---

The first in-depth, beautifully illustrated history of the sports shoe from the 19th century to today

---

The story of the sneaker´s rise from the first Victorian tennis shoes to the Nike Air Max and beyond

Moving from the athletic field to the shopping mall, Thomas Turner tells a fresh story of the evolution of the sports shoe against the changing landscape of society, sport, fashion, industry, and technology. The Sports Shoe takes us on a journey from the first Victorian tennis shoes to the adidas Superstar and the innovative technologies of Nike Air Max. Featuring newly uncovered archival material and historic images showcasing key personalities, vintage marketing and common perceptions of this hugely desirable product, this book is a must-have for any sneaker collector, historian of popular culture, or anyone interested in the place of athletic footwear in our lives today.

---

Acknowledgements
Introduction

1. Lawn tennis and the origins of the modern sports shoe
2. Sports style, youth, and modernity
3. The sports shoe reborn
4. Skateboarding and the reimagined sports shoe
5. Sneakers, basketball, and hip hop
6. Trainers on the soccer terraces
7. Globalized production, athleisure, and the postmodern sports shoe

Conclusion

List of Illustrations
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index

---

Part of the charm of this meticulously researched and beautifully produced book is that, for many of us, our first sports shoes carry the same kind of emotional charges as our first movies or our first records. Times Literary Supplement

---

Turner, Thomas
Thomas Turner is a historian, writing and working in London, UK.

---