This official collaboration between (arguably) the greatest sportswear brand – Nike, and one of the most well-known high-end, luxury fashion houses in the world has been anticipated since 1988, when DJ E-Z Rock wore custom-made white Air Force 1s with LV’s iconic recognizable monogram on the swoosh for the art cover of his album “It Takes Two”, together with Rob Base (Dunne, 2021). Sneakers have gone a long way from just an athletic shoe, transforming into a fashion icon, sought after by collectors ready to pay exorbitant amounts of money for a specific pair in an aftermarket that is estimated to be worth 10 billion USD according to StockX and expectations are to reach almost 30 billion USD by the year 2030 (Hills, 2021).

自 1988 年 DJ E-Z Rock 穿着定制的白色 Air Force 1 起，（可以说）最伟大的运动服装品牌 Nike 与世界上最著名的高端奢华时装屋之一之间的官方合作就备受期待。 他与 Rob Base（邓恩，2021 年）合作的专辑《It Takes Two》的艺术封面上带有 LV 标志性的辨识度字母组合。 运动鞋已经从单纯的运动鞋转变为时尚偶像，受到收藏家的追捧，他们愿意在售后市场上支付高昂的价格购买一双特定的鞋，根据 StockX 和预期，该市场的价值估计为 100 亿美元 到 2030 年，这一数字将达到近 300 亿美元（Hills，2021）。

Importance and love for sneakers as a fashion attribute whose purpose is not merely comfort and utility, but a statement of the person wearing them, is deeply rooted in all cultural tendencies which dictated the USA in the 80s of the 20th century – hip-hop, streetwear, basketball,

skateboarding, surf, graffiti art (Choi & Kim, 2019; Leeb et al., 2019; Lux & Bug, 2018; Matthews et al., 2021; Slaton & Pookulangara, 2021).

对运动鞋的重视和热爱不仅仅是因为它们的舒适性和实用性，更是穿着者的一种声明，这种观念在20世纪80年代美国的所有文化趋势中都有深厚的根基——嘻哈、街头服饰、篮球、滑板、冲浪、涂鸦艺术（Choi & Kim, 2019; Leeb et al., 2019; Lux & Bug, 2018; Matthews et al., 2021; Slaton & Pookulangara, 2021）。

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The sneaker silhouettes that sportswear and designer brands produce nowadays to reflect the fashion trends are far from the design, quality, and purpose of the first created sports shoes. 运动服装和设计师品牌如今生产的运动鞋造型，反映了时尚潮流，与最初制造的运动鞋的设计、质量和用途迥然不同。

This shift in time has been acknowledged and documented by several sources that trace back the invention of the rubber sole and the athletic shoe to its modern evolution and transformation from a sub-cultural emblem to a global icon (Alleyne, 2015; Braithwaite, 2021; Smith, 2018)这一时间上的转变已被一些来源认可并记录下来，这些来源追溯了橡胶鞋底和运动鞋的发明，到其现代演变和从亚文化象征到全球偶像的转变（Alleyne, 2015; Braithwaite, 2021; Smith, 2018）。

In his exploratory research Denny (2021) suggests a chronological order in the growth of kicks as hyped footwear that signals status. T在他的探索性研究中，Denny（2021）建议将运动鞋的发展按时间顺序排列，作为显示身份地位的炙手可热的鞋类。

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从他的概述中可以轻松区分出的

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1. 从他的概述中可以轻松区分出的时代首先是运动鞋作为网球和篮球运动员在英国和北美的运动鞋，因为更好的场地抓地力需要坚固的橡胶鞋底——这一时期覆盖了19世纪末到1930年代。

The eras that can be easily differentiated from his overview are firstly the sneakers as a sportswear shoe for tennis and basketball players in the UK and North America as a firm rubber sole was needed for better grip on the field – this period covers the late 19th century to 1930s.

正如Alleyne（2015）所述，第一次世界大战证明了全球许多人在体质上准备不足，这促进了大众对训练和体育运动的兴趣，以提高他们的体格和身体健康，因此对运动鞋的生产需求增加，其商业化成为事实。

s. As per Alleyne (2015), the First World War was proof that much of the population globally was physically unprepared which gave a boost in training and sports among the masses to improve their body build and physical health, thus there was a need for greater production of sports shoes and their commercialization was a fact.

2. 第二个时代的特点是运动鞋与体育人物、音乐艺术家和街头服饰文化的紧密联系——代言成为一种趋势。The second era characterizes the sneakers’ close connection to sports personas, music artists and the streetwear culture – endorsements became a thing.

Denny（2021）和其他人承认了一些重要的型号及其与改变游戏规则的重要人物的关联：1934年的Converse Chuck Taylor全明星队，第一双由篮球运动员Chuck Taylor代言的运动鞋，鞋的轮廓几乎保持不变，直到今天，是有史以来最具辨识度和最常穿的鞋之一；

Some significant models and their association with important figures that literally changed the game have been acknowledged by Denny (2021) and others: the 1934 Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars, the first sneaker with celebrity endorsement by basketball player Chuck Taylor, the silhouette of the shoe remains almost unchanged until today and is one of the most recognizable and worn shoes ever made;

1972年在电影《阿甘正传》（Zemeckis，1994）中出现的耐克Cortez；

the 1972 Nike Cortez appearing in the movie Forrest Gump (Zemeckis, 1994);

1973年的Puma“Clydes”——第一次真正的运动鞋制造品牌与职业球员的合作，后者以财务利益为标志，Walt “Clyde” Frazier（NBA纽约尼克斯的篮球运动员）被提供5000美元和无限量的Puma，以及在设计上不仅仅是设计，还有对鞋子的设计的自己的风格和意见（Woolf，2016）；the 1973 Puma “Clydes” – the first real collaboration between a sneaker-making brand and a professional player that was marked with financial benefit for the latter with Walt “Clyde” Frazier (basketball player from the New York Nicks in the NBA) being offered 5000 USD and limitless pairs of Puma’s as well as adding his own style and opinion not only on the design but also the design of the shoe (Woolf, 2016);

1985年的耐克Air Jordan 1（见图2.1和图2.2）——一个经典的款式，可能是最令人向往的运动鞋之一，最初被禁止（Trivic，2020）；

the 1985 Nike Air Jordan 1 (see Figure 2.1 and Figure 2.2) – an all-time classic and probably one of the most desired sneakers that was originally banned (Trivic, 2020);

1986年的阿迪达斯Superstars - 一款成为主流的标志性鞋子，其声誉很大程度上归功于Run-DMC（来自美国纽约皇后区的嘻哈三人组）和他们的歌曲“My Adidas”，被评为“说唱历史上最伟大的运动鞋参考”第一名（Josephs，2013）等等。 the 1986 Adidas Superstars – an iconic shoe that became mainstream, owing its fame greatly to Run-DMC (hip-hop trio from Queens, NY, USA) with their song “My Adidas” being ranked as #1 “greatest sneaker reference in rap history” (Josephs, 2013) and many more.

所有这些例子都展示了美国文化（尤其是东海岸）与20世纪下半叶运动鞋之间的特殊联系，以及品牌与著名人物之间的代言和合作在将某些型号变成今天成千上万人穿着的永恒杰作中所起的重要作用。All these examples demonstrate how special the bond between American culture (especially the East Coast) and sneakers in the second half of the 20th century is and that endorsements and collaborations between brands and famous personalities had a great role in turning some models into eternal masterpieces worn by millions today.

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Sneakers today are among the most colourful, elaborate, and extravagant things people put on their bodies. If contemporary fashion were fauna, trainers have evolved to be the eye-catching birds of paradise. This highly specialised evolution is all the more remarkable when you consider just how sedate their origins are. They all derive from the simple plimsoll.

Going on holiday first became a possibility for working people in Britain in the mid- to late nineteenth century. When they arrived at their coastal destinations, it was clear to all concerned that working boots were ill-suited to seaside life (Going barefoot was, it goes without saying, a no-go for any self-respecting Victorian). A solution came in the form of the plimsoll or 'sand shoe', as it was known. Sand shoes derived their other name from the Plimsoll line on a ship's hull, a white marker introduced in 1876 to show the maximum depth to which a cargo ship could be loaded. The titular shoe got the name because of a lookalike strip of rubber used to affix the canvas upper to the rubber sole.

These cheap, fast-drying, novel bits of footwear were first popularised by the Liverpool Rubber Company, which was established in 1861 and later acquired by Dunlop. When vulcanised rubber - that is, rubber hardened by the addition of sulphur at high temperatures - was developed across the pond by Charles Goodyear (Thomas Hancock did the same in the U.K.), a bunch of small rubber companies started making plimsolls in the late 1800s. By 1913 there were 30 different plimsoll brands stateside, all of which would be consolidated to form Keds in 1917, though it was originally named Peds after the Latin for foot.

Plimsolls didn't stick to beaches for very long. Originally built to walk on sand, they proved equally fit for a whole range of athletic activities, where their grip, comfort, and manoeuvrability proved a perfect fit. Plimsolls were quickly adopted in sports like boating, tennis, basketball, and others, with perhaps the most famous example of a sporting canvas shoe being the Converse All Star ( which I've written about before in greater depth). The military was another early adopter, where plimsoles became part of standard-issue physical training kits in various armed forces and a popular choice of memento for soldiers leaving active service.

But canvas shoes didn't fully enter our everyday wardrobes until American teens got hold of them. Along with T-shirts and jeans, plimsoles were the de facto uniform of North American youth from the 1950s onward. Although, of course, they called them sneakers, a term that had caught on by the mid-'60s thanks to an advertising man named Henry McKinney. By the 1970s, specialised sneakers were being developed with specific sports in mind, and by the '80s casual kicks had become ubiquitous and were no longer simply made of humble canvas in limited colours. The process of evolution had kicked into top gear.

Regardless of this vibrant proliferation in sneaker culture, however, there are still brands known primarily for their canvas classics. Think of the enduring popularity of the aforementioned Keds and Converse, or of Vans, Superga, and PF Flyers. In menswear circles, lesser-known makers like Novesta, Doek, or PRAS are similarly prized.

For casual contexts, plimsolls are a timeless choice. They're as classic and straightforward as a good pair of jeans and are as likely to improve with age and wear. It's no surprise then that, despite advances in construction and comfort elsewhere in the world of sneakers, just about every kind of dresser will own a simple pair of canvas shoes. There is, you might say, a plimsoll for every soul.

* This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using them, we get a small percentage of the sale at no cost to you. More info at our affiliate policy.

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Plimsolls for Prim Soles: A History of Canvas Shoes - Habilitate

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Starting from humble, seaside beginnings, the birth of the plimsoll would go on to proliferate into contemporary sneaker culture.

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Charles "Chuck" Taylor is a basketball player born in June 1901. After playing for the Columbus High Bull Dogs, he played semi-pro for the Firestone Non-Skids until 1922 when he accepted a sales position at Converse. Chuck Taylor was then in his early twenties and found himself working for Converse, where he left his mark for life. It should be noted that at that time, the American label markets its All-Star sneakers since 1917. In only one year, Chuck Taylor will inspire a remodeling of the pair of basketball shoes, they will simply be named "Chuck Taylor", as the man behind the modifications of this pair. The American brand Converse will add Taylor's signature and the all-star patch on the side of the pair, to leave a trace of the athlete on its passage.

The chuck Taylor, from a sporty model to an iconic one

At that time, this pair of shoes was mainly dedicated to the practice of basketball, Taylor promotes it through this. He will, throughout the United States, organize basketball clinics to sell pairs of Chuck Taylor. They will be the official pairs of the U.S. Army during the Second World War.

It is at that time a reference when you want to buy sports shoes for any athletic activity. We will find the pair at the feet of the first great women's basketball team "The Edmonton grads", In 1936, the pair will even become, with a signature model, the pair of the Olympic Games for the United States! This model is white, the logo patch is black, and the lines are blue and red, in reference to the American flag.

In the 60s, Converse has almost a monopoly on the market of sports shoes, it holds 80% of the market share. The Chuck Taylor is now the shoe of the people, it is no longer reserved for athletes. The American brand will offer the low model, previously existing only in a high version. There are many colors, prints or inspirations to get out of the beaten path.

The result will be more than convincing in music, art, clothing, everyone wears Converses, the number of different editions will allow everyone to recognize himself in a pair, letting appear his personality.

A new breath for Converse

It was in the early 2000's that the scales began to shift. Even though the Chuck Taylor was still selling, many businesses were failing, and the results were stark. After many bankruptcy claims, Converse was bought by its rival, Nike, in 2003. The mythical American brand will outsource the production, thus reducing the production costs of Chucks.

Today, the Chuck Taylor is the most sold sneaker model, 30 000 pairs are sold per week, every year, new models are released, in limited editions as well as in less limited editions, it is everywhere, is sold everywhere and for any occasion, almost everyone has already owned a model of the Chuck Taylor.

Since 1949, the basic model of the pair has not changed, it is now a timeless, this pair is a reference for every person of any age. It goes everywhere, with any outfit, it knows how to dress you in the most classic way possible, but still remains in the air of time.

About the history of Converse :

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Charles "Chuck" Taylor is a basketball player born in June 1901. At the age of 20, in 1921, he became a Converse shoe salesman. It should be noted that at that time, the American label had been selling its All-Star sneakers since 1917