4 IntroductIon

6 the top 25

18 classIc KIcKs sweeps Your chance to wIn the new classIcs

20 spotlIght: asIcs

23 spotlIght: alIfe

24 spotlIght: fIla

27 spotlIght: concepts

28 spotlIght: K-swIss

31 spotlIght: sportIe la

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There are sneakers and Then There are

— They are The sTyles ThaT define an era, make a company’s repuTaTion, spawn legions of imiTaTors and empower a generaTion of aThleTes, fans and sneaker die-hards. ofTen driven by amazing funcTionaliTy or a Technological breakThrough, and always moTivaTed by ulTra-fresh sTyling, The shoes ThaT inspire devoTion have a hook ThaT keeps sneaker lovers coming back for more, years and even decades afTer The shoes firsT made Their mark.

and while you could spend hours debaTing how To rank The besT of The besT, and The who and The whaT ThaT goT lefT off, There’s no doubT ThaT The sTyles Footwear News chose as The 25 True classics have revoluTionized The sneaker scene. here, we lay ouT The looks ThaT have made hisTory. By JeNNiFer erNst Beaudry

Photos Courtesy: nike, adidas, pf flyers, new balance, converse, Jordan, puma, k-swiss, saucony, reebok, fila, asics, oniTsuka TigerPhotos By: sTephen sullivan (pro-keds, keds), Thomas iannaccone (vans)

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T he Superstar was born out of basketball — the 1969 style was created as a low-top version of the Pro Model — but it found its home in hip-hop and

has made waves in pop culture ever since. The rubber toecap that gave the Superstar its singular look was intended as toe protection for b-ballers (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a fan, and at one point, 75 percent of the NBA had adopted the style), but the support, cushioning and non-marking sole made it a favorite with fans, too. By 1986, the all-leather style was firmly entrenched in the hip-hop game, and rap group Run-DMC gave the style a Top 40 platform with “My Adidas,” an ode to the Superstars they wore on the regular. The kicks came to symbolize Run-DMC, with fans displaying their own pairs, often worn laceless, just like Run and the boys did. (The reportedly $1 million endorsement deal Adidas later signed with Run-DMC was fittingly the first major deal in hip-hop.) But the popularity of the Superstar — whether in the classic black-on-white colorway or the many variations since — has held steady even as hip-hop’s look and sound have evolved. If anything, the shoes have cracked the mainstream: nu-metal band Korn made the style their go-to, and Estelle gave props to Kanye’s shelltoes in last summer’s “American Boy” single.

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T he biggest basketball shoe ever? Maybe. Nike’s iconic 1982 high-top basketball

style is a solid contender for a lot of mosts: most collected, most sold, most versions made. But given its staggering success today (more than 11 million pairs sold each year) the AF1 was initially planned as a one-season one-off by legendary Nike designer Bruce Kilgore. (It was notable at the time for being the first style to feature Nike’s Air technology through the entire length of the sole.) Luckily for kicks fans, however, retailers pressured the Beaverton, Ore.-based athletic giant to bring back the shoe, which it did in 1984. And it hasn’t looked

back since — well, at least not until 2007, when Nike celebrated the style’s silver anniversary with a year of limited-edition releases and special makeups. While some fans (even some of the most devout) accused the company of saturating the market with limited editions, sales have remained strong. Retailers say the classic white-on-white colorway has had a resurgence in the recession era, and the AF1 continues to draw fans high-profile (Nelly, Jay-Z, Jerome Bettis, among others) and low-profile alike.

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T he innate, often-intimate connection between basketball players and sneaker culture

seems completely intuitive now, but if it wasn’t for a Boston Celtics point guard named Bob Cousy, it might have been a different story. Cousy, who started setting the NBA on fire after his 1950 rookie season, joined with Boston-based PF Flyers to create a special shoe just for him. The Bob Cousy, which debuted in 1956, looked like the Chuck Taylors that were the shoe of choice at the time — a canvas upper and a vulcanized sole — but featured basketball-ready additions such as a more structured insole for cushioning and a “gullwing” closure (laces thread through a second eyelet on the top hole, located on a separate tab) that let

the wearer customize the fit. The shoe was designed, as the brand’s tag line at the time said, to help you “play at your full speed.” It also had a shout-out for fans: Bob Cousy’s signature appeared

on the insole, although the superstar once told FN the signature didn’t look familiar — “I think my agent might have signed this for me.” And while it’s no longer an on-court favorite, the Bob Cousy has found new life as a classic retro style. PF Flyers (now owned by New Balance) has made the shoe one of its major focuses as it

aims to attract a newer, hipper customer and more upscale distribution. Made in new colors and materials, the original, signature shoe (no matter whose signature is actually on it) is still breaking new ground.

P ro-Keds was launched in 1949 by then-owner Uniroyal as a men’s athletic brand that built on the Keds name with a focus on basketball. The first shoe to market was the Royal, a canvas

silhouette in both high- and low-top versions. With the brand-defining blue-and-red stripes on the midsole, the Royal enjoyed a successful run in its first few decades, including endorsements by power-team-of-the-era the Minneapolis Lakers and their star, George Mikan. It was in the 1970s, though, that Pro-Keds and their Royal sneaker had their moment. Still available in both high-top and low-top versions, the Royal (and its evolutions, the Royal Plus and the Royal Master) came in leather, mesh and suede versions and was worn on-court by major names including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Nate “Tiny” Archibald — which helped propel the style to success on the streets, too. After falling out of the limelight, the line was licensed in 2004 to hip-hop impresario Damon Dash, who tried to increase the brand’s fashion cred — and the Royal took a backseat to new iterations. But with Dash facing his own financial woes and the brand struggling to hit the desired consumer, this spring Keds took Pro-Keds back in-house, and designer Peter Koytroulis has made the line’s heritage looks (chief among them the Royal) a centerpiece of the brand.

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T he slim, unassuming silhouette of the Keds Champion belies its significance in the sneaker game. Consider this: At its 1916 debut, the canvas Champion was the first rubber-soled shoe, the first

vulcanized style (courtesy of a partnership with tire experts Goodyear) and, critically, the first style to be called a “sneaker.” (Keds ad man Henry Nelson McKinney coined the phrase to describe the stealthy movements that were possible due to the newly applied rubber sole.) In its earliest days, the Champion was an on-court favorite for tennis players, but by the 1950s and 1960s, it had become a go-to basic: Paul Newman, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy and the Ramones were all photographed in the model. Then the Champion ran into the same problem as many popular styles: Too many varieties were available in too many places, and the iconic blue-heel label had lost much of its cachet. But in the last 10 years, a rebranding campaign starring actress Mischa Barton, and designer collaborations with Lily Pulitzer, Todd Oldham, Nanette Lepore and others, has helped build new buzz around the Champion — and so did pulling back distribution. Keds also has made promoting the original style a focus for this fall, including issuing an eco-friendly version by green label Loomstate and Barneys New York.

M ajor movies have a huge hand in shaping trends, and one 1980s flick managed to create an instant hit in the shoe world — and helped establish the fortunes of one iconic

sneaker brand. Orange Country, Calif.-based Vans launched in 1966 with a slip-on style, but in 1977 the company evolved it into a shoe that would transport — and translate — that laid-back Cali culture to the rest of the world. The Classic Slip-On bears all the hallmarks of a skate style: Vulcanized construction and a low-profile silhouette provide good board feel, the brand’s trademark waffle sole pattern (replacing the earlier siped style) keeps the shoes in contact with the board, and the laceless construction makes it easy to wear. But the style quickly expanded beyond its skate and surf base when BMXers adopted it — and it really hit the big time when actor Sean Penn donned a pair of Vans in a distinctive checkerboard pattern (first released in 1979) for his role as stoner Jeff Spicoli in 1982’s “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” Penn’s turn as the ultimate California surfer-slacker was so memorable that to many, the checkerboard version of the Classic Slip-On have another name: Spicolis.

N amed for a nickname, the low-cut kicks Puma called the Clyde have become one of the most

recognizable shoes of all time. Created in 1973 for Walt Frazier, the legendary New York Knicks point guard, the shoes honored Frazier’s desire for a wider fit and became — with their grippy outsole and suede upper — the newest thing in basketball shoes. Embroidered on the side was “Clyde,” a nickname other players had given Frazier for his outlandishly sharp outfits and on-court ball steals, both of which put his fellow players in mind of high-style gangster Clyde Barrow. The style made waves off-court as well, becoming the first non-canvas sneaker to emerge from basketball as a legitimate leisure style. Embraced by hip-hop — and those who liked to spray paint the sides of subway cars — the Clyde was also the progenitor of personalized kicks. Fashion-savvy Clyde wearers were known for customizing their pairs by coloring in the wide swoop of leather that served as the Puma logo and matching up new laces. Puma, like other athletic brands, would later create a design-your-own program (in this case, Puma Mongolian BBQ) that built on what the Clyde wearers had started. But fans of the low-profile style will still have to break out the markers if they can’t find the right color combo among the many Puma offering: The Clyde isn’t on the customize-your-own menu.

T he sneaker first marketed as the All-Star has lived up to its name: Some say the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star is the best-

selling, most successful shoe in history — so much so, in fact, that the style usually just goes by “Chucks” and is still instantly recognizable. The vulcanized canvas style first appeared in 1917, when Converse created a s h o e for the still-emerging basketball market. Available in both high- and low-top versions, the simple silhouette was worn by then-high school player (and eventual pro) Charles Taylor. In 1921, Taylor, now in need of a job, approached Converse’s Chicago offices and asked for a sales gig. He also gave the company some priceless pointers: make the shoe

more flexible and add a patch for ankle support, he suggested. With Taylor’s changes (and his signature on the patch, which also featured the star Converse is now known for) the shoe struck a new spark — one that Taylor, a tireless salesman and promoter, fanned into a steady business. By 1966 (shortly before Taylor’s death), Converse

controlled the majority of the sneaker market, but hard times and changing fashions led Converse to a bankruptcy filing in 2001.

Athletic juggernaut Nike stepped in and bought the brand in 2003, leading the

company to a rebound, and today, the unisex Chuck Taylor style

is available in every color of the rainbow,

in every

imaginable fabric and in every size. And its famous fans include designer John Varvatos, whose allegiance to the classic black version led him to a deal with Converse and a line of shoes, many of which take their inspiration from the All-Star.

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Saucony has made a lot of athletic styles since its founding in 1898, but nothing has resonated quite like its 1981 flagship running style: the Jazz. At the time, the shoe embodied the best in premium

running technology: triangular lugs for better traction, lots of cushioning and the trademark curve with three dots on the side (which, reportedly, represented Pennsylvania’s Saucony river and the boulders in its path). Its popularity with runners as a performance item waned in the 1990s, though, when the company debuted the Grid cushioning system and Arch-lock technologies used now (though the Jazz still has a place in the technical running ProGrid series). But everyday sneaker fans have a fondness for the Jazz’ distinctive outsole, nylon-and-suede upper and many colorways. Today, the silhouette is the centerpiece of Lexington, Mass.-based Saucony’s Originals program, where in 2002 it was adapted into a sleeker, lower-to-the-ground model (the Jazz Low Pro), as well as a vegan version of the same low-pro style and a chunkier silhouette with a beefed up heel (1990’s Jazz 3000 and 1991’s Jazz 6000). It’s also been remade entirely in duct tape, as a collaboration with graphic novel “The Red Star” and served as the canvas for high-profile items from retailers including Solebox in Berlin and New York’s Alife Rivington Club.

sAuCony JAzz I n 1965, Adidas introduced a tennis shoe for top player Robert Haillet. But in 1971,

with Haillet’s star waning, the German company approached

American phenom Stan Smith to see if he’d consider putting his name on an Adidas model. Soon after, the Haillet style was rechristened the “Stan Smith” and a sneaker-world icon was born. In addition to its all-leather upper and grass-court outsole, the new shoe kept another feature from the Haillet: it didn’t apply the brand’s three-stripe trademark, relying on a perfed call out instead. That original perforated design, which

provided ventilation in addition to subtle branding, has become maybe the most recognizable aspect of the Stan Smith, even as Adidas has treated the shoe to new materials and a whole spectrum of new colors. In 1998, the company brought a new version of the classic to the market with the Stan Smith Millennium (part of its reissued icons Millennium series) that preserved the perfed logo while updating the outsole and upper. Of course, it needn’t have bothered: The original Stan Smith continues to be a best seller for the company — to date, more than 30 million pairs have been sold worldwide

— with the original white-and-green design still turning heads.AdidAs

stAn smith Sneakers aren’t normally designed

with women in mind, but the massive success of the aerobics-

targeted Freestyle showed the world just how much women could love their kicks. Released in 1982 in response to the growing

popularity of aerobics classes (reportedly inspired by complaints from then-Reebok CEO Angel Martinez’ wife that nothing on the market worked for her or her classmates), the ankle-supporting, floor-gripping, impact-cushioning style initially caused a frenzy with Jane Fonda-wannabees, but quickly stretched beyond gym wear. With bright colors, funky

laces and a leggings/skinny jeans-appropriate silhouette, the Freestyle found famous fans including Brooke Shields and Cybill Shepherd (who wore a pair to the 1985 Emmys). In fact, huge sales (in 1984, for example, the shoe made up more than half of the company’s sales) and incredible demand for the ultra-hip high-top boosted Reebok to the top of the athletic market for a brief, shining moment in the style’s 1980s heydey. But years after the shoe cycled out of favor, Reebok re-released the era-defining shoe with parties and fanfare for its 25th anniversary in 2007. All decked out in new colors, the reissued Freestyle (which also appeared in some of the Canton, Mass.-based brand’s artist series, from Basquiat and Rolland Berry) again showed an uncanny sense of timing, coming out just in time to capitalize on the in-again ’80s look.

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I nnovations in tennis footwear, much like basketball, tend to find life outside the lines, and the K-Swiss Classic is no exception. The all-white style made its first appearance in 1966 on the courts of

Wimbledon. In addition to the non-marking outsole and all-leather upper — a first for the sport — the shoe featured the five-stripe design that K-Swiss was known for. Wide popularity (and wide distribution) racked up big sales for the Classic, as both male and female shoppers used the shoe’s simple silhouette and colorway as a versatile basic. But by the 2000s, the shoe’s cachet was seriously scuffed, a victim of too many styles in too many places for too little money. Several seasons ago, though, the brand started to pull back on the style, sacrificing sales for a chance to remake the shoe’s image. This year, Westlake Village, Calif.-based K-Swiss launched the 2009 Classic with a slimmer silhouette and modernized interior and exterior (including new EVA heel cups and footbeds and softer leathers), and redistributed the Classic to higher-end accounts. And to advertise the reworked kicks, the brand made the 2009 Classic the centerpiece of its ad campaign, shot in black and white with some of K-Swiss’ top runners and triathletes, as well as faces from the fashion and red-carpet worlds, including longtime brand spokeswoman Anna Kournikova, Ed Westwick and Rolling Stones daughter Alexandra Richards.

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Forged in the crucible of the hotly contested 1986 season, the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson

rivalry made for some amazing games — and some very memorable TV commercials for the shoe they both wore, the Converse Weapon. (Magic and Bird rapping? Pure gold.) The Weapon was one of the most popular technical basketball shoes of the era — some of the game’s top players elected to “Choose Your Weapon,” as the commercials exhorted — and it featured some of the latest cutting-

edge technology, including the

brand’s Y-Bar s t a b i l i t y design. In

March of this year, Converse (now owned by Nike and once again interested in the technical basketball market) reissued the Weapon in its original colorways. And earlier this fall, the brand debuted the next evolution of the Weapon: the Converse Weapon EVO, the original silhouette (including the star-chevron logo) updated with the company’s new Converse Balls cushioning, which puts polyurethane balls in the heel for shock absorption. While a variety of colorways will be available nationwide by the end of fall, the company went back to the style’s roots for the release. First up: color blockings honoring the L.A. Lakers and the Boston Celtics, of course.

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W hen Italian shoe brand Fila introduced a new fitness shoe in 1987, it

didn’t look far for the name: “F” represented Fila, and “13” stood for the label’s 13th shoe. (The style was similar in look and feel to another straightforwardly named Fila style of the time: The Original Fitness.) But despite the name (or maybe because of it — simplicity is often best), Fila’s F-13 midcut shoe became one of the brand’s most iconic styles. At its release date, the weight-cutting, exposed midsole and stability-endowing cupsole

were cutting edge. These days, the padded collar, ankle strap and two-part swooping logo are recognized as retro classics. As the brand’s most popular style it has been made over in dozens of materials and colorways, and has given rise to several of the brand’s other best-selling and highest-profile kicks, including the vulcanized variation, the Vulc-13, and last season’s popular ladies model, the Melrose. And there’s more to come — next up is the digital F-13.

When then-struggling Nike signed rookie phenom Michael Jordan to a shoe

contract in 1984 (five years, $2.5 million), the company saw a chance to make its mark on the basketball world. The first salvo in that battle arrived in 1985: a Peter Moore-designed, black-and-red hightop that immediately created controversy when the NBA disallowed its use (citing the aforementioned red-and-black colorway as being against its uniform policy). But Jordan wore the shoes anyway, and the $5,000 a game Nike reportedly forked over to pay his fines may have been one of the smartest investments it ever made. The Air Jordan became a runaway success, spawning knockoffs aplenty and launching a shoe dynasty that

would eventually outlast the career of its namesake — and become a company in its own right with its own athletes. There are said to be more colorups and versions of the Jordan I than any other model in the franchise, and while the 1994 re-release of the shoe was a flop, the 2001 retro was a near-instant sellout. And the Jordan franchise continues to expand. After the brand came to a crossroad in 2009 with its 23rd shoe — a marker many wondered would end the Air Jordan franchise given the number’s significance in the athlete’s career — it began a new era with the Air Jordan 2009, a series of shoes that, while no longer tied to Jordan’s on-court heroics, continue to showcase the latest in Nike innovation and design.

Air JordAn i

I t’s hard to imagine a Nike without Air: The cushioning technology is now found in almost all the company’s footwear, from the Jordan brand to Nike’s Cole Haan

dress shoes. But who knows what the future would have held for the now-legendary technology if it hadn’t been for 1987’s Air Max 1, the first Nike shoe to let customers see the Air pocket in the heel. Designed by revered sneaker guru Tinker Hatfield, the Air Max 1 had the biggest Air unit in the heel the company had ever used in a running shoe, making it the premier cushioning shoe in Nike’s line. Initially offered in mesh-and-synthetic suede (a leather-upper version was released the following year), the Air Max 1 was also a revolution in looks, too — the red and blue uppers stood apart in the field of neutral gray-and-white competitors. The design was popular enough to spawn an entire Air Max franchise, but sneaker fans still clamored for the original. In 1992, they partially got their wish, when Nike retroed the style in leather with an updated Air Max 90 outsole. Their dream got even closer in 1995, when nylon versions hit shelves. This year, Nike went whole hog and released a limited-edition version of its flagship style in select boutique and Nike retail stores — and new colorways and material stories come out every season to fill the seemingly unlimited appetite sneakerheads have for the style.

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One of Nike’s best-known silhouettes actually started life outside the Swoosh.

The shoe that would later be known as the Nike Cortez was initially released in 1972 as the Tiger Corsair, in partnership with Onitsuka Tiger. (It was renamed when Nike’s relationship with Onitsuka Tiger came to an end.) Designed by Nike founder Bill Bowerman, the shoe was built to go the distance (100-plus miles) for serious runners. It featured the running world’s first full-length dual-density midsole and a herringbone-pattern outsole for traction. Initially offered in leather, the shoe was soon remade in nylon for increased drying speed and decreased weight. The Cortez got a pop culture plug in 1994, when Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump

did all that running in the eponymous movie, and a few seasons later (spurred, perhaps, by Gump’s cross-country journey), Nike re-released the style. In fact, the Cortez has just kept coming around ever since. The Cortez was in the first round of styles to be brought back when Nike launched its Vintage program in 1997, re-creating old silhouettes in contemporary materials, and in 2003, it was added to the company’s nascent ID program so fans could design their own colorways. And this year, under the watch of Nike Global Design Director Jessie Leyva, the Cortez got a lightweight update, with a full-length Phylon midsole and a one-piece upper made of the company’s new Flywire material.

N ew Balance ushered in a new era in technical running with 1982’s 990

runner. The shoe had more EVA foam for extra cushioning, used a Vibram outsole for long-distance durability and used the brand’s Encap heel technology for extra stability. And priced at $100, the shoe broke the C-note ceiling and still became the best-selling shoe of the day, proving that serious runners didn’t mind shelling out for top-of-the-line goods. Updates in 1985 (the 995) and 1988 (the 996) enhanced the cushioning. In 1993, the company launched its Absorbz cushioning in the 998

update, and kept tweaking the shoe in 1996 (the 999) and 1998 (the 990) before retooling the shoe again for the 991, which debuted in 2001 with a new upper and new shape. The series (the 991 and the 993 are both available today) is the cornerstone of the brand, both for runners who love its cushioning, stability and variety of widths, and for sneaker fans who dig its classic silhouette. Consider this: Apple’s Steve Jobs wears them to the point that he’s almost an unofficial spokesman — almost enough to make the shoe a classic in and of itself.

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The Mexico City Summer Games of 1968 (perhaps best known stateside for the Black Power

salutes of American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos) was the launching pad for one of the sneaker world’s most enduring running styles: Onitsuka Tiger’s Mexico 66, which had hit the market two years before the Olympics. (Onitsuka

later took on the Asics name.) The style — a lightweight, suede lace-up racing flat — was the first to use the “tiger stripe” logo that would appear on all subsequent styles and can be seen today in the modified version that Asics uses on all its shoes. The style later branched out to include a hook-and-loop closure version known as the Mexico 66 Baja.

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Air JordAn iii

T he third installment in the Jordan franchise was the canvas for a lot of firsts: The 1988 release was the first shoe in the series to be designed by Tinker Hatfield, the

first Jordan shoe to have a visible Air unit in the outsole, the first to use the “Jumpman” logo (an homage to Jordan’s Slam Dunk contest win the year before that has since become the symbol of the entire brand) and the first to use the elephant-embossed synthetic leather that set a new standard for fashion in functional shoes. The shoe — a perennial best seller — was first retroed in 1994, with re-ups in 2001, 2003 and 2007. A 2009 edition in royal blue was released internationally, but not in the States, much to the dismay of American fans. And one more first the Jordan III can lay claim to lies in the advertising world. The Jordan III was the first shoe in the series that Jordan superfan Spike Lee pitched while in his Mars Blackmon persona, asking the oft-quoted: “Is it the shoes?” (Answer, as any fan knows: “Money, it’s gotta be the shoes.”)

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Can inflation ever be a good thing? In 1989, it was the only thing when it came to sneakers.

The release of Reebok’s Pump shoe started a craze that spread beyond the basketball players it initially targeted and onto the feet of kids and adults across the globe. The original Pump, a high-top, high-tech (and high-priced) style designed for on-court play, featured a special air cushion in the tongue that inflated to provide extra ankle support when the wearer “pumped” it up using the iconic basketball-shaped button on the tongue. Players Dominique Wilkins and Dee Brown wore signature models in games, but the style soon exploded beyond basketball. Soon Pump shoes

(some with C02 cylinders providing the pumping action where the standard model would have been too weighty) were produced for football, track, hockey and tennis (in fact, Michael Chang’s Court Victory Pumps are some of the most iconic of the series). Today, with the 20th anniversary of the style approaching, Reebok has been planning a series of Pump-themed events for fall and will step up the special makeups — after all, while the style has been a popular choice for boutiques, you need to go over the top for a birthday bash.

I t has become one of the brand’s flagship styles, but New Balance’s 574 model was originally created as a takedown. In 1988,

the company decided to take its super-popular 576 runner and design a more accessible, more affordable version, that kept many of the same features. (Very many, in fact — the 574 was made with leftover parts from the 576.) Instantly recognizable, the style was soon one of the brand’s all-time best sellers, especially in the gray colorways that came to characterize the brand. (A sign of just how influential this

unassuming gray trainer has become? New Balance

has gone after Louis Vuitton for copyright infringement this season claiming

the French luxury retailer released an all-

gray runner called the Minstrel that violates its trade

dress on the 574.) And after a period where the shoe was consistently available but was largely left to its own successful devices, this year, New Balance decided to show its best-loved style some attention with a limited-edition, tiered 574 update program. With more technical materials (Schoeller fabrics, high-end nylons, suedes and metallic leathers) on the uppers and new technology for the interior makeups, the refreshed styles in the Premium 574 collection were released this summer to a handful of A-list locations. (A core program of suede 574s and an ultra-limited made-in-the-USA 574Clips line are always coming out for the seasons.) And while several colorways will be available, New Balance is putting its bets — and its promotional dollars — on the classic gray on gray.

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Asics is best known in the U.S. for its serious technical running products, and the sneaker world is no exception. Although, among sneakerheads, the most desired kicks

aren’t the new Kinseis or the latest Gel-Nimbus models. Instead, a high-mileage, ultra-plush running shoe from the mid-1990s gets all the love: the Gel-Lyte III. And while the Gel cushioning in the style is the forerunner to what the company uses today, running technology has moved on. But never fear, running fans: Even though the retro style isn’t part of the technical running side of the business anymore, it’s still around for those who didn’t get a chance to buy the shoe in its heyday. The Gel Lyte III has become Asics’ go-to style for special makeups and collaborations — and there’s no shortage of A-game partners, including retailers Patta, Nicekicks.com, Solebox and David Z, which will carry the upcoming limited-edition Ronnie Fleg shoes. The Gel-Lyte III also is enshrined in the “Guinness World Records” — well, sort of. To help celebrate Asics’ 60th anniversary last fall, the brand unveiled an 11-by-15-ft. Lite Brite display that used more than 300,000 pegs to capture the shoe’s brightly colored, very 1990s-appropriate contours. F ollowing on the footsteps of the

massive Jordan III, the bar was set high for the 1989 Jordan IV — the first

shoe in the series to be distributed overseas. The Jordan IV featured overmolded mesh on the upper and a new closure designed to keep the wearer’s ankle even more stable. Die-hard franchise fan Spike Lee had a special fondness for this edition: Mars Blackmon again went to work pitching the shoe in Lee’s famous “Can/Can’t” commercial, and in his own 1989 film, “Do the Right Thing,” Lee made the Jordan IV — or as character Buggin Out says, “my brand-new white Air Jordan’s I just bought” — a key image. (One of the movie’s more enduring scenes is when Buggin Out cleans the sneaks after they were run over by an errant, gentrifying cyclist.) The 1999 retro of the shoe reportedly sold out in hours — one of the fastest sellouts the brand had ever seen and a testament to the shoe’s enduring appeal.

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A s skating grew and developed, so did the shoe market catering to it — and in 1976, the skate world saw the launch of Vans’ Era shoe, a simple laceup designed with

feedback from skate legends Stacy Peralty, Tony Alva and Jay Adams. The Era took elements from the Vans company’s deck-shoe roots and translated them into a simple, effortless style. Popular in the 1980s with BMXers and consistently popular with casual wearers — even those who never get near a board or bike — for its laid-back, streamlined styles, the Era has continued to be a best-seller in the Vans line, with versions for men, women and children available in a huge range of patterns, materials and colors.

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when iT comes To kicks, iT seems ThaT everyThing old is new again. ThaT means ThaT some of Today’s leading sneaker companies are looking back aT Their classic designs for inspiraTion for Today’s reTro-inspired sTyles. how have asics, fila and k-swiss fasT-forwarded Their iconic sneakers inTo The 21sT cenTury? here’s The lowdown.

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may be one of the largest sporting goods manufacturers in the world, but ASICS remains loyal to its humble roots, dating back to 1949. It was then that Founder Kihachiro Onitsuka began sewing shoes in his living room, creating

Japan’s first sports shoe company, Onitsuka Co. Ltd. His innovative Onitsuka Tiger (O.T.) sneaker collections later led the company to evolve into a major global force in athletic footwear.

In 1977, Onitsuka Co. Ltd. merged with two other sporting goods firms, GTO and Jelenk. The resulting company was named ASICS, an acronym derived from Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, a Latin phrase that stands for “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body,” and Onitsuka was named president. Despite the name change, the brand’s heritage lives on, largely through the 2001 resurrection of the Onitsuka Tiger brand.

“At that time, there was a trend toward authentic, classic product, and ASICS America did not have a category or collection that addressed that market opportunity,” said Jim Monahan, VP of footwear at ASICS. “We wanted to create something that was simple and allowed for many fashion applications, but also celebrated our heritage.”

The Onitsuka Tiger revival focused on three specific models: the Nippon 60, the Mexico 66 and the Ultimate 81. The Nippon 60, originally designed as a prototype to be worn by athletes in the 1960 Rome Olympics, features a white stripe and the Japanese rising sun on its sides. On the Mexico 66, which was made famous during the 1968 Olympics, the rising sun is replaced with ASICS’ now-famous tiger stripes. And the Ultimate 81 is a classic 1981 running shoe mixing

materials including mesh, nylon and suede and incorporating what was considered cutting-edge footwear technology in the 1980s.

“We have kept the Mexico and Ultimate models as part of our core base because they are truly classics,” said Monahan. “They never really go out of style and that is reflected in our sales.”

Under the Onitsuka label there are two collections: true heritage product and styles that are modified to meet current needs. According to Monahan, “We have the authentic models and then we create entirely new styling that is trend-relevant.”

And we haven’t seen the last of these new classics, according to ASICS, which has stated that there are many more “Tigers” waiting to be unleashed.

Urban appeal While ASICS has a nationwide — and global — presence, the majority of the Onitsuka Tiger brand’s business is centered on major metropolitan cities like New York and Los Angeles, noted Monahan. “We refer to our core consumer

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the Mexico 66, part of the onitsuka tiger collection, was one of the first asics models to sport the brand’s famous tiger stripes.

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as the urban stylist,” he said, a demographic that is constantly evolving.

To reach that consumer, O.T. has taken a grassroots approach, targeting underground DJ’s, musicians and exclusive shoe collectors and promoting their shoes and apparel through tie-ins with the music world.

“We market toward who we call the tastemakers or influencers, and we have found our niche in music festivals like Coachella, the Winter Music Conference and SXSW,” said Monahan. “We outfit the bands that play on those stages.”

As a result, the Onitsuka Tiger product, specifically, has gained momentum as a highly sought-after, fashionable brand that is showing no signs of slowing down.

Fashion Meets FUnctionOf course, the brand that was built on providing quality product for athletes always has room for another true sport shoe. One of O.T.’s newest classic styles is a silhouette called the Coolidge, inspired by basketball.

The basketball trend is still alive, said Monahan, but this particular style is an adaptation of the traditional classic basketball look. “It is a slimmer product with a lower profile, still vulcanized, but much more flattering on the foot than your typical basketball shoe.“

O.T. is also looking at true classics going into the upcoming season, with plans to revive the California 78, a lightweight, vintage running sneaker introduced six years ago. And across the board, the brand will also continue to celebrate its legacy.

“We still apply our Japanese roots to our product in various ways, such as offering seasonal collections that feature unique materials found throughout Japanese culture,” said Monahan. “We do this often because it is what makes our product unique in the marketplace. It also gives us authenticity and separates us from others in the industry.”

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Q&A

with Jesse VillanuevaAlife

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When the Alife Rivington Club opened its doors in 2001, it was “New York City’s first boutique for hard-to-find, internationally sourced, limited-edition” kicks, said Jesse Villanueva, Alife’s manager of operations.

FN: How would you describe your sourcing/buying strategy given that Alife specializes in hard-to-find kicks?

VillaNueVa: Our strategy changes every year based on people’s tastes and the economy, as well as some other factors. You have to know your customer, understand that the market is constantly changing and accept that your standard strategy is really only going to work for six months. It’s a matter of thinking ahead and understanding what’s going to work. Then, reaching out to the dudes who can get the stuff you need. We are networked into a good group of shops worldwide and we like to keep the relationships strong and help them out with what they need and what we need.

FN: What new brands do you think have the potential to achieve classic status in the future?

VillaNueVa: I’m definitely going to say Alife footwear because I really do love the aesthetic. And Lakai is putting out really dope stuff. I’m not such a fan of a lot of the shoes that have come out in the last four years, but Lakai to me is like a great company. Warrior is a great old brand being re-introduced to the American public. The stuff we do is generally different and forward enough that we run the gamut with consumers — from your street dude to your artist to your consummate businessman.

FN: What plans does Alife have for an in-store tribute to the Top 25 Classic Kicks?

VillaNueVa: Our store is set up like an old London gentlemen’s shop. We’ve got a nice little setup to showcase product when there’s sharp product to be showcased. I must admit, it is pretty banging. The store does

a beautiful job of framing and highlighting the product and putting it in a position that will have people interested in finding out more about said product. You have questions? We have answers…

FN: The impact of celebrities and athletes on the sneaker industry in the past has been huge. Is this still the case?

VillaNueVa: There is still so much impact it is crazy, but you’re starting to notice it’s becoming less athlete-driven and more artist-driven, and I think that’s in line with some of the retro stuff that people are gravitating toward. Most of the shoes that people are buying are retro items that an artist put his/her stamp on or decided to collaborate on, or even like Kanye West’s release. That shoe literally did Jordan numbers. He’s gonna be to this generation what Jordan was to mine. The athletes, they all used to have their own little personalities. Now it’s performers dictating who is wearing what. As soon as Lil Wayne and Jay-Z put Supras on their feet, the hood was wearing Supras.

FN: What’s the first pair of sneakers you remember owning or having an impact on you?

VillaNueVa: I actually remember my first pair from when I was 4 years old. They were a pair of white and Wimbledon-blue Nike All Courts. And I remember, as sad as this is to tell anybody, throwing a temper tantrum at the Dadeland mall and being really bad. I really wanted those shoes. My parents got them for me and I put them on at home and decided I didn’t even like them. So it’s funny; my first memory isn’t even Chuck Taylor. It was a Nike All Court.

brand attributes its long history of style and innovation to both its Italian heritage and its athletic

expertise. Founded as an Italian textile company in 1911, FILA made its sportswear debut in 1973, launching its first collection with tennis pro Bjorn Borg. Both Borg and FILA’s F-box logo became instant sensations on the court.

Rest assured, however, FILA is not just tennis. It has since introduced footwear and apparel in a variety of categories, including running, alpine skiing and golf. The brand has also caught on beyond the athletic world, worn by celebrities and trendsetters who are drawn to FILA’s classic styling. Particularly popular is the F-13, which debuted in 1985.

“The F-13 was our first shoe to become a phenomenon in the U.S .. It was the shoe that put us on the map,” said Jon Epstein, president of FILA USA. With its leather upper and adjustable ankle strap, the F-13 was a “stylemaker,” he added.

Originally targeting a young urban consumer, the silhouette quickly transcended that demographic to appeal to a variety of markets. FILA

sold 2 million pairs of F-13s in the U.S. alone in 2006 , making it their biggest classic shoe ever in terms of volume.

hook Me UpMuch of the appeal of the F-13 is in its simplicity, with its basic, classic colors and clean lines, noted Epstein. That doesn’t mean the brand hasn’t added some bells and whistles to meet the demands of its growing consumer base.

“We have always played with the colors and materials to make it interesting for the urban and suburban kids who are interested in hip-hop culture and want to hook the shoe up with their clothing,” noted Epstein.

In fact, many of FILA’s classic shoes, such as the F-13, hook up with some of the brand’s original apparel items. FILA was the first brand to introduce the velour warm-up suit, for example, and still sells it today as a hook-up option for the F-13 and original fitness and tennis shoes.

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the f-13 was fila’s first shoe to become a phenomenon in the usa and put the brand on the map in footwear.

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Concepts Brand Manager Frank Rivera has fond memories of the week that 250 sneakerheads camped outside his Boston store to purchase the lobster, a collaborative shoe from Concepts and Nike Skateboarding. in June 2009, another 100 people slept outside for the follow-up edition, the Blue lobster. “Through special packaging and viral marketing, we redefined the way any product in our market was promoted,” said Rivera. in fact, Concepts has been redefining the boutique sneaker market since 1996. Below, Rivera, a.k.a. “Frank the Butcher,” talks about the evolution of his store.

FN: Tell us about Concepts’ history and how it came to be a standalone store in 2008.

RiVeRa: The Tannery, our umbrella store, has been around since the mid-1970s. In 1996, the back half of the store was converted into Concepts, a melting pot of action sports, lifestyle sneakers, outerwear and premium denim, and the first store to assemble so many products and genres under one roof. It was a response to what was happening in the marketplace and a blueprint for lifestyle boutiques today. In 2008, we decided it was time to have an independent store where we could represent what we wanted without the limitations of being in the back of The Tannery.

FN: What is your buying strategy and how often do you bring in new product?

RiVeRa: The strategy has changed over the years. It used to be that some stores had the foresight to see that certain products were more limited than others. They stocked up on sneakers they knew would become rare and desirable. Companies now realize there’s a market for sneaker collectors, so limited runs are done on purpose. At Concepts, we don’t just buy product because a company tells us this is the new rare shoe. We make sure it has value to us and it makes sense. We restock seasonally, with three seasons toward the

end of year, but we’re always adding things in mid-season. We want to constantly represent something fresh for our customers.

FN: What are some of the new brands that have the potential to achieve classic status in the future?

RiVeRa: One brand in particular that I’m really feeling is called Gourmet, out of LA and run by three industry veterans. They came together to create this company that puts a modern spin on classic silhouettes. Gourmet is top-notch quality. In 10 years, people will be replicating their shoes. That’s when a classic is a classic — when people recreate what you’ve done.

FN: What plans do you have for an in-store tribute to the Top 25 Classic Sneakers?

RiVeRa: Presenting the classic kicks among our great displays will get a lot of attention. It will also be an education for many young consumers who come in and see this display with older, classic sneakers — it can spark some good conversation. We have a very knowledgeable staff that can explain the

history, so I think it will be really cool.

FN: What is the first pair of sneakers you remember owning?

RiVeRa: Michael Jordan’s third sneaker, the Air Jordan III. It rolled around in 1988, and it was something really big for me. I wore them until they fell apart. That shoe made me believe that a shoe can really mean something. You might not have all the money in the world, but you have something that means something to you and your friends — it lifts your spirits. I still have class photos with my Air Jordans on. I’d share the picture, but I’m not too proud of my haircut back then.

“This is a statement group of products that all tie together under a common theme,” said Epstein.

That’s a big part of what makes the shoe a hit among celebrities and hip-hop icons like Raekwon from the Wu-Tang Clan and Nas, he added. “We get a lot of respect from the people who are the trendsetters.”

As consumers look to those trendsetters for inspiration, the F-13 has become a hit nationwide. The most popular colors: FILA’s classic white, navy and red.

Digital eDition Set to launch in November 2009 is a modern interpretation of that old classic. The Digital F-13 will maintain the classic F-13 silhouette — with its mid-cut style and signature Velcro strap along the top — but with different treatments, explained Mark Eggert, FILA’s

design director of footwear. “The shoe is a one-piece patent-leather upper with printed treatments that hint at the pattern people know and love, with a little spin on it,” he said.

Inspired by the 1980s retro movement, the Digital F-13 conveys an “old-school video-game aesthetic,” added Eggert. Its lines are printed rather than sewn, as in the original shoe, and its graphic print highlights FILA’s legendary flag design. It is the latest stage in the evolution of FILA’s classic F-13, following the successful Vulc-13. This style features the same classic upper as the F-13 with a vulcanized rubber outsole, a perforated toe box, a padded tongue and collar and a breathable mesh lining. It caters, said Epstein, to “the consumer who wants a classic, black high-cut but likes the idea of a bottom that mimics some of the skate brands.”

The Digital F-13 is available in four colorways,

including the mainstream shades of black and white and new, trend-driven combinations like gray with lime pops and a black, white and silver design. “We think this will be one of the biggest sellers because the trend is headed in that direction,” said Epstein. “Black-based high-tops are really moving at retail.”

Indeed, FILA’s past may be the key to its future as the brand prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2011.

“It is interesting to be able to show how a classic shoe has grown up into a mature, iconic product,” said Epstein.

Q&A

with Frank RiveraConcepts

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the story of K-Swiss were a fairy tale, it might begin this way: Once upon a time, tennis shoes were made of canvas. Then two brothers, avid tennis players from Switzerland, moved to California, the land of playful

innovation. Canvas, they observed, didn’t provide much support and it wasn’t very durable. What if the shoe was made of leather instead? The rest, as they say, is history.

From the moment the first leather tennis shoe, the K-Swiss Classic, debuted at Wimbledon in 1966, the style has been a staple on and off the court. But the use of leather, while critical, wasn’t the only innovation that made a difference.

According to David Nichols, executive vice president at the Westlake Village, Calif.-based manufacturer, it was also the design. “The three-piece toe construction was intended to have virtually no seams so it didn’t cause blisters. It was also a very efficient shoe to make because there were a limited number of pieces.”

These innovations certainly made the Classic appealing to professional tennis players and to the manufacturer, but the style’s popularity extended far beyond that. “The shoe first caught on with elite tennis players and the country club set, which gave it this kind of aspirational

halo,” said Nichols. But the real brand loyalty “was always rooted in the product itself, the simplicity and attention to detail.”

Since the Classic’s 1966 debut, K-Swiss keeps it fresh. In 2000–2001, they launched the Classic LX, an interpretation of the original shoe, but with a slightly thicker outsole, wider stripe and a shorter toe vamp that complemented the baggy jean trend of the early part of this decade.

Always at the forefront of advances in technology — as well as changes in fashion — K-Swiss evolves shoe design and function. The original Classic had a thick heavy rubber sole, but the Remastered Classic, which launched this year, has a lighter and more flexible sole. It’s still made of rubber, but it’s sculpted out and has EVA and polyurethane mixtures in the footbed. High-quality leather still defines the shoes, but now they’re lined with different materials. “Externally, it looks like the original shoe, but it’s out-of-the-box comfortable now,” said Nichols.

Nichols reported that for 2010, K-Swiss is reaching even deeper into its archives and relaunching “The Vintage California.“ “Before the classic leather K-Swiss tennis shoe, the brothers made it in a bunch of other materials like suit fabrics and other different cloths. We made a collection from these that we refer to as the Vintage Classic. They’re deconstructed and we’re very excited about the line.”

The company will also branch out into shoes for skaters. Nichols’ skater pals in California told him and his colleagues that they grew up skating

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the K-swiss classic – a true innovation in 1966 and still loved by millions today.

Q&A

it wasn’t long after opening its doors in 1985 that Sportie lA established itself as a major footwear destination on los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue. Today, the family-owned store has locations in los Angeles, Sherman oaks and San Diego — and a loyal following of sneaker fans that return for both popular styles and hidden gems. “This is an exciting field to be in,” said Partner isack Fadlon. Below, he talks about trends, strategies and iconic sneakers.

FN: Your stores specialize in hard-to-find styles, exclusive silhouettes and the latest models. What’s your sourcing/buying strategy?

FadloN: Our strategy is to not have a specific strategy. It mirrors our personality — we like a lot of things and we have a somewhat insatiable appetite, which means that we go to shows or to prospective vendors and if we like something, we just jump in. We’ve found that having a broad range attracts a really great customer base. Throughout the years, our customers have come in and expected a large, almost dizzying selection, so I think we have to stay our course.

FN: What new brands have the potential to achieve classic status in the future?

FadloN: One fairly new, popular brand is Creative Recreation. They have established themselves in the classic category, especially with the Cesario, which has a Velcro strap in the front. I think that silhouette will survive a while. Two brands that aren’t new but are re-issuing old styles are PF Flyers and L.A. Gear. PF Flyers’ classic, Center, is reminiscent of the Converse All-Star—one of the most iconic shoes ever. There are people who remember wearing P.F. Flyers when they were kids, and they have picked up with the younger consumer as well, whether they have read about it and developed an affinity or just love that classic, sleek, clean feel. With L.A. Gear, we are seeing very limited distribution of the classic KAJ and Fire from the “Unstoppable” line, with that cool, wavy

emblem that people recognize. We’re starting to see a resurgence that will continue when they release the LA Lights later this year.

FN: How much of an impact do celebrities have in driving the sneaker trends we see at retail?

FadloN: I think the impact was a lot more prevalent 10, even five years ago. There have been some issues with overreaching — too many brands were approaching celebrities for endorsements, and consequently, they became watered down. What we have seen over the years is that some celebrities would endorse a product on paper, but they would not actually wear the product, thus showing that they did not believe in it. Customers are very savvy, and when they do find a celebrity who believes in the product and wears it because he or she actually likes it, that still has a true impact.

FN: What plans do you have for an in-store tribute to the Top 25 Classic Sneakers?

FadloN: In the flagship store on Melrose Avenue, we have what we call our lounge in the back of our Vault. The Vault is considered the gallery/museum area. Every month or so, a vendor comes in and takes over the lounge and creates a story. For instance, Nike did the history of Air, and Puma just did the Monster Pack display. We will fill that space with a tribute to the classic sneakers and provide a museum-type setting. A lot of people feel that sneakers, while they are utilitarian, are also

art. They have respect for the sneaker as an art form, whether that is from an artistic rendering on the sneaker itself or from the artistic look of the shoe — both are viewed as art.

FN: What is the first pair of sneakers you remember owning?

FadloN: The Adidas Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in white with off-white stripes. I don’t know if it was my first pair, but it was the first to have an impact on me. I remember the smell of the leather and the big smile on my face after opening the box. I also remember the first pair of shoes we sold in the store in 1985 — a pair of Reebok Freestyle high-tops. They came in a multitude of colors: banana-yellow, bright-pink, orange, you name it. That’s another classic silhouette that has been around forever and has seen quite a resurgence.

with isack Fadlonsportie lAin K-Swiss even though it really wasn’t a skate shoe. This heritage led the company to make more direct inroads and develop a pro model shoe with Greg Lutzka, a world-renowned skater.

K-Swiss’ distribution strategy is as straightforward as its designs. “We aim to be exclusive, but accessible,” said Nichols. “We pick and choose our partners and make sure they can sell our products at the best margins. One way we go about that is not selling to everybody. We want to be a competitive advantage for the retailers who work with us.”

“With certain styles, we also work to control the supply by limiting the quantity we make and the time they’re available. We do that now with the Classic. It’s a kind of less-is-more thing.”

In the more than 40 years since the original Classic was launched, many things have changed for K-Swiss, such as the successful introduction of performance running and fitness footwear and apparel, but some things remain the same no matter what. “Every year, the Classic represents the iconic shoe of our business,“ said Nichols. “It’s still the signature of our company and will forever be the symbol.”

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