Sports shoes are in fashion now. It is worn by both youth and adults. Recently, eclecticism has been in trend - a combination of styles. Girls wear sports shoes with dresses, men wear classic suits. This type of shoe has become a symbol of democracy, freedom and convenience. Let's remember the history and talk about when the first sneakers appeared and what they were like in the USSR, because most readers remember these comfortable and fashionable shoes well.
Renaissance: iconic sneakers
In 2016, a young designer and entrepreneur Yevgeny Raikov gave his compatriots the same sneakers! He took the matter seriously. I found the same factory in China that made Soviet sneakers. The Chinese have no old patterns left. I had to create new patterns, according to samples of finished products of the Soviet era. It must be said that the project was quite successful. Party shoes under the trademark "Two balls"selling like hot cakes.
Ancestors of sports shoes
About a hundred years ago, sneakers were intended exclusively for people who were professionally involved in sports. No one could even think that these sports shoes would become so trendy. Throughout the history of development, sneakers have gradually turned into an epoch-making phenomenon. Now they have become a cult object. Shoes are loved by many people around the world.
The first shoes similar to sneakers appeared in the thirties of the XIX century. Oddly enough, but it was created for walking along the beach. The first sand shoes were called. Where did the modern name come from?
It was first mentioned in 1916. The name came from the Keds shoe brand. If you dig deeper, it is worth remembering 1892. Then there was a merger of nine factories that made rubber shoes. They were united under the same name U. S. rubber company. Goodyear also joined this union. She held the rights to the vulcanization technology and also specialized in shoes with rubber soles and canvas uppers.
The first name of this shoe was peds. It arose because they were in most cases worn by the poor. In American slang, such people were called "peds." But it turned out that such a name already exists, and it had to be replaced. Since the brand that produced sneakers was aimed at children and teenagers, thenmarketers came up with the idea of combining the words kid and ped. If not for this, then everyone's favorite shoes would still have the name "pedy".
The hype around fashionable shoes began in 1917. Then the American Marcus Converse launched a line of sneakers for professional basketball players. Today it is difficult to find a young man who would not know this model. These are the legendary Converse All Star.
Chuck Taylor and the famous Chucks
You may have heard that these sneakers are also called “chucks”. Where did the strange name come from? The fact is that in 1919 an athlete who became a basketball legend put on the Converse. He was the first to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Markus Konvers invited him to become the face of the brand. Later, the sneakers he advertised became known as the Chuck Tayor All Star. In youth slang, they acquired the name "chucks".
Chuck not only advertised shoes, but also took part in the improvement of shoes. The round patches that you can see on the inside of the sneakers are his invention. They are designed to protect the ankles.
After some time, other athletes began to train at the Converse All Star. In 1950, a third of all NBA athletes became Converse fans. American sneakers have long broken all records in their segment. 800 million copies have been sold throughout history.
There have been hard times in the history of Converse. In the 1940s, all the forces of the United States were thrown into the military industry, there was no time for the release of fashionable shoes. The textile industry worked to provide uniforms for the fighters. Because of this, the production of sneakers almost stopped. The brand returned to its former volumes only in 1966. At the same time, the competitors of Mark Converse began to raise their heads.
Japanese miracle sneakers
In 1951, the Japanese began to make shoes for basketball players. They approach this matter with their characteristic scrupulousness. Kihachiro Onitsuka with Onitsuka Tiger creates a sole that is unparalleled in the world. The brand name will later be called Asics. The design is designed on the principle of octopus suction cups. The technology provides excellent grip of shoes with the surface on which basketball players run. When in the 21st century they undertook to reissue this and subsequent models, the line made a splash!
Youth Festival
Let's move on to sneakers from the times of the USSR. How did American shoes come to our country, despite the "Iron Curtain"? In the USSR they were seen for the first time in 1957. The fact is that at that time the Sixth World Youth Festival was taking place. Students gathered from all ideologically free continents and the socialist camp. Boys and girls from noble exemplary families were shod in patent leather shoes, but progressive youth - in American sneakers.
Exclusively according to GOST
Shoes began to slowly acquire relevance, and sneakers in the USSR began to be made in small volumes. Soon after the youth festival, GOST was approved for these products. Keds in the USSR (pictured below) were numbered 9155-88.
There were foreign analogues of sports shoes in the USSR, only they hit the shelves not from the liberal USA. USSR quality criteriashoes from North Korea and China were more suitable. Most likely, politics was involved here. In 1968, sneakers from Finland appeared in the country. Interestingly, they were imported under the Nokia brand. Now we know this brand as a manufacturer of mobile phones. The company logo, by the way, has not changed since the 60s.
Sneakers in the USSR were produced in huge volumes. In the 60s, all schoolchildren wore them, students put them on potatoes. Men's sneakers in the USSR were worn by workers at all construction sites. This trend can be seen by watching Soviet films. Women also wore these shoes with pleasure.
If suddenly a pair broke, then you could buy a replacement in every sporting goods store. There were a lot of these stores in the USSR. The Czechs, which were previously worn for physical education classes, are rather tired of everyone. The sneakers were much more comfortable.
A dozen years after the legendary festival, these sports shoes entered the life of Soviet citizens very tightly. The sneaker from the times of the USSR has another name. In 1979, in the novel by Eduard Limonov "It's me, Eddie" the name "snickers" is first encountered. The name was also popularized by Viktor Tsoi.
We remember sneakers in Soviet cinema. They were worn by Elektronik, friends Petrov and Vasechkin. Even Sharik from Prostokvashino preferred these sports shoes. But the most colorful cartoon character in sneakers was the wolf from "Well, you wait!".
Red Triangle Sneakers
Every autumn a report from the factory is shown on TV"Red Triangle". Brand new sneakers of different colors descend from its conveyors. Despite the fact that the shoes were very simple, millions of children and teenagers are in love with them.
In the mid-seventies, sneakers conquer all generations, young and old. They go jogging, go on dates, walk in parks, work in factories. "Red Triangle" produces sneakers at a very affordable price. Millions of pairs of these sports shoes are made every year by factory workers. It was hard to buy sneakers in small towns. Basically, they went to Moscow and Leningrad. People stand in line for hours, but they leave the stores with joy on their faces - they are taking home Red Triangle sneakers. In the USSR, an ordinary pair cost 3 rubles. The “Two Balls” sneakers were more expensive. They cost 4 rubles. We will talk about them separately below.
The appearance of Soviet sneakers
Slightly higher are the Red Triangle sneakers (USSR) in the photo. Shoes had soles of red or milky color. It was possible to meet completely red sneakers in the USSR. The seam clearly marked the transition from the sole to the textile upper. The laces were mostly white. Their tips are made of metal. In the ankle area, on the inside, the sneakers had protective round patches that resembled a ball.
Sneakers "Two balls" - the dream of Soviet youth
"Two Balls" is a line of sneakers that were made in China. It was an example of China's successful cooperation with the union. The "Two Balls" sneakers were an order of magnitude better, but the Chinese shoes were much more difficultget.
Such batches were much better than sneakers sewn in the union, because in the USSR they used injection technology, and in China - hot vulcanization. Chinese-made sneakers came with an orthopedic insole. The fabric from which the upper was made was also much stronger. The colors and design of sports shoes were also very different from domestic counterparts. This made the Two Ball sneakers almost a cult item.
The Chinese manufacturer offered several colors of shoes. Blue sneakers had a durable bottle glass sole. The laces and toe were white. From the inner side in the area of the bone is the legendary emblem with a football and a basketball.
The most expensive were white sneakers "Two Balls". They were several times more expensive than their colored counterparts. Some fashionistas bought colored shoes and boiled them down to white.
