The evolution from leather-soled shoes of the 19th century to the sneakers people wear today started slowly, then built momentum. Many of the big names in sneakers today got their start surprisingly early in the process.

Research:

 
“A Column for the Girls.” Brooklyn Eagle. July 28, 1895. https://www.newspapers.com/image/50411759/?match=1&terms=%22sand%20shoes%22
Barrett, Jennifer. “The History of Adidas and Puma.” Newsweek. March 13, 2008. https://www.newsweek.com/history-adidas-and-puma-86373
Bisno, Adam. “The search for lost X-patents.” USPTO. July 13, 2022. https://www.uspto.gov/blog/the-search-for-lost-x
“Brand Story.” Dunlop. https://www.dunlopboots.com/why-dunlop/brand-story
Carpenter, Julia. “Adidas vs. Puma: The Family Rift That Shaped the Sportswear Industry.” History. May 6, 2026. https://www.history.com/articles/adidas-puma-rivalry-dassler
“Chuck Taylor Converse All Star: The Man Who Made the Shoe.” Indiana Historical Society. https://indianahistory.org/events/chuck-taylor-converse-all-star-the-man-who-made-the-shoe-2/
“The Company.” New Balance. https://www.newbalance.gr/en/etaireia/profil/?__cf_chl_f_tk=TZRFzU2s58Jw3z.lFjWqe.bQmjADyBkIMMpMI4v.Cuk-1783279660-1.0.1.1-sWRq2n.zJUdoWCA6sKXCjtDKIRGvxztpX5Rhq4MRJ4s
Cousens, Nico. “Inventions that made the modern running shoe.” Kilburn & Strode. April 17, 2018.
Cunliffe, Paul and Lauren Hirst. “Co-founder of £2.5bn brand started out as factory help.” BBC. Oct. 1, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8jdlndg0xo
Department of Nike Archives. “From Waffle Iron to World Stage: The True Story of the Nike Moon Shoe.” Nike. Sept. 15, 2025. https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/nike-moon-shoe-waffle-iron-true-history
“Fashion Notes.” The Times-Union. July 22, 1882. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1275226621/?match=1&terms=%22lawn-tennis%20shoe%22
“The History of the Sneaker.” The Washington Post. May 14, 2002. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/05/14/the-history-of-the-sneaker/aa2096d1-a7e2-4427-a324-cb603512722d/
Hunt, Kristin. “11 Comfy Facts About Keds.” Mental Floss. March 26, 2022. https://www.mentalfloss.com/culture/fashion-beauty/11-comfy-facts-about-keds
“The Invention of the Iconic Vans Skateboarding Shoe.” The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.” https://invention.si.edu/invention-stories/invention-iconic-vans-skateboarding-shoe
“Journey of an Icon: The History of the Chuck Taylor All Star.” Nike. https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/converse-chuck-taylor-all-star-iconic-sneaker-true-history
Keller, Kate. “A Brief History of America’s Obsession With Sneakers.” Smithsonian. May 18, 2018. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/brief-history-americas-obsession-sneakers-180969116/
Lorge, Barry Steven, Aberdare, Morys George Lyndhurst Bruce, 4th Baron. "tennis". Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Jun. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/sports/tennis
Lou, Michelle. “Nike’s rare ‘Moon Shoe’ is sold for $437,500, shattering the auction record for sneakers.” CNN. July 23, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/style/article/nike-moon-shoe-sold-auction-trnd
“Notice! Tennis Players!” Des Moines Register. June 8, 1888. https://www.newspapers.com/image/127760140/?match=1&terms=%22lawn-tennis%20shoe%22
“Off The Wall- Since 1966. The Story Of Vans.” Vans. https://www.vans.com/en-us/about#early-1970s
“Patent India Rubber or Gum Elastic Shoes.” Monmouth Democrat. January 22, 1835. https://www.newspapers.com/image/496911351/?match=2&terms=Wait%20Webster
“Peachtree Through the Years 1970-2021.” Atlanta Track Club. https://www.atlantatrackclub.org/event-information-history
“Plaint of an Old Shoe.” The Boston Globe. Aug. 23, 1894. https://www.newspapers.com/image/430680218/?match=1&terms=sneaker
“Plimsoll Draws the Line.” Nautilus International. April 24, 2026. https://www.nautilusint.org/en/news-insight/telegraph/plimsoll-draws-the-line/
“Puma and Adidas' rivalry has divided a small German town for 70 years — here's what it looks like now.” Business Insider. October 2018. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-puma-and-adidas-rivalry-divided-their-founding-town-for-70-years-2018-10
Rickey, Melanie. “Flash of Genius.” The Independent. June 28, 1996. https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/flash-of-genius-1339404.html
“Sneakers.” Record-Journal. Aug. 8, 1898. https://www.newspapers.com/image/674954692/?match=6&terms=sneaker
“Sneakers Latest in Women’s Wear.” The Battle Creek Enquirer. May 18, 1913. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1044420723/?match=1&terms=sneaker
“’Sneakers’ the Things.” L'abeille De La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans Bee). Nov. 11, 1904. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1323250586/?match=1&terms=sneaker
“Sneakers – Worldwide.” Statista. https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/footwear/sneakers/worldwide
Sun, Michael. “‘Everyone owns at least one pair’: $75bn sneaker industry unboxed in Gold Coast exhibition.” The Guardian. Nov. 25, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/nov/26/sneakers-unboxed-hota-shoe-exhibition-gold-coast-queensland-australia
Tikkanen, Amy. "history of sneakers". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-sneakers
Turner, Thomas. “The Production and Consumption of Lawn-Tennis Shoes in Late-Victorian Britain.” Journal of British Studies. JULY 2016, Vol. 55, No. 3 (JULY 2016), pp. 474-500. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/26598891
Turner, Thomas. “The Sports Shoe: A History from Field to Fashion.” Bloomsbury. 2019.
Umoh, Ruth. “Here’s how much Nike’s billionaire founder paid for the infamous swoosh logo in 1971.” CNBC. Sept. 5, 2018. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/05/heres-how-much-nikes-billionaire-founder-paid-for-its-swoosh-logo.html
“Value of the sneakers market worldwide from 2018 to 2030.” Statista. https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1017918/sneakers-market-value-forecast-worldwide/
“Where Basketball was Invented: The History of Basketball.” Springfield College. https://springfield.edu/about/birthplace-of-basketball
“40. For a method of attaching leather soles to boots and shoes of India rubber; Wait Webster, city of New York, May 21.” Journal of the Franklin Institute. Volume 14, Issue 6. 1832. Page 391. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-0032(32)90275-0.

The evolution from leather-soled shoes of the 19th century to the sneakers people wear today started slowly, then built momentum. Many of the big names in sneakers today got their start surprisingly early in the process.
Research:
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;A Column for the Girls.&rdquo; Brooklyn Eagle. July 28, 1895. https://www.newspapers.com/image/50411759/?match=1&amp;terms=%22sand%20shoes%22</li>
<li>Barrett, Jennifer. &ldquo;The History of Adidas and Puma.&rdquo; Newsweek. March 13, 2008. https://www.newsweek.com/history-adidas-and-puma-86373</li>
<li>Bisno, Adam. &ldquo;The search for lost X-patents.&rdquo; USPTO. July 13, 2022. https://www.uspto.gov/blog/the-search-for-lost-x</li>
<li>&ldquo;Brand Story.&rdquo; Dunlop. https://www.dunlopboots.com/why-dunlop/brand-story</li>
<li>Carpenter, Julia. &ldquo;Adidas vs. Puma: The Family Rift That Shaped the Sportswear Industry.&rdquo; History. May 6, 2026. https://www.history.com/articles/adidas-puma-rivalry-dassler</li>
<li>&ldquo;Chuck Taylor Converse All Star: The Man Who Made the&nbsp;Shoe.&rdquo; Indiana Historical Society. https://indianahistory.org/events/chuck-taylor-converse-all-star-the-man-who-made-the-shoe-2/</li>
<li>&ldquo;The Company.&rdquo; New Balance. https://www.newbalance.gr/en/etaireia/profil/?__cf_chl_f_tk=TZRFzU2s58Jw3z.lFjWqe.bQmjADyBkIMMpMI4v.Cuk-1783279660-1.0.1.1-sWRq2n.zJUdoWCA6sKXCjtDKIRGvxztpX5Rhq4MRJ4s</li>
<li>Cousens, Nico. &ldquo;Inventions that made the modern running shoe.&rdquo; Kilburn &amp; Strode. April 17, 2018.</li>
<li>Cunliffe, Paul and Lauren Hirst. &ldquo;Co-founder of &pound;2.5bn brand started out as factory help.&rdquo; BBC. Oct. 1, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8jdlndg0xo</li>
<li>Department of Nike Archives. &ldquo;From Waffle Iron to World Stage: The True Story of the Nike Moon Shoe.&rdquo; Nike. Sept. 15, 2025. https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/nike-moon-shoe-waffle-iron-true-history</li>
<li>&ldquo;Fashion Notes.&rdquo; The Times-Union. July 22, 1882. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1275226621/?match=1&amp;terms=%22lawn-tennis%20shoe%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;The History of the Sneaker.&rdquo; The Washington Post. May 14, 2002. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/05/14/the-history-of-the-sneaker/aa2096d1-a7e2-4427-a324-cb603512722d/</li>
<li>Hunt, Kristin. &ldquo;11 Comfy Facts About Keds.&rdquo; Mental Floss. March 26, 2022. https://www.mentalfloss.com/culture/fashion-beauty/11-comfy-facts-about-keds</li>
<li>&ldquo;The&nbsp;Invention&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;Iconic&nbsp;Vans&nbsp;Skateboarding&nbsp;Shoe.&rdquo; The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.&rdquo; https://invention.si.edu/invention-stories/invention-iconic-vans-skateboarding-shoe</li>
<li>&ldquo;Journey of an Icon: The History of the Chuck Taylor All Star.&rdquo; Nike. https://about.nike.com/en/magazine/converse-chuck-taylor-all-star-iconic-sneaker-true-history</li>
<li>Keller, Kate. &ldquo;A Brief History of America&rsquo;s Obsession With Sneakers.&rdquo; Smithsonian. May 18, 2018. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/brief-history-americas-obsession-sneakers-180969116/</li>
<li>Lorge, Barry Steven, Aberdare, Morys George Lyndhurst Bruce, 4th Baron. "tennis". Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Jun. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/sports/tennis</li>
<li>Lou, Michelle. &ldquo;Nike&rsquo;s rare &lsquo;Moon Shoe&rsquo; is sold for $437,500, shattering the auction record for sneakers.&rdquo; CNN. July 23, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/style/article/nike-moon-shoe-sold-auction-trnd</li>
<li>&ldquo;Notice! Tennis Players!&rdquo; Des Moines Register. June 8, 1888. https://www.newspapers.com/image/127760140/?match=1&amp;terms=%22lawn-tennis%20shoe%22</li>
<li>&ldquo;Off The Wall- Since 1966. The Story Of Vans.&rdquo; Vans. https://www.vans.com/en-us/about#early-1970s</li>
<li>&ldquo;Patent India Rubber or Gum Elastic Shoes.&rdquo; Monmouth Democrat. January 22, 1835. https://www.newspapers.com/image/496911351/?match=2&amp;terms=Wait%20Webster</li>
<li>&ldquo;Peachtree Through the Years 1970-2021.&rdquo; Atlanta Track Club. https://www.atlantatrackclub.org/event-information-history</li>
<li>&ldquo;Plaint of an Old Shoe.&rdquo; The Boston Globe. Aug. 23, 1894. https://www.newspapers.com/image/430680218/?match=1&amp;terms=sneaker</li>
<li>&ldquo;Plimsoll Draws the Line.&rdquo; Nautilus International. April 24, 2026. https://www.nautilusint.org/en/news-insight/telegraph/plimsoll-draws-the-line/</li>
<li>&ldquo;Puma and Adidas' rivalry has divided a small German town for 70 years &mdash; here's what it looks like now.&rdquo; Business Insider. October 2018. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-puma-and-adidas-rivalry-divided-their-founding-town-for-70-years-2018-10</li>
<li>Rickey, Melanie. &ldquo;Flash of Genius.&rdquo; The Independent. June 28, 1996. https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/flash-of-genius-1339404.html</li>
<li>&ldquo;Sneakers.&rdquo; Record-Journal. Aug. 8, 1898. https://www.newspapers.com/image/674954692/?match=6&amp;terms=sneaker</li>
<li>&ldquo;Sneakers Latest in Women&rsquo;s Wear.&rdquo; The Battle Creek Enquirer. May 18, 1913. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1044420723/?match=1&amp;terms=sneaker</li>
<li>&ldquo;&rsquo;Sneakers&rsquo; the Things.&rdquo; L'abeille De La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans Bee). Nov. 11, 1904. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1323250586/?match=1&amp;terms=sneaker</li>
<li>&ldquo;Sneakers&nbsp;&ndash; Worldwide.&rdquo; Statista. https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/footwear/sneakers/worldwide</li>
<li>Sun, Michael. &ldquo;&lsquo;Everyone owns at least one pair&rsquo;: $75bn sneaker industry unboxed in Gold Coast exhibition.&rdquo; The Guardian. Nov. 25, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/nov/26/sneakers-unboxed-hota-shoe-exhibition-gold-coast-queensland-australia</li>
<li>Tikkanen, Amy. "history of sneakers".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-sneakers</li>
<li>Turner, Thomas. &ldquo;The Production and Consumption of Lawn-Tennis Shoes in Late-Victorian Britain.&rdquo; Journal of British Studies. JULY 2016, Vol. 55, No. 3 (JULY 2016), pp. 474-500. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/26598891</li>
<li>Turner, Thomas. &ldquo;The Sports Shoe: A History from Field to Fashion.&rdquo; Bloomsbury. 2019.</li>
<li>Umoh, Ruth. &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s how much Nike&rsquo;s billionaire founder paid for the infamous swoosh logo in 1971.&rdquo; CNBC. Sept. 5, 2018. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/05/heres-how-much-nikes-billionaire-founder-paid-for-its-swoosh-logo.html</li>
<li>&ldquo;Value of the sneakers market worldwide from 2018 to 2030.&rdquo; Statista. https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1017918/sneakers-market-value-forecast-worldwide/</li>
<li>&ldquo;Where Basketball was Invented: The History of Basketball.&rdquo; Springfield College. https://springfield.edu/about/birthplace-of-basketball</li>
<li>&ldquo;40. For a method of attaching leather soles to boots and shoes of India rubber; Wait Webster, city of New York, May 21.&rdquo; Journal of the Franklin Institute. Volume 14, Issue 6. 1832. Page 391. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-0032(32)90275-0.</li>
</ul>

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

The evolution from leather-soled shoes of the 19th century to the sneakers people wear today started slowly, then built momentum. Many of the big names in sneakers today got their start surprisingly early in the process. 

Running Through Sneaker History

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