Designer Sneakers

[nqth]

Hi,

I am preparing a text about sneakers and I need your help on designer ones:-). As far as I know Puma and Jil Sander claimed they made the first designer sport trainers in 1998. I saw some white ones in JS Men catwalk for SS98. Do you remember those, what was their prices?

I also spotted a lot of trainers at others as well, Comme for example, even before 97. So who is the first then?


Many many thanks:-)

 

[PrinceOfCats]

I thought that Emporio Armani hds been churning them out for years.

 

[nqth]

I remember Jil Sander said in an interview that if she had known the trainer trend she could have made millions:-)

Also
http://about.puma.com/puma.jsp?type=company&parent=13&id=13&lang=eng&year=1990&detyear=1998&

What Armani makes? I never know:-)

 

[Diorling]

I wouldnt be surprised if it was Galliano, Westwood, Gaultier or Versace. It's thier style to shake things up via pointless designer sneakers.

 

[whizkit]

nqth, are you specifically looking for information about designer and sportwear brand collaboration?

I believe Jil Sander was the first to have collaborated with a sportswear brand to make a range of shoes. Although she didn't really "design" the first collection, merely slapped her name onto generic Puma Kings.

other collaborations are paul smith+reebok, nike+ cdg (not sure when was the first one), adidas+yohji, stella maccartney, and the many designer puma lines.

Other than that, many designers have been making their own sneakers under their own brand, and sometimes under a seperate "sports" brand. Good example is Prada.

 

[Johnny]

I agree with what Whizkit is saying. Emporio had been doing trainers for years for themselves, but they were just generic Eurotrainers. I also think the first was Jill with the Puma Kings. I think they were supposed to be made in premium leather, but there was no redesign.

I think Junya did the first Nikes in 99. They were the all black or all white zoom havens, superflys and the one with the funny plastic "web" over the shoe, whose name I can't remember. These were all done for women.

Nike have also done collabs with streetwear clothing brands like Stussy and Supreme. The Supreme Dunks and Stussy Blazers are supre collectable now. Nike are still doing this with Stussy - new range of Blazers just released (and no doubt already sold out)

 

[nqth]

Thank you so so much guys:-)

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Eley Kishimoto also did Converses quite a while ago.

I reckon Nike started this whole thing though, as they've been getting sportsmen to endorse their trainers for yonks ('Nike Air Jordan' 'Nike Le Bron' etc...) it seems a logical step to move on to designers.

 

[faust]

Another vote for Jil + Puma being first. Nqth, they cost $225 at the time - I remember it very distinctly because it was my first "WTF?" fashion moment - I mean I HAD to see how much a designer's name costs .

 

[nqth]

Gggreat, thanks PoC and Faust. I need numbers:-P

Even model (Christy Turlinton) makes collab with Puma for her yoga clothes

The Lance Amstrong Nike costs 92 pounds:-)

 

[Johnny]

I actually think it's a different, ahem, ball game. Nike until very recently insisted that they never made shoes other than for the sports market. Sports star endorsement was a marketing device that openeing up the sportwear market to kids that admired the stars - all three brands did this, and I'm not sur who did it first, but I'd bet on it being adidas - the Arthur Ash's for example famously having I think the first endorsement of a black sportsperson. Then you had adidas Pele's, Lendl's, Rod Lavers, Stan Smiths etc.

The collab with designers is introducing the sneaker companies to a whole new and different market - fashion people.

 

[PrinceOfCats]

I actually think it's a different, ahem, ball game. Nike until very recently insisted that they never made shoes other than for the sports market. Sports star endorsement was a marketing device that openeing up the sportwear market to kids that admired the stars - all three brands did this, and I'm not sur who did it first, but I'd bet on it being adidas - the Arthur Ash's for example famously having I think the first endorsement of a black sportsperson. Then you had adidas Pele's, Lendl's, Rod Lavers, Stan Smiths etc.

The collab with designers is introducing the sneaker companies to a whole new and different market - fashion people.

I dunno. Amongst my generation, the kind of 'guys' who maybe would be attracted to sports stars are also getting very into 'labels'. I think it's a kind of similar market for a lot of them. Don't forget that Jil Sander advertises in magazines like FHM, GQ and Arena.

 

[nqth]

I kind agree with Johnny. I remember Nike statement, and remember searching for a nice pair of Nike but I gave up bc they all are for sporting act. here. (Bought a "watersock" bc it looks diff:-P tho, but it is very uncom. to wear)

If designer adv. in sport mags, it is to get some profit from the sport area, mean "real men", who don't read Vogue:-) Although Puma is v.popular among club "kids" here:-)

 

[Johnny]

I kind agree with Johnny. I remember Nike statement, and remember searching for a nice pair of Nike but I gave up bc they all are for sporting act. here. (Bought a "watersock" bc it looks diff:-P tho, but it is very uncom. to wear)

If designer adv. in sport mags, it is to get some profit from the sport area, mean "real men", who don't read Vogue:-) Although Puma is v.popular among club "kids" here:-)

I have those aqua socks too nqth! They're awful to wear, but are very good for paddling on rocky beaches!

PoC you may be right about your generation, but those shoes that I mentioned were way before that. When I was a boy, my hero was nearer to being Kenny Dalgliesh than Calvin Klein! It was certainly a different market then.