The sneaker – marketplace icon

The sneaker is a near disposable foot cover and a precious cultural artefact. It is a platform for some of the most recognizable brands in the world to showcase new technology and a vessel for nostalgia. It is an afterthought we slip on as we shuffle to the bodega on a Sunday morning and an all-consuming subcultural obsession. One can even use it to play sports. Footwear has long served as a means to communicate social status, virility, sexuality, and many other qualities, but how did such an ostensibly practical, prosaic, and ubiquitous item of clothing come to be such a remarkable and versatile icon of contemporary consumer culture? This article attempts to shed light on the actors and practices that have influenced the development of the cultural meanings we have come to associate with the sports shoe.