sneakers, a collector’s story

were in the first shot of trainspottingwhile Ewan McGregor, in the background, delivered Mark “Rent Boy” Renton’s monologue; Marty McFly in 2015 back to the future Try a pair that then existed for real and have become one of the most sought after by collectors; Even Marie Antoinette had a model in Sofia Coppola’s pop rock (OCO) vision. from a precise moment in the last century, Cinema, sneakers and communication become inseparable, Each of them reveals an anthropological, sometimes psychological characteristic that goes beyond the object and helps to understand the nature of its bearer. right in the Danny Boyle movie, that one Samba Super in Red Suede It comes across as a kick in the face of the beholder.

Escape from the police, words mocking those who choose a normal life from the system, trying to get rid of drug addiction, are in these adidas trainers, Manufactured from 1949 to improve the training quality of football players and then adopted as “the” soccer shoe, in the 1990s they were a favorite of those who often went to the stadium to scramble. Two polar opposite subcultures united in a cult sequence: that of the street and those of the outcasts who have led a revolution of social redemption from the street.

There sneaker history and the destiny that has turned them into objects of desire is in the making of a set of values ​​and anti-values ​​developed by different and contemporary culture; up to a present where Sotheby’s auction house sold the ninety-nine piece for $850,000. why monitor the reality of sneaker collecting And consider it a form of investment? “Because the price of a limited edition model from a sports multinational in collaboration with an artist like Damien Hirst or Takashi Murakami is a deposit of sorts”, explains Derek Morrison, Europe director of StockX, the online buying and selling portal. quickly becoming one of the most authoritative voices for the sneaker market. The founders, Dan Gilbert, Josh Luber and Greg Schwartz, “invented a system that didn’t exist, creating an international price guide by mapping the sell-outs of major retailers”.

way of sneakers It began around 1820, in Brazil, in the homes of natural rubber producers, who used it to shape overshoes. A few years later, the American giant The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company studied that prototype, adopting a black canvas shoe with leather details; The rubber sole is revolutionary. You would have to wait until 1916 for the sneaker to arrive in its current form, when the US United Rubber Company marketed the Keds Champion. next year, the chat all stars, Similar to what we’ve all worn at least once in our lives, in 1934 he added the name of basketball champion Chuck Taylor to the logo, who became passionate about the brand and fueled its success: publishing “Converse Basketball”. It was his idea. “, the yearbook of the athletes in the All Stars published until 1983. Today they are all museum pieces.

Marriage between basketball and sneakers he is very lucky. Together nike air force 1Nike air Jordan, Reebok Pump and Converse Weapon (the “Choose Your Weapon” campaign featuring friend/rival Larry Bird and Magic Johnson is unforgettable) Between 1982 and 1991, everything changed. Studies on the anatomy of the foot translate into innovation in the design of the sole and midsole—airforce air cushions, which enhance propulsion and cushion the tread—or wearability, such as the pumps’ air chamber that guarantees is always the right fit. The Headlines write pop epics; top case air JordanNicknamed “Restricted” because of the colors, a swirl of red and black prohibited by NBA rules. For allowing Michael Jordan to wear it, Nike pays a fine of five thousand dollars per game. The rest is known: A new model every year, as well as many changes for Hollywood, from space Jam To Spider Man,

On the “territories” of the American metropolis and suburbs, other matches are held in parallel, between graffiti artists, skaters, rappers and the forces of the Order. It’s the chasm between baby boomers and their children that fashion passes through unhindered. Riding on the vendetta of a new generation and using characters they created, they monopolized the market. In 2001, Karl Lagerfeld has the intuition of billions: with reebok Chanel designs Instapump Fury for Spring/Summer. They will never be commercialized and will generate an avalanche of imitations. Today they are inaccessible. The following year it was the turn of adidas and Yohji Yamamoto; Major turning points in 2009: Kanye West

Collaborates with Louis Vuitton for his line of Don’s sneakers; On StockX, they are settled between four and seventeen thousand euros. A control office guarantees quality on the site: “Anonymity, transparency and authenticity are important in trade between private individuals. When buying a collector’s item, it is essential to be sure that it is original”. It is still Derek Morrison who Speaks up and, data in hand, wants me to extend the shoe rack.