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==The History of Basketball Shoes== |
==The History of Basketball Shoes== |
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The first basketball shoes were designed only for playing basketball, not for style. Basketball shoes first appeared in the 1920's. The first ever basketball shoes were the original Chuck Taylor by [[Converse]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Basketball Shoe History|url=http://basketball.epicsports.com/basketball-shoe-history.html}}</ref> These were the best selling basketball shoes for more than 40 years after coming out, selling more than 600 million pairs. In the 1960's however, more durable leather sneakers from [[Nike]] and [[Puma]] were starting to be seen on the court. |
The first basketball shoes were designed only for playing basketball, not for style. Basketball shoes first appeared in the 1920's. The first ever basketball shoes were the original Chuck Taylor by [[Converse]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Basketball Shoe History|url=http://basketball.epicsports.com/basketball-shoe-history.html}}</ref> These were the best selling basketball shoes for more than 40 years after coming out, selling more than 600 million pairs. In the 1960's however, more durable leather sneakers from [[Nike]] and [[Puma]] were starting to be seen on the court. Converse was still the top selling basketball shoe though because the [[NBA]] stars were still sporting the sneakers. |
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====Age of New Manufacturers==== |
====Age of New Manufacturers==== |
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Revision as of 02:22, 20 November 2013
The History of Basketball Shoes
The first basketball shoes were designed only for playing basketball, not for style. Basketball shoes first appeared in the 1920's. The first ever basketball shoes were the original Chuck Taylor by Converse.[1] These were the best selling basketball shoes for more than 40 years after coming out, selling more than 600 million pairs. In the 1960's however, more durable leather sneakers from Nike and Puma were starting to be seen on the court. Converse was still the top selling basketball shoe though because the NBA stars were still sporting the sneakers.
Age of New Manufacturers
As the National Basketball Association (NBA) started to gain more popularity during the Jordan era, the basketball shoes also became more popular. Different manufacturers started to produce basketball shoes such as Reebok In 1982, Reebok introduced the first athletic shoe for women. This move helped Reebok grab the majority of the market share in the early 1980's. Then in 1989 Reebok introduced the Pump to the Basketball shoe industry. The Pump shoe had a small pump located at the tongue of the shoe that inflate the bladder so that the shoe would conform tightly around the ankle when pumped. The Pump debuted at a price of $170, about double the price of other basketball shoes. Even so, over four years they sold more than 20 million pairs worldwide. AND1 was another manufacturer that came out during 1993 and focused more on selling their shoes to those who played street ball. They are the first basketball shoe endorser to get a deal without a contract from the NBA because they were endorsing men who did not play in the NBA.[2]
Technological Advances
One of the newest companies to come out with basketball shoes is Ektio. Ektio first started coming out with basketball shoes in December of 2010. The two models they first came out with were the Ektio Wraptor and the Ektio Post Up.[3] Ektio's basketball shoes focused primarily on developing shoes that would prevent ankle sprains. Former Knicks guard John Starks supports Ektio and has started to promote the new company.[4] Ektio's latest shoe debut is called the Breakaway and is priced at $129.99. Another new company to sell basketball shoes is Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL). APL was founded in 2009 but they received a U.S. patent on their revolutionary Load ‘N Launch® technology. Their Load 'N Launch technology features a unique device that serves as a launch pad at the front of the shoe which increases the vertical leap of those wearing the shoe. The shoes have been tested on athletes and athletes have experienced increases of several inches on their vertical leap wearing Athletic Propulsion Labs™ basketball shoes with the Load ‘N Launch™ technology. [5] APL currently has three different types of basketball shoes available which are Concept 1, Concept 2, and Concept 3. Their latest shoe, Concept 3 is selling for $175.00.
Nike's Rise to the Top
In the 1970s Nike made their name when they came out with their new Blazer shoe, and Puma did the same with their signature low-top shoes. Nike had the new technology of light leather shoes which was one of the reasons why they started to become popular. Converse came back when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird both wore the new Converse shoes. In the mid-1980s and the early 1990s everything changed when Michael Jordan started wearing his Nike warm ups and then the Air Jordan Series came out. Air Jordans became the number one shoe manufacturer. The Jordan shoe brand is owned and produced by Nike and Michael Jordan.
Jordan
During the late 1990's and the early 2000's, all basketball shoe manufactures began fighting for the number one spot, but Jordan remained at the top of the list. The Air Jordan series started in 1984 when Michael Jordan won both the national title at the University of North Carolina and an olympic gold medal. Their are currently twenty-eight Air Jordan shoes since the first one came out in 1985.[6]