Al Capone rocking Adidas Gazelles, Charlie Chaplin in Nike Air Max or Albert Einstein repping Reebok Classics. When we found out sneakers were 100 years old, these are the bizarre images that would not leave our heads. Clearly, our research on the history of these shoes needs some serious work, and luckily for us, we have a book to turn to.
The Ultimate Sneaker Book, from the guys at Sneaker Freaker, runs us through a century of history in remarkable detail. With over 650 pages, anything about shoes not in this book, quite frankly, isn’t worth knowing.
Sneaker Freaker have been at the forefront of footwear for the past two decades, and founder and editor Simon Wood put his wealth of experience and knowledge into these pages. His original premise when he launched the magazine was to be “funny and serious, meaningful and pointless at the same time.”
He has stayed true to those words with this book, which is ideal for the coffee table, as he mixes his own jokes and quips with some serious sneaker porn. Historical detail runs throughout the pages, and the level of detail is seriously impressive, which you’d expect from someone who has dedicated their life to rubber soled shoes.
Every chapter is a learning curve sweeping through decades and the evolution of the industry. If you want to know more about Yeezy, Adi Dassler or Dapper Dan and how they came about, then this is the book for you. It isn’t just the main brands that are covered in this extravaganza - those obscure gems are also included. Remember Troop, Airwalk or Vision Street Wear? Don’t worry if you can’t, The Ultimate Sneaker Book can.
After a flick through these pages, the image of Charlie Chaplin in pristine white Air Max will (thankfully) be a distant memory.
