Monday, August 17, 2009

Top Sneakers with History.

Ten Sneakers with History

1.Ten Sneakers with History




Whereas the sight of Joschka Fischer wearing sports shoes during his swearing in as minister in 1985 caused a mini scandal, the sneaker- as the sports shoe is more commonly referred to these days- has distanced itself from the more rebellious corners of its past and has advanced to becoming one of the hottest fashion accessories around. Designers like Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen have already lent their names to sneaker design. From lacquer and nylon to leather, we present you with the the coolest models out there.


2."Cesario“ von creative recreation

In Autumn 2002 shoe designers Ricardo Confinco and Robert Nand founded the firm in Orange County, California. Aim: uniting all the best components from other brands in one shoe.
After four very successful years on the US market, the shoes by "creative recreation" have, for the last two years, also been under distribution in Germany. The aim of the company's founders is to fill the gap in the market for high-end models that bridge the gap between athletically inspired sneakers and classic shoe design. Each new collection consists of a wide array of styles of which there are currently ten models for women and 50 for men- all in limited production. The company motto is "Comfortable as a trainer, sophisticated as a quality shoe". On top of this the label offers a wide color palette, including gold and silver and fabric wise from material mesh and canvas to crocodile-skin-effect, for those who so wish. Perforated, high, low, with or without laces. Favorite model is the "Cesario"(price: 100-250 euro) available in a number of variations and finishes. "We don't make shoes for a lifestyle, rather for a life with style", is the motto here.

3. Chuck“ by Converse All Star




Since 1917 almost one billion sold- until today almost completely unchanged in appearance. In 1923 the logo was sealed with the signature of the successful basketball player Chuck Taylor and from there they garnered the title "Chucks".
As an American trademark the "Chuck" is tantamount to "Coca Cola". Originally conceived as a basketball shoe, during the second world war "The Converse All Star" became part of the US army's military kit when it was used during basic training. Ever since James Dean wore the shoe in "Rebel without a Cause" other stars, as well as rock and punk musicians have chosen to wear the shoe in their films or as part of their stage outfits and the "Chuck" has become a fashionable representation of counterculture. At first only available in black canvas, at the end of the 40s Converse began producing shoes in different colors and by the end of the 90s also in new fabrics such as leather, sequins and cotton. In the meantime the brand has been bought by the Nike corporation and, at time of publication, is pursuing a successful centennial ad campaign to mark the 1908 founding of the "Converse Rubber Show Company". Prices between 70 and 90 euro.



4. Number five" by PF Flyers

In 1933 the former American tyre manufacturer B.F Goodrich patented his particularly wearable sports shoe in-soles under "Posture Foundation". A few years later "PF Flyers" became one of the most successful US sports brands.
The US label embraced the retro trend and began its popular relaunch in 2003 after an eleven year absence from the market. In the meantime landing under the wing of "New Balance", "PF Flyers" have been combining classic design expertise and high quality materials. Typical for their shoes are the thick rubber soles and classic lacing. The brand consistently refers back to the older models of its almost 70 year history and lends them a new look. The chequered model "Glide" was originally a basketball shoe from the 70s. In 1956 the green "Bob Cosy" was worn by the NBA superstar of the same name. The bestseller "Number 5" has been steadily reissued since the 1960s. This season it's available in brown and olive colored leather with an art nouveau patterned yellow lining (120).




5. Connor “ von SCHMID

The German designer Peter Schmid has designed the successful shoe models: "Mostro", "Speedcat", and "Avanti" for Puma, which were also exhibited in 2002 at the "San Francisco Museum of Modern Art".
For five years now the Hong Kong based designer has represented his own line with a continuing, thoroughly personal design concept. Schmid doesn't shy away from material costs or personal expense to realise his ideas. His creations are proof of this, distinguishable through exceptional attention to detail and a little amount of cost-optimised reasoning. A good eye is needed in order to recognise the maturity and innovation of his designs. The 39 year old created a ribbed structure from the leather finish and engraved his shoes from the sole to the brink with "I love you" lettering, Incorporated snakeskin and fish scale effects and included artistic perforations. For the chrome finish the colors were applied and worked by hand. His newest model from the "Connor" range has been rendered with scales made from metal plates. Prices to 200 euro.



6. Dunk“ by Nike



The basketball shoe made it's first appearance in 1985 and was a wiz with the then existing skateboard scene thanks to its flat sole and stability.
In 1998 the "Dunk" started its comeback as a street-wear model and through its classic design and its availability in a variety of colours and materials became a collectors item, sometimes commanding over one thousand dollars for a pair. in the meantime the legendary shoe with the "swoosh" logo has seen much high-tec additions: active ventilation mesh, closed seems, air-permeable tongue, waterproof soles, finely layered uppers, flexible phylon soles and broad, tough lacing. The "Dunk" is available in three categories ranging in quality(84 to 150 euro): The standard model, "Dunk Core". The "Dunk Premium" with waterproofing and a lower heal and the "Dunk Supreme" made of soft leather. The "Dunk Vintage" model(110 euro) was manufactured from the original 1980s material and trimmed "used". Just out is the "Nike Hyperdunk" aimed at the sport market.


7. freestyle" by Reebok



In 1970 the label, named after an American gazelle, released the then most expensive sports shoes in the world commanding, in today's terms, 60 dollars a pair.
At the beginning of the 80s Reebok jumped on the aerobics bandwagon and set up a women's-only fitness line. The "Freestyle" is the sport shoe with which Reebok made retail history, as the introduction of the "Freestyle" in the 80s coincided with the beginning of female interest in fitness (up until that point seen predominantly as a "man-thing") which in turn was brought about by a new consciousness of self and body. This spring Reebok, since 2006 an associate of Adidas Salomon AG, starts its ad campaign consisting of amazing women and their "Freestyles"(85 euro) from six cities: The first, Japanese NFL cheerleader Ai Yasuda represents Tokyo; the celebrated French singer Yelle, Paris; Bollywood star Sagarika Ghatghe, New Delhi; the Spanish top-model Bimba Bose, Madrid. DJ Nikki Beatnik is the Freestyle face of London and the Muslim US-actress Sheetal Sheth represents New York.



8. "Mexico 66" by Onitsuka Tiger



At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico one of the most successful athletic shoes was the "Mexico 66", named after its year of market release and was the first of its kind with stripes.
In 1949 the Japanese entrepreneur Kihachiro Onitsuka founded a sports shoe company with vision: He wanted to use sport as a means of bringing vital energy to the traumatised youth of immediate post-war Japan, who had witnessed the atomic destruction of two cities. With the use of the epithet "Tiger", Asia's most revered animal, the company's founder made clear his plans to develop the world's best sports shoe. With success: At the Olympic games in 1964, 46 medal winners wore shoes made in the factories of the firm otherwise referred to as, "the Adidas of the east". In 1977, after a merger with two other firms, the sports manufacturer was renamed "Asics"("Anima sana in corpore sano"). The steadily reissued ,"Mexico 66", the brands most successful shoe, was released in limited addition(24 pairs in Germany) known as the Tokidoki version in collaboration with Italian artist Simone Legno.


9. "Classic Slip-On" by Vans

In 1966 the first of the famous canvas shoes by company founder Van Doren left the production line at their home in Anaheim, California and quickly became a trademark of the expanding L.A. surfer scene.
A decade later the firm developed the ideal shoe for the ever spreading skateboard clique and came to epitomise the laid-back southern California look. Unchanged in its original design, the "Authentic", Vans' very first model counts as a true classic. In countless variations, materials and modified designs, in suede or calfskin, embroidered or in tartan they sold in their thousands. The 1979 "Classic Slip On"(55-100 Euro), the first trainer which used an elastic chord instead of laces to keep the foot in place, was a fashion revolution and stands today as a fashion classic and can even be worn in Summer with a suit. These days the "Classic Slip On" is also available in scores of variants. Recently Johnny Ramon, legendary Ramones guitarist, and Iron Maiden designed their own models.

10. "Suede" by Puma




After a family feud brothers Adolph and Rudolph Dassler went their separate ways. Whereas the former achieved success with "Adidas", Rudolph founded the in no way less successful brand "Puma".
1986 was a monumental year for "Puma". For its 20 year jubilee the company added the cat logo, a puma in flight, and the Afro-American athlete Tommie Smith, who had won the 200m in Puma shoes, used the salute of the "Black Panther" movement while on the podium to call attention to the issue of racism. In the same year "Suede", made of the eponymous fabric, was brought on market. Originally a basketball shoe, it achieved reverence within the rising hip-hop community. The NBA player Walt Frazier, nicknamed "Clyde" after the well known bank robber was chosen for the autographed version. Since then the shoe has also been known as the "Clyde". Today the new models(110 euro) are limited to a few per country. In Germany there are a few high-end designer pairs available in selected trainer shops(such as http://www.wertarbeit-berlin.de/).
By : Ray - http://www.miniseen.blogspot.com

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