Evolution of Basketball Shoes
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Basketball shoes are one of the most essential items for basketball players from the moment they start playing basketball. Basketball shoes can provide many different features that players would otherwise not get from any ordinary pair of shoes. First off, basketball shoes give players improved performance. In a sport where the players are constantly moving, starting, stopping, changing directions, running, and jumping, having shoes specifically designed to allow a player to do this is vital since they won’t need to worry about their feet giving out. Along with this, basketball shoes decrease the chance of injury since they are designed in order for the user to perform the actions listed above. With the right shoes, a player can feel confident in preventing ankle and foot injuries. Basketball shoes also provide players with comfort as they again are designed for people who are doing the actions listed above, therefore having shoes tailored to take on the heat and pressure of running around provides comfort that otherwise wouldn’t be there. Lastly, basketball shoes can be appealing to the player in the sense that they are able to feel confident in what they’re wearing and can use their shoes to display their personality and style to their audiences.[1] Taking all these factors into account, since the invention of the sport over 100 years ago, one can imagine that basketball shoes have gone through multiple stages of evolution.[2]
Early Basketball Shoes[edit]
In 1908, the Converse Rubber Shoe Company was founded, and by 1917 they had released the All-Star basketball shoe known as the “non-skids”. This shoe was designed such that it would provide a high degree of friction between one’s shoe and the basketball court, allowing players to start and stop with ease. In 1921, Chuck Taylor, a semi-professional basketball player, began working as a salesman at Converse. By being involved in the sales aspect of the business, he was able to provide ideas on how to improve the shoe as well due to his background. His most important contributions to the design were changing the flexibility of the sole and providing ankle support. At this time, the shoe had also adopted the world-renowned All-Star logo over the ankle. Chuck Taylor was able to use his name to sell the shoe by hosting basketball lessons and clinics across the United States and selling people on the basketball shoes. Another big step for Converse and Taylor was having Taylor manage a team, the Chicago Converse All-Stars, who in their name, promoted the shoe. Having no major competitors at the time, Converse was able to dominate the basketball shoe market, making it the official shoe of the Olympics from 1936 to 168. All throughout the 1920s through the 1960s Converse was the shoe basketball players favored and used, but it came to a point where Converse fell off due to improvements in sneaker technology done by other athletic brands.
The Rise of Athletic Brands[edit]
With the downfall in Converse being from a lack of improvements in sneaker technology, major athletic brands come in as the competition, namely Puma and Nike. In 1973, Puma partnered with Walt Clyde Frazier of the New York Knicks, to conjure the first signature shoe, the Puma Clyde. This shoe quickly took over in the 1970s in being the most popular shoe due to its advanced design and because of the name behind it. The Puma Clyde featured elements that Converse didn’t offer at the time: a suede upper and a wider sole for a better stance. Converse tried to make a comeback in the 1970s, by having NBA legends Magic Johnson and Larry Bird wear their new Weapons, but still couldn’t match up with the technological advancements done by their competitors.[3] Nike also came into the picture in 1972, by releasing the Nike Bruin, and in 1978, the Blazer featuring the famous swoosh logo across the face of the shoe.[4] After getting this foot forward on Converse, athletic brands took over and dominated the basketball shoe market for years to come.
The Air-Jordan Era[edit]
Despite many manufacturers beginning to make basketball sneakers and signing professional basketball players to endorsement deals, Nike dominated the 1980s and beyond due to the signing of Michael Jordan in 1984. Coming into the NBA, Jordan had yet to prove himself as one of the greatest basketball players of all time but showed signs of promise. In a ground-breaking move by Nike, they signed a 21-year-old Michael Jordan to a reported $2.5 million dollar endorsement deal over 5 years.[5] The name “Air Jordan” came into existence because Nike had just come out with new technology for their running shoes called “air soles” and fittingly Michael Jordan was known for his athleticism and ability to be in the air for so long. The first model of Air Jordans featured the red and black color-way that did not meet the league’s policy on uniforms and colors, which ended up resulting in Jordan receiving multiple fines.[6] Nike eventually released the red and white color-way, which Jordan was allowed to wear. The Air Jordan I featured leather overlays on the upper, giving the shoe durability and easy color blocking. It also featured a perforated leather canvas over the toes to allow for ventilation. In the first 12 months of the famous Air Jordan I shoe being released, it generated Nike more than $100 million dollars of revenue.[7] Year after year, Nike and Jordan have released iconic shoes that have made the brand increasingly popular and the favorite amongst most basketball players.
The Tech Boom[edit]
With the turn of the century, came significant advancements in sneaker technology, allowing major manufacturers to capitalize on the growing basketball shoe market. Each of the major basketball shoe brands began to introduce new patented technologies to be tailored toward basketball players. These manufacturers took advantage of the new technology and scientific knowledge in the space to design basketball shoes that would enhance the performance of players. One of the first of these technologies was Nike introducing Shox technology in the Shox BB4, released in 2000. The new Shox technology aided players in horizontal movement and softening landings.[8] Aside from the specific technical elements the tech boom was able to add to basketball shoes, it allowed for more sneakers to enter the marketplace each year. By making it easier to produce sneakers, manufacturers were able to output higher volumes of sneakers as well as release special edition sneakers.[9] Some of these special edition sneakers include Nike’s Black History Month sneakers and Adidas’ All-Star collection.[10]
Player Signature Shoes[edit]
Pioneered by Jordan and Nike, hand in hand with the tech boom, the population of NBA players with signature sneaker deals with the likes of Nike, Adidas, Under Armor, etc has increased over time. Starting with the first shoe deal as mentioned before Walt Clyde Frazier, back in the 20th century, signature shoe deals were purely for the top three or so players in the league. Looking at today’s NBA, we see a complete flip as players have deals with shoe brands of all sorts to promote their brand and the players' image. The most popular and desired shoe deals by players are the signature deals, where the company works with the players to create their exclusive shoe and collaborate on all stages of the process including researching, designing, marketing, and producing the shoe. The next step down from there is cash shoe deals, where the athlete receives player-exclusive sneakers and color-ways with their logo, but doesn’t work with the brand to create their own shoe. About 20% of NBA players are currently under cash contracts. The last level for NBA players' shoe deals is a merchandise deal, where the brands give players (normally bench and reserve players) free merchandise to show off their brand and new items.[11] Below is a chart showing the active NBA players with signature shoe deals and their respective brands. [12]
| Active NBA Players with
Signature Shoe Deals | |
|---|---|
| Nike | Giannis Antetokounmpo
LeBron James Kevin Durant Paul George Ja Morant |
| Adidas | James Harden
Damian Lillard Trae Young Donovan Mitchell Derrick Rose |
| Jordan | Luka Doncic
Jayson Tatum Zion Williamson Chris Paul Russell Westbrook |
| Under Armour | Stephen Curry
Joel Embiid |
| New Balance | Kawhi Leonard |
| Puma | LaMelo Ball |
| Anta | Klay Thompson
Gordon Hayward |
| Li-Ning | CJ McCollum |
| 361° | Aaron Gordon |
References[edit]
- ↑ "The Parlor - Blog by Jomashop". www.jomashop.com. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ Draper, Alan (2018-07-19). "Play and Stay Safe: The Importance of Good Playing Shoes in Basketball". The Sports Daily. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ Magazine, Harlem World (2021-10-27). "A Brief History Of Basketball Shoes And The NBA". Harlem World Magazine. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ "Basketball Shoe History". basketball.epicsports.com. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ "History of Air Jordan". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ published, Sally Holmes (2020-05-18). "The Story Behind Michael Jordan's Air Jordans". Marie Claire Magazine. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ "History of Air Jordans - 23jordan.com - A Michael Jordan Tribute". 23jordan.com. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ Kicks, Nice (2018-11-16). "How Nike Shox Actually Work & Came to Be". Nice Kicks. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ "The Parlor - Blog by Jomashop". www.jomashop.com. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ "WearTesters | Shoes, Athletic Apparel, and Equipment Reviews". 2015-05-10. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ Pompliano, Joe. "How The NBA Shoe Business Actually Works". huddleup.substack.com. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ↑ "Which NBA players have their own signature sneaker? Nike and Adidas lead player endorsements". www.sportingnews.com. 2022-08-02. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
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