FROM TENNIS SHOES TO SNEAKERS – excerpts from the thesis by Olivier Magnan, an expert who joined UFE on May 21, 2024
“Thirty years ago in France, we called them tennis shoes!” writes Max Limol in his book “Culture sneakers, 100 iconic trainers” published by Hugo Images in 2015.
Tennis shoes became sneakers—mythical objects designed and worn by legendary athletes—almost compulsive collectors’ items that are setting online markets alight and are already making their way into Anglo-Saxon auction rooms.
THE ORIGINS
The term “sneakers” first appeared in 1880 in a publication of the
Boston Journal. Because their rubber soles make them more “silent” than
dress shoes, and therefore more discreet, the word sneakers derives from
the English expression “to sneak up”, literally “to creep up”. As early as 1917, American advertising man
Henry Nelson Mckinney popularised this expression, until then used by
American youth, who were enthusiastic about this comfortable shoe.
THE “AIR JORDAN” PHENOMENON
“A sneaker is just a sneaker until it is worn by my son” Deloris Jordan to Sonny Vaccaro, Nike’s Marketing Director, in an excerpt from the film “Air” directed by Ben Affleck in 2023.
The history of sneakers is inseparable from that of the NBA, and is definitively linked to the extraordinary career of basketball player Michael Jordan. In 1983, the man who would become the legendary No. 23 of the Chicago Bulls made a name for himself in the American college championship. Wearing Converse on his feet during games, MJ dreamed of signing a contract with the sportswear brand Adidas, the brand that “has the best tracksuits”.
Nike offered Michael Jordan the chance to design him “banned” shoes in the Chicago Bulls colours—red and black—and to pay all the player’s fines. Named Air Jordan 1 “Bred” (a contraction of “Black” and “Red”), these sneakers would also be marketed by the brand in the United States; in return, Nike undertook to pay 25% of sales proceeds to the basketball player. The contract is signed. However, because the “AJ1” were still in development when the season started, Michael Jordan began playing in the Nike Airship model. In his first season as a professional player, Michael Jordan delivered a string of outstanding performances and established himself as one of the league’s stars. His “banned shoes”, because they were “banned” by the NBA, would become as famous as he was.
In 2020, the auction house Christie’s sold a historic pair of Air Jordan 1s for
$615,000. Worn by Michael Jordan during a friendly match played on 25 August 1985 in
Trieste, Italy, this pair was signed by the American player ( Online sale
“Original Air: Michael Jordan Game-Worn and Player Exclusive Sneaker Rarities”, New York, 13 August
2020 ). To date, this result remains one of the finest performances recorded in the world of
auctions for an “AJ1” model.
NIKE “AJ1” model © Olivier Magnan