14 Interesting Sneaker Facts You Didn’t Know

In the late 18th century, people wore plimsolls, rubber-soled shoes. Later, around 1892, the U.S Rubber company introduced rubber sneakers called keds. These are known as the first-ever mass-produced sneakers. Hence, the sales of sneakers sky-rocketed and gained millions of fans. So for all the sneakerheads out there, we have listed down 14 interesting facts about sneakers

These Are Some Sneaker Facts That Every Sneakerhead Must Know!

1. Earlier, when people walked with rubber soles it made a sound. So when sneakers were introduced it got their name so that people who use it wouldn’t make any sound while walking.
2. This is not only a fact about sneakers but also a Lifehack. You can determine the approximate retail price of a New Balance sneaker simply by dividing the model number by 10.(i.e 647= $64.70)
3. Earlier, Bowerman disliked the design of track shoes. So, he experimented with different designs of his own. He tried Kangaroo leather, velvet, fish skin, etc. in the early prototypes.
4. The slogan “Just Do it” was inspired by Gary Gilmore, a serial killer who said “let’s do it” before he was put to death.
5. Phil Knight initially wanted to name his brand as dimension 6 but Knight’s coworker Jeff Johnson suggested a name that had come to him in a dream i.e Nike.
6. In 1990, a huge shipment of Nikes met with a strange shipment accident in which about 80,000 pairs of Nikes went lost in the Pacific ocean.
7. When Drake collaborated with Nike, they made a sneaker coated in 24k gold named Solid Gold OVO X Air Jordans, each shoe weighs 50lbs and it is worth about $2 million.
8. MDC founder Miles Nadal is known as the world’s biggest sneakerhead, he spent more than US$1.2 million on a collection of rare sneakers.
9. New York’s Department of Correction prohibited prisoners to wear Nike Air because drugs can be stored in the hollowed-out sole of the shoes.
10. Michael Jordan always wanted to sign with Adidas and not Nike. But, unfortunately, that deal never happened.
11. A park in Boston called “Adidas park” is a place where only Adidas brand sneakers are allowed. Anyone who goes to the park wearing any other brands, their shoes would be snatched and hung on a tree called “tree of shame”
12. Nike Air Force 1 is considered one of the best-selling sneakers of all time without being advertised.

The last fact about sneakers, Adolf Dassler and Rudolf Dassler are brothers who together formed the company Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik. Due to a fight between them, they decided to split up and ended up creating two revolutionary brands. Adolf started Adidas and Rudolf started Puma.