4 IntroductIon 6 the top 25 18 classIc KIcKs sweeps Your chance to wIn the new classIcs 20 spotlIght: asIcs 23 spotlIght: alIfe 24 spotlIght: fIla 27 spotlIght: concepts 28 spotlIght: K-swIss 31 spotlIght: sportIe la THERE ARE SNEAKERS AND THEN THERE ARE — THEY ARE THE STYLES THAT DEFINE AN ERA, MAKE A COMPany’s repuTATION, SPAWN LEGIONS OF IMITATORS AND EMPOWER A GENERATION OF ATHLETES, FANS AND SNEAKER DIE-HARDS. OFTEN DRIVEN BY AMAZING FUNCTIONALITY OR A TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH, AND ALWAYS MOTIVATED BY ULTRA-FRESH STYLING, THE SHOES THAT INSPIRE DEVOTION HAVE A HOOK THAT KEEPS SNEAKER LOVERS COMING BACK FOR MORE, YEARS AND EVEN DECADES AFTER THE SHOES FIRST MADE THEIR MARK. AND WHILE YOU COULD SPEND HOURS DEBATING HOW TO RANK THE BEST OF THE BEST, AND THE WHO AND THE WHAT THAT GOT LEFT OFF, THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THE STYLES FOOTWEAR NEWS CHOSE AS THE 25 TRUE CLASSICS HAVE REVOLUTIONIZED THE SNEAKER SCENE. HERE, WE LAY OUT THE LOOKS THAT HAVE MADE HISTORY. BY JENNIFER ERNST BEAUDRY PHOTOS COURTESY: NIKE, ADIDAS, PF FLYERS, NEW BALANCE, CONVERSE, JORDAN, PUMA, K-SWISS, SAUCONY, REEBOK, FILA, ASICS, ONITSUKA TIGER 04 PHOTOS BY: StEPHEN SULLIVAN (PRO-KEDS, KEDS), THOMAS IANNACCONE (VANS) 05 he Superstar was born out of basketball — the 1969 style was created as a low-top version of the T Pro Model — but it found its home in hip-hop and pro-Keds royAl has made waves in pop culture ever since. The rubber toecap that gave the Superstar its singular look was ro-Keds was launched in 1949 by then-owner Uniroyal as a AdidAs intended as toe protection for b-ballers (Kareem Abdul- men’s athletic brand that built on the Keds name with a focus on Jabbar was a fan, and at one point, 75 percent of the P basketball. The first shoe to market was the Royal, a canvas NBA had adopted the style), but the support, cushioning silhouette in both high- and low-top versions. With the brand- and non-marking sole made it a favorite with fans, too. defining blue-and-red stripes on the midsole, the Royal enjoyed superstAr By 1986, the all-leather style was firmly entrenched in a successful run in its first few decades, including endorsements the hip-hop game, and rap group Run-DMC gave the by power-team-of-the-era the Minneapolis Lakers and their star, style a Top 40 platform with “My Adidas,” an ode to the George Mikan. It was in the 1970s, though, that Pro-Keds and their Superstars they wore on the regular. The kicks came Royal sneaker had their moment. Still available in both high-top and to symbolize Run-DMC, with fans displaying their own low-top versions, the Royal (and its evolutions, the Royal Plus and pairs, often worn laceless, just like Run and the boys the Royal Master) came in leather, mesh and suede versions and was did. (The reportedly $1 million endorsement deal Adidas worn on-court by major names including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and later signed with Run-DMC was fittingly the first major Nate “Tiny” Archibald — which helped propel the style to success deal in hip-hop.) But the popularity of the Superstar — on the streets, too. After falling out of the limelight, the line was whether in the classic black-on-white colorway or the licensed in 2004 to hip-hop impresario Damon Dash, who tried to many variations since — has held steady even as hip- increase the brand’s fashion cred — and the Royal took a backseat hop’s look and sound have evolved. If anything, the shoes to new iterations. But with Dash facing his own financial woes have cracked the mainstream: nu-metal band Korn made and the brand struggling to hit the desired consumer, this spring the style their go-to, and Estelle gave props to Kanye’s Keds took Pro-Keds back in-house, and designer Peter Koytroulis shelltoes in last summer’s “American Boy” single. has made the line’s heritage looks (chief among them the Royal) a centerpiece of the brand. he innate, often-intimate the wearer customize the fit. The shoe connection between basketball was designed, as the brand’s tag line at T players and sneaker culture the time said, to help you “play at your seems completely intuitive now, but full speed.” It also had a shout-out for he biggest basketball shoe back since — well, at least not if it wasn’t for a Boston Celtics point fans: Bob Cousy’s signature appeared ever? Maybe. Nike’s iconic until 2007, when Nike celebrated guard named Bob Cousy, on the insole, although T 1982 high-top basketball the style’s silver anniversary with it might have been a the superstar once told style is a solid contender for a lot a year of limited-edition releases different story. Cousy, FN the signature didn’t of mosts: most collected, most sold, and special makeups. While some who started setting the look familiar — “I think most versions made. But given its fans (even some of the most devout) NBA on fire after his 1950 my agent might have staggering success today (more accused the company of saturating rookie season, joined with signed this for me.” And Cousy than 11 million pairs sold each year) the market with limited editions, Boston-based PF Flyers while it’s no longer an the AF1 was initially planned as a sales have remained strong. Retailers to create a special shoe on-court favorite, the Bob B one-season one-off by legendary say the classic white-on-white just for him. The Bob Cousy has found new life F Flyers Nike designer Bruce Kilgore. (It colorway has had a resurgence Cousy, which debuted as a classic retro style. was notable at the time for being in the recession era, and the AF1 in 1956, looked like the PF Flyers (now owned p the first style to feature Nike’s continues to draw fans high-profile Chuck Taylors that were by New Balance) has Air technology through the entire (Nelly, Jay-Z, Jerome Bettis, among the shoe of choice at the made the shoe one of Bo length of the sole.) Luckily for kicks others) and low-profile alike. time — a canvas upper its major focuses as it fans, however, retailers pressured and a vulcanized sole — but featured aims to attract a newer, hipper customer the Beaverton, Ore.-based athletic basketball-ready additions such as a and more upscale distribution. Made in giant to bring back the shoe, which more structured insole for cushioning new colors and materials, the original, it did in 1984. And it hasn’t looked and a “gullwing” closure (laces thread signature shoe (no matter whose through a second eyelet on the top signature is actually on it) is still breaking hole, located on a separate tab) that let new ground. 06 19 he slim, unassuming silhouette of the Keds Champion belies its amed for a nickname, the low- significance in the sneaker game. Consider this: At its 1916 debut, cut kicks Puma called the Clyde T the canvas Champion was the first rubber-soled shoe, the first N have become one of the most vulcanized style (courtesy of a partnership with tire experts Goodyear) recognizable shoes of all time. Created and, critically, the first style to be called a “sneaker.” (Keds ad man Henry in 1973 for Walt Frazier, the legendary Nelson McKinney coined the phrase to describe the stealthy movements New York Knicks point guard, the shoes that were possible due to the newly applied rubber sole.) In its earliest honored Frazier’s desire for a wider fit days, the Champion was an on-court favorite for tennis players, but by and became — with their grippy outsole the 1950s and 1960s, it had become a go-to basic: Paul Newman, Audrey and suede upper — the newest thing in Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy and the Ramones were all photographed in basketball shoes. Embroidered on the side the model. Then the Champion ran into the same problem as many was “Clyde,” a nickname other players had popular styles: Too many varieties were available in too many places, given Frazier for his outlandishly sharp and the iconic blue-heel label had lost much of its cachet. But in the last outfits and on-court ball steals, both of 10 years, a rebranding campaign starring actress Mischa Barton, and which put his fellow players in mind of designer collaborations with Lily Pulitzer, Todd Oldham, Nanette Lepore high-style gangster Clyde Barrow. The style and others, has helped build new buzz around the Champion — and so made waves off-court as well, becoming did pulling back distribution. Keds also has made promoting the original the first non-canvas sneaker to emerge Clyde style a focus for this fall, including issuing an eco-friendly version by from basketball as a legitimate green label Loomstate and Barneys New York. leisure style. Embraced by hip-hop — and those who liked to spray paint the sides of subway cars — he sneaker first marketed as the All-Star more flexible and add a patch for ankle support, imaginable fabric and in every size. And its famous ajor movies have a huge hand in shaping trends, and one the Clyde has lived up to its name: Some say the he suggested. With Taylor’s changes (and his fans include designer John Varvatos, whose 1980s flick managed to create an instant hit in the shoe was also the T Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star is the best- signature on the patch, which also featured the allegiance to the classic black version led him to M world — and helped establish the fortunes of one iconic progenitor of selling, most successful shoe in history — so star Converse is now known for) the shoe struck a a deal with Converse and a line of shoes, many of sneaker brand.