Thursday, June 22, 2017

The Rise of Sneaker Culture.. then and now.



 In the city earlier this week we popped in to see what was new at the Art Gallery WA.. there's always something weird and wonderful to see and I suspect that the many school groups coming in below were here to see the Rise of Sneaker Culture exhibition. It has always fascinated me the importance of wearing the right brand of sneakers, it was almost a cult thing at one stage.. is it still I wonder.. surely not! The sneakers above were made in 1915.. I think they're pretty cool, but totally unsuitable for the level of competition these days..


Below, perfect if you need that extra bit of height.. and I do :) 


I'm saving the really speccy sneakers for tomorrow..incroyable! Are you into the 'wearing the right sneaker' mentality? Maybe it's my Scots blood, but my top price would be around the $120 mark and not a cent more.. I know right I'm a cheapskate :) Happy Thursday, take care and stay safe...


31 comments:

  1. You wonder what people who wore the first of them would think of Air Jordans.

    I don't care for sneakers. I alternate between dress shoes and hiking shoes.

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  2. My first pair of "running shoes" were Adidas. Boy! How far we've come with designs.

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  3. I hardly ever wear sneakers so I'm no expert in this area. However, I'm certainly aware of the huge variety that is available and the prices they can command. What a great idea for an exhibit. It would be fun to find the ones I used to wear for gym classes in high school among those in this display.

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  4. Boy, you sorta snuck this post in here! :) I haven't even heard the word, "sneakers," in years. You've got running shoes, walking shoes, basketball shoes, trail shoes, mountain climbing shoes, golf shoes, but I don't think anyone wears sneakers anymore. If I said I was wearing my sneakers to my grandkids, they'd start snufflin' and goin' "he, he, he, he, he."

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  5. Those old sneakers look like contemporary retro design Red Ball Jets. They stop on a dime, and give you nine cents change. Now we have trainers, cross-trainers, athletic shoes, and as Lowell points out, walking and running shoes. Always thought the Air brand was an overpriced fashion statement.

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  6. I always wear either sneakers or sandals. I'd go barefoot if I could!

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  7. I am amazed how much they have changed, I always used to wear tackies in Rhodesian days before I changed to something a bit more upmarket :-) Hope you are well Diane

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  8. A amazing exhibition. I find that the sneakers today have more and more the appearance of
    Formula 1 prototypes.

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  9. You always share sure curious items, PDP. Love this post!

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  10. I'm with you about the price. Was it the 80s or 90s when all the coolest rich people were wearing Reeboks.

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  11. $120????
    $10 is enough?
    Is there no charity shops near you..?

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  12. That will get them in the doors!

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  13. Prices are still a bit crazy today, I think!

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  14. I only wear them to run or for a long vigorous walk. I think there is still a sneaker culture among young guys some of whom have 100s of pairs. Crazy!

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  15. I use to wear them when I ran but now it's been hiking boots for years. We used to live in a town in Oregon that had a Nike outlet and they sold rejects for a very cheap price. I remember looking at a pair and couldn't find where the defect was. So I bought two pairs for 20 bucks. Can't imagine the prices these days.

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  16. Sneakers through the years. Remember P.F. Fliers, Keds? There was one other one from when I was a child that is extinct too. Maybe you did not have those brands in Oz.

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  17. The top pair could be contemporary and very expensive. My son used to wear Converse high tops in mismatched colors. When he was 9 or 10 he had one red and one sky blue, wearing them on a trip to Paris. The French thought he was tres chic.

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  18. What does it say about me that I really like that 1915 version? I've paid in the $120 range for a really good pair of comfortable slip ons but as much as I'd like a pair of Converse All Star high tops I just can't bring myself to pay $60 or so for them.

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  19. wow great. Thanks for sharing. Amazing pics.

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  20. They are a real fashion statement, neat to see them exhibited in a gallery.
    I like the high ones in your first photo!

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  21. Oh, that is a nice exhibition Grace, love it to see.

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  22. Very interesting exhibit. I too won't spend much on sneakers....I get mine at the outlet mall....and then I order narrow keds online.They are what you will find me in the most!....Janey

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  23. Mt blue and silver sneakers have bright pink laces.... awesome!

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  24. Very interesting aspects; the old ones are so interesting... Many thanks for sharing this collection!
    A sunny day and nice weekend, too!

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  25. The Adidas Superstar and Stan Smith's are making a real comeback. Can't beat the original three stripes!

    PS: Did you know that Adidas and Puma were founded by brothers? They had a difference of opinion and parted ways. There's also the famous story of the Miracle of Bern. Adidas created waterproof shoes for the German soccer team and they won the championship (which happened to be played in the rain).

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_FIFA_World_Cup_Final

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  26. I used to not care and mostly bought sneakers at ALDI. Until my first pair of NIKE. Three times the ALDI-price and sooo comphy!
    Guess I´m a NIKE-person now, when it comes to sneakers.

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  27. Oh, and Grace, certainly I had a pair with an added height of 8-10 cm! Had a hard time throwing them away, but they fell apart, sadly.

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  28. Sneakers, sneakers everywhere ...
    I have a pair, they are pink and white, made by Puma and are very comfortable on the few occasions that I wear them!

    All the best Jan

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