Talk:Sneakers

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Comments

Someone removed "Unlike some other footwear, sneakers do not make noise whilst the wearer is walking in them." Seemed harmless enough, in this already rather slender stub. Was it a violation of NPOV or something? The expression "sneaker" must have some history to tell. Is this all Wikipedia has on sneakers? Any links to Puma or Nike etc? --Wetman 07:38, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Not sure you guys will like my reformatting, change if necessary. HallofMirrors 03:37, 18 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Squeak!

The term "sneaker" itself was first used in 1916 by the US Rubber Company for the Keds brand, because rubber soles made the shoes less squeaky. ... less squeaky than what? --Abdull 12:59, 13 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect you are refering to the all pervasive on-court squeak of basketball sneakers. In the days before this sport became so omnipresent, leather shoes often squeaked just walking anywhere. Men had to continually apologize for such ill-made or worn shoes. Sneakers almost instantly solved this problem. However, these shoes were quickly banned from business as being insufficently encouraging to the customer's expectation of proper elegance. Put simply, noone could put a shine on a sneaker and no proper businessman would dream of sneaking about in anything but the best leather shoes. Jopower (talk) 06:50, 31 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Trainers

Sneakers are NOT called trainers in the UK, and I have removed this suggestion. The illustration shows what is called a plimsoll in the UK. Trainers are completely different. Unfortunately trainer redirects to this page. --Shantavira 14:18, 20 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Indented line — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.243.165.87 (talk) 01:04, 1 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The illustration is only one type of sneaker. The sneaker category pretty much includes most athletic shoes, plimsolls, trainers, and several other sub-categories.

In the UK, plimsolls are rarely, if ever, referred to as trainers; they are traditionally footwear worn by children at school for PE. I've never heard anyone use the word "sneakers" in the UK other than in the context of a conversation about American footwear. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.2.68.169 (talk) 15:37, 22 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Pervertible

I am removing the "pervertible" section added by Fastifex (talk). Do other contributors think this material belongs in the Sneaker (footwear) article? If I am wrong in deleting it, please correct me. Thanks! --Michael Geary 18:04, 22 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

no, I do not think it belonged here. 82.45.248.177 23:27, 22 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. Another question: Fastifex added a "see also" to Slippering (the punishment). Does that belong here? (Personally I don't think so, but I don't want to be too hasty about it.) --Michael Geary 15:46, 23 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If there's Slippering, I can see an obvious relation to the topic of Slipper due to the name, and a (short) reference to the proper article is only fair. At Sneaker, however, it's more than a stretch to claim any encyclopedic relevance of one to the other. How many types of shoes are there which should also get a link then? Femto 17:48, 23 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Truth

Resolved

Up to 25 percent of americans don't wear sneakers.That should be included in this article. One poll in Vanity Fair found out up to 33 percent of americans own one or less pairs of sneakers. I am sure that most of that 33 percent of people probably don't even wear that one pair of sneakers they have otherwise they would have more pairs.

It is relevant to this article. ... added at 00:10, 28 June 2014‎ by User:68.84.240.18

I'm mildly surprised at the implication that as many as 75% of Americans wear sneakers. -- Hoary (talk) 07:57, 28 June 2014 (UTC)[reply]

95% of statistics are made up. - SummerPhD (talk) 13:12, 15 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I should state that growing up, "sneakers" referred to thin-soled canvas top shoes ("tennies" or "tennis shoes") which usually laced up, thick-soled canvas top shoes ("deck shoes") which came in both lace-up and slip-on versions, and "basketball shoes", which had a rounded white (rubbery?) toe, and which always laced-up. Basketball shoes were the only shoes that came in a "high top" version (also called "Converses" or "Converse shoes", "Pumas", etc.) The term "sneakers" is often limited to this category of shoe.68.83.46.229 (talk) 15:35, 24 June 2018 (UTC) 68.83.46.229 (talk) 15:35, 24 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Tennies

Throughout my 1960's-1980's youth, sneakers were slanged "tennies" (from Tennis Shoes) by my parents, family and many neighbors... and eventually ourselves to the present day to our kids (though recently I note only when they are under 10 years of age, as tennies are no longer "cool" to male teens). This being in the US midwest, mountain states and California. Further, television shows occasionally used it. As such, the section about slang terms (which is upon a slang term itself... how curious!) should include this appellation.

I should also mention that "trainers" is a much more recent term which I did not hear applied to common daily sneakers till some time after 1990. Trainers were exclusively a term for expensive purpose-made athletic footwear prior to that in our area. If you had "trainers" before 2000, you were one of those snooty well off types and subject to minor derision and pranks. I know as I myself recall filling not a few pairs with mud, hoping they would dry like concrete before next wearing. (I suppose this qualifies as a 1st hand reference?) Jopower (talk) 06:04, 31 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Everyone in my day called then "Tennis shoes" or "Tennies" for short also. Moved from West coast to Midwest/south, and everyone there did too. I always thought that everyone called them that. Even the text of this article seems to imply that "Tennis shoes" are the common name, and that sneakers is a nickname that youth gave them. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.216.125.207 (talk) 00:15, 10 December 2017 (UTC)[reply]

In my youth, in the Midwest in the fifties and sixties, we said tennies/tennis shoes, but also gym shoes (high-topped); runners/running shoes, and flats (thin, cut under the ankles). I use sneakers, but i don't know when I started using the term, no exactly what it includes and excludes. I think it will be hard to get authoritative sources on the various terms' distribution in space and time. Maybe material from manufacturers can give a it of guidance. 31.132.81.213 (talk) 12:25, 22 December 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Non-Athletic History

Sneakers were very quickly adopted for less peaceable uses. This history is most extensive and might warrant a new section or entry. For example, since the 1920's the underworld's "2nd story men" found them invaluable. Guerrilla and partisan fighters the world over employed sneakers in their clandestine actions. In WW2, the Filipinos and Malaysians, etc. used them in actions against the Japanese. In Korea, whole Communist armies used them to ensure stealth, even to the detriment of their health and life in sub-freezing weather. This should be expanded upon. Jopower (talk) 06:28, 31 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Requested move 4 December 2015

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: moved. Sneaker will require a separate discussion. Jenks24 (talk) 15:48, 12 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Sneakers (footwear) → Sneakers – As good a movie as Sneakers (1992 film) is, there's a pretty clear primary topic for the term "sneakers", and it's the type of shoe. Sneakers is currently just a redirect to the disambiguation page Sneaker, so it doesn't really need to be relocated anywhere, and the six things listed as "Sneakers" on that page can be listed at Sneakers (disambiguation), which doesn't exist right now. Egsan Bacon (talk) 19:25, 4 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Support but wouldn't the dab be at Sneaker, there's no need for a second dab page. In ictu oculi (talk) 22:31, 4 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]
- Shouldn't Sneaker redirect to Sneakers (or vice versa) – per WP:PLURAL? —BarrelProof (talk) 00:47, 5 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Support, redirect sneaker to it as well, and move the current sneaker to sneaker (disambiguation). -- Necrothesp (talk) 14:07, 9 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

In French and Spanish

In the French Wikipedia site there is "Chaussure de sport" and in the Spanish Wikipedia site there is "Calzado deportivo," which are the counterparts of this article. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 180.232.85.66 (talk) 09:05, 30 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Comments

In this article there is the potential to add more information in the "sports use" section about the shoes themselves. Basketball, tennis, and trainers have some specific qualities that differentiate them from each other and make them more suitable for each use and this could be elaborated on in a brief more descriptive manner. Secondly, the "sneaker culture" section talks about the hip hop influence in bringing about the modern sneakerheads, which was a huge influence, but one more piece that could be added about the culture is how modern professional athletes are influencing the sneaker culture. For example Lebron James, James Harden, and Damian Lillard who all have their own sneaker lines being produced by various manufacturers. Even some professional football players and soccer players have inspired sneakers. These athletes are influencing the sneaker culture and tying it to sports. Eschholzalec (talk) 03:31, 17 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Tennis Shoes

Why is this under "Sneakers", when it seems to be that Tennis Shoes is significantly more common?

https://www.rd.com/culture/regional-sayings-phrases-words/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.216.125.207 (talk) 00:22, 10 December 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Keep in mind that this is the English Wikipedia, serving English-speaking readers around the world, not just in the United States. Rivertorch^FIRE_WATER 00:24, 10 December 2017 (UTC)[reply]