A Brief History Of High Fashion Sneakers

Has any garment enjoyed a more impressive rise than the once-humble sneaker? From fitness shoe to high-fashion staple, the sneaker's ascent reflects some of the most significant pop-culture developments of the last few decades -- from the impact of advertising and mass production, to the influence of hip-hop and the NBA.

From July 10, visitors will be able to trace this history at The Rise of Sneaker Culture, a traveling exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum exploring its history and cultural significance.

But Elizabeth Semmelhack, senior curator of the originating exhibition at Toronto's Bata Shoe Museum and author of the accompanying book from Rizzoli, says that its history is more complex than we might think. "When the first sneakers debuted [in the 1800's], they were themselves luxury items," she says, citing the high price of rubber and the working class's lack of leisure time. "We're kind of coming full circle in a weird way."

So, how exactly have we ended up in an age of die-hard Nike addicts and Parisian designer kicks?

His & Her New Balance

New Balance Milkcrates collab

You're Doing It Wrong

FYI, I've always just done two loops and tied those together. Shot Dad.

Unicorn Leather Wallabees

Word to the Wally Champ, these are too dope! Expect to see Walter White rocking the dijon mustard coloured wallos in the upcoming season of Breaking Bad.

Spotted at TSS 

Shoe Museum

Apologies to the starving kids in Africa.