Sneakers

Fashion, Gender, and Subculture (Dress, Body, Culture)

De: Yuniya Kawamura

Narrado por: Laurence Bouvard

This is the first academic study of sneakers and the subculture that surrounds them. Since the 1980s, American sneaker enthusiasts, popularly known as 'sneakerheads' or 'sneakerholics', have created a distinctive identity for themselves, while sneaker manufacturers such as Reebok, Puma and Nike have become global fashion brands. How have sneakers come to gain this status and what makes them fashionable?

In what ways are sneaker subcultures bound up with gender identity and why are sneakerholics mostly young 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.

©2016 Yuniya Kawamura (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

Confusing

I’m a sneaker collector. I thought with this book I would find out with a nice built story how iconic shoes were made but I was wrong. While a lot of references are familiar and a lot of facts are given in this book, it is also very confusing. Around 20-30% of what you will hear are continuous references to explain what other people had to say in regards of sneakers.

Perhaps this book is for someone that is doing research and is looking for further references but It’s not for me.