Sneakers

Sneakers

This is a methodical and extremely well-documented approach to the world of sneakers, which every self-respecting collector needs. This small format is a 470-page compendium of the history of the sneaker, and Neal Heard guides you through it, a tireless finder and collector of trainers and trainer photographs since his teenage years in the 1980s and around the world.

"The first cut is the deepest". It is with the title of P.P Arnold's cult song that Neal Heard describes how he felt when his eyes landed on a pair of Adidas ZX250s, and any collector will understand. But before approaching the trainer from the angle of the model, Neal Heard invites you to meet the tribes of its fans. A deeply human cultural and sociological angle, which allows us to discover the "Casuals", those Liverpool football fans in the 70s wearing Adidas as well as Trimm Trabs, Diadora, Elite, or the New York gangs in the 80s with the birth of Hip-Hop, graffiti in New York in the 80s, the skateboarders of Dogtown in west Los Angeles with their Vans or their Converse.

Only then can you enter Neal Heard's Hall of Fame. A stylistic and chronological approach to models that have marked their era, such as the Converse in 1923, the Puma States in 1969, the Vans Era in 1976, or the Nike Air Max 1 in 1987. Neal Heard quotes Bob Marley: "if you know your history, then you know where I'm coming from". Back to the basics, model by model: history, style, advertisements and vintage models allow you to better understand the impact of each of your favourite models.