Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This is the first academic study of sneakers and the subculture that surrounds them. Since the 1980s, members of American sneaker subcultures, popularly known as sneakerheads or sneakerholics, have created a distinctive identity for themselves, while sneakers manufacturers such as Reebok, Puma and Nike have become global fashion brands.
How have sneakers come to gain this status and what makes them attractive? In what ways are sneaker subcultures bound up with gender identity and why are sneakerholics mostly men? Based on the author's own ethnographic fieldwork in New York, where sneaker subculture is said to have originated, this unique study traces the transformation of sneakers from sportswear to fashion symbol.
Sneakers explores the obsessions and idiosyncrasies surrounding the sneaker phenomenon, from competitive subcultures to sneaker painting and artwork. It is a valuable contribution to the growing study of footwear in fashion studies and will appeal to students of fashion theory, gender studies, sociology and popular culture.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• List of Illustrations (p. xi)
• Acknowledgments (p. xiii)
• Introduction: Placing Sneakers within Sociology (p. 1)
• Sneakers and youth subcultures within sociology (p. 7)
• Subcultural ethnography as an outsider/insider researcher (p. 9)
• A background of the sneaker industry (p. 11)
• Literature on sneakers (p. 15)
• Outline of the book (p. 16)
• 1 Academic Research on Footwear (p. 19)
• The sociocultural significance of footwear (p. 20)
• Footwear in fashion and dress studies (p. 21)
• Studies on historical footwear (p. 24)
• Footwear and sumptuary laws (p. 28)
• Footwear in rituals and religion (p. 30)
• Footwear as a fetish object (p. 32)
• Conclusion (p. 35)
• 2 Sneakers as a Subculture: Emerging from Underground to Upperground (p. 37)
• Three waves of the sneaker phenomenon (p. 43)
• The First Wave pre-Jordan Phenomenon as an underground subculture (p. 44)
• Rejection of a legitimate aesthetic taste (p. 47)
• The Second Wave post-Jordan Sneaker Phenomenon (p. 50)
• The production of new sneaker technologies (p. 52)
• Controversies and debates to strengthen the subcultural bond (p. 56)
• Conclusion (p. 57)
• 3 Sneakers as a Symbol of Manhood: Wearing Masculinity on Their Feet (p. 59)
• Footwear and gender (p. 60)
• High heels: Mobility for men and immobility for women (p. 62)
• A male material object that binds subcultural members (p. 64)
• The exploration of masculinity in subcultures (p. 65)
• Male socialization through sneaker trading using social capital (p. 67)
• Distinguishing oneself from a female shopper as a male entrepreneur (p. 71)
• The culture of endorsement: The personification of success (p. 73)
• The increasing significance of gender and the declining significance of race (p. 77)
• The construction of masculine identity (p. 78)
• Conclusion (p. 80)
• 4 Sneakers as Fashion: Reclaiming Masculine Adornment (p. 81)
• A functional shift from practicality to adornment (p. 83)
• Reclaiming fashion and adornment as a male affair (p. 86)
• In pursuit of limited edition sneakers: Neophilias and neomanias (p. 91)
• The Third Wave Sneaker Phenomenon: Sneaker hunting as a game (p. 94)
• The com modification and diffusion of sneaker subculture (p. 96)
• Sneakers as part of the growing streetwear industry (p. 102)
• Sneakers as postmodern fashion: Transcending categorical boundaries (p. 104)
• Conclusion (p. 105)
• 5 The Sneaker Subculture from Durkheimian Perspectives (p. 107)
• Connecting theory and practice (p. 108)
• Transition from modernity to post modernity (p. 109)
• Overcoming accelerated anomie in postmodern society (p. 110)
• Social cohesion, collective conscience, and mechanical/organic solidarity (p. 111)
• Conclusion (p. 113)
• Conclusion: Future Directions and Possibilities in Footwear Studies (p. 115)
• Notes (p. 123)
• Bibliography (p. 127)
• Index (p. 144)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

In this first scholarly study of sneakers, Kawamura (sociology, Fashion Institute of Technology, SUNY) reveals how an article of clothing--"footwear of the masses"--rose to a position of global recognition and prestige and at the same time became an elite symbol of masculinity and a marker for a subculture of African American youth. The popularity of sneakers began in the US in the 1970s, and over the next three decades, sneakers attained a global status. Popularity and commercialization of brand-name sneakers were spurred by the internet and social media, which propagated the notion that colorful sneakers were an elite symbol of masculinity. The appearance of sneakers in dozens of Hollywood films attests to their modern cultural significance. Kawamura includes 40 color images that document his claim that sneakers represent high fashion as well as utility. In making his argument, the author draws on Émile Durkheim's theories regarding social cohesion, and he provides many references to cross-cultural footwear traditions of the past. The volume suggests avenues for further research, including examination of the juxtaposition of stylish but utilitarian men's sneakers and impractical but chic high heels for women. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Beverly B. Chico, Regis University