https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune Chapter 32: The Global Sneaker en-us 2016-04-15 18:42:43 UTC 2025-10-01 17:12:03 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.storage.googleapis.com/portrait/earth.jpg 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106087635 American's buy goods from all over the world because of globalization. In this society, almost anything can freely cross national borders. Americans use everyday items that have come from other countries. One common manufactured product that has become globalized is the sneaker made in Asia.]]> 2016-04-15 18:43:47 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106087635 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106610386 Sneakers were first made in the mid-1800s. They were designed to be simple shoes, but now they are far from simple. They were mainly used for tennis, croquet, and running. It wasn't until later that they became popular for basketball. For the next 100 years, the design changed very little, high tops or low cuts in black or white. In the 1950s, people began to wear them as casual shoes, everyday use, or fashion items instead of only for athletic purposes. Today, sneakers are designed to the activity. Companies have made changes to improve performance and comfort. New designs and colors have given a fashion appeal and companies hire stars to say their latest and greatest sneaker is cool.]]> 2016-04-19 17:49:53 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106610386 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106615819 Sole
The sneaker's main sole material is rubber but there are many others that only are found in a few places of the world. They come together to create the upper, the mid, and the outer sole.
Upper
Some top parts of sneakers are made of natural materials, like cotton or leather. Other uppers are made of synthetic, or human-made, materials such as nylon.
Mid- Sole
The Mid- Sole is the part of the shoe that cushions the bottom of your foot. They are made of plastic and foam padding made from oil found in oil-rich countries. Chemicals are poured into mold and then baked which forms millions of gas bubbles that give a cushiony feel. Some soles contain "air bags" filled with pressurized gas.
Outer Sole
This part of the sneaker needs to be tough but flexible enough to put a spring in your step. They used to be natural rubber soles from the sap of rubber trees but today, most soles are synthetic rubber made from coal and oil.

]]> 2016-04-19 18:07:07 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106615819 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106623754 A lot of work goes into creating designs and materials, but manufacturing them is an even bigger job. A single sneaker could have more than 50 pieces and could take 120 people to put together a pair of shoes. In the 1960s, simple canvas and rubber shoes were produced in the US, Britain, and Germany. It wasn't until the 1970s, the sneakers became more complicated with the number of styles increasing, designs more complex, more labor, and costs were rising. They finally became too expensive to make in high wage countries like the United States so, companies started moving  to offshore or to other countries. Most moved to South Korea because of all of the workers available, but overtime, the wages there went up. The companies ended up moving to another offshore to China, Indonesia, and Vietnam which offered the same advantages as Korea. This was just like what happened 20 years earlier with American and European countries and for the same reasons. ]]> 2016-04-19 18:33:17 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106623754 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106855304 In 1990, a ship was traveling from South Korea to the US carrying eighty thousand sneakers was hit by a big storm. Normally, sneakers have a smoother journey from Asia. Companies use several methods of transportation. 

Sneakers are sent from Asia on big container ships mainly because this is the most inexpensive way and it can carry thousands of sneakers. The trip to transfer the shoes in huge weather proof containers to the US takes about two weeks. The ship can hold eight thousand containers. 

When ships arrive on the west coast of the US, the containers are unloaded onto trains and trucks to transport across the US. This can take up to a week or longer. Most sneakers end up in Memphis because it is a major distributing center. A truck leaving Memphis in the morning can reach 75% of the nation's population by the next day.]]> 2016-04-20 18:14:01 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106855304 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106880172 Globalization is changing the world both good and bad. It benefits both rich and poor countries. The companies in rich countries set up factories in poorer countries which creates new jobs. Companies that move production offshore do this to keep their prices low. Lower production costs help them to keep their prices low. This benefits both the rich and poor countries. Countries that trade with one another want to maintain good relations which causes conflict among nations to be diminished. Economic interdependence may contribute to creating a more peaceful world. It allows us to share and exchange ideas, technology, music, and art across distances. 

Foreign investments are important factors in globalization. It is the main way that multinational corporations expand offshore. In 1960, it was a period of rapid growth throughout the global economy. China received more foreign investments than any other developing country in 2007. Most of the money was used to start new businesses in urban areas which attracted workers from rural areas. China is growing more urban year by year. Most countries in Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia attracted little investment, which makes their economies grow little or not at all. Most of the people there still depend on agriculture to make a living because other job opportunities are limited.]]> 2016-04-20 20:14:17 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/106880172 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107095132 2016-04-21 18:50:45 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107095132 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107098635 2016-04-21 19:04:18 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107098635 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107099832 2016-04-21 19:08:43 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107099832 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107099879 2016-04-21 19:08:52 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107099879 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107100357 2016-04-21 19:10:47 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107100357 20manselll https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107100794 2016-04-21 19:12:35 UTC https://padlet.com/20manselll/lucyjune/wish/107100794