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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]

History of Adidas

Adidas was founded in 1924. It was founded in Bavaria, Germany by brothers, Adi and Rudolf Dassler. The two men first named the shoe company after themselves, calling it Dassler Shoes. Later the company became known as Adidas. The company became a well known company after some of their shoes were seen being worn in the Olympics.
In 1948, one of the brothers, Rudolf Dassler, left the company, and started his own company called Puma. Once it was just Adi, he came up with the three stripe logo which is what the shoes are recognized by today, and changed the name to Adidas. Adidas started as a shoe company that only made track and field shoes. It then widened their clientele by producing shoes for all types of sports. Beginning in 1972, Adidas began making shoes for sports such as football, mountain climbers, basketball, and gymnastics. One thing that set Adidas apart from other shoe companies is what Adi did to make it successful, and have the trust of world-class athletes. He personally met with athletes, listened to what they were saying, and was constantly observing what could be improved or invented to support these athletes. He made shoes personal and in turn, better. Adidas sponsor, or endorses, many athletes and athletic teams. The endorse NBA players from almost every single team in the league. They also endorse many college basketball teams, both men's and women's.

Top Signature Basketball Shoes [7][8]

Adidas has sponsored countless athletes since their start. They provide these athletes with top of the line, tailor-made, signature shoes. These are a few of the top Adidas Basketball shoes that have been worn in the NBA since Adidas's start.


College Basketball Endorsements [9]

These are some of the American College Basketball teams that Adidas sponsors. This changes frequently, so some schools may not be listed, and those that are may not be endorsed by Adidas any more. These are both men's and women's teams, though it may differ within each school whether both or only one of the men's or women's teams is endorsed.

References
Restivo, Nick. "The 25 Best Adidas Signature Basketball Shoes of all Time". Complex Sneakers. Retrieved 17 November 2013.

Singh Gandu, Gurvinder. "The 8 Best Adidas Feet You Wear: Basketball Shoes". Sneaker Report. Retrieved 17 November 2013.

"College Teams". Adidas Grassroots Basketball.


Reference

  1. ^ "Basketball Shoe History".
  2. ^ "AND1 History".
  3. ^ "Ektio shoes prevent ankle sprains".
  4. ^ "John Starks and Ektio Breakaway".
  5. ^ "Load 'N Launch Technology".
  6. ^ "History of Air Jordan".
  7. ^ Restivo, Nick. "The 25 Best Adidas Signature Basketball Shoes of all Time". Complex Sneakers. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  8. ^ Singh Gandu, Gurvinder. "The 8 Best Adidas Feet You Wear: Basketball Shoes". Sneaker Report. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  9. ^ "College Teams". Adidas Grassroots Basketball.
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