Russ Bengston - A History of Basketball in Fifteen Sneakers

256 pages
Edited by Russ Bengtson 
Foreword by Bobbito Garcia
26 x 19 cm
Language: English
Hardback with jacket
Publisher: Workman
2023

The ultimate book for both hoops fans and sneaker obsessives, A History of Basketball in Fifteen Sneakers is an exciting and fascinating look at the sport written with authority and experience by former Complex magazine editor Russ Bengtson.

From primeval Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars to baroque Reebok Pumps and myth-making Air Jordans to super-high-tech Nike Adapt BBs, each chapter breaks down how a specific sneaker defined an era of basketball, transformed the culture, or changed the game.

With full-colour sneaker photographs and sidebars throughout, the book is a kaleidoscopic celebration of the players, styles, and iconic moments that have shaped hoops both on and off the court.

Topics include: Puma Clydes and the New York City street game; the explosion of sneaker marketing in the 1980s and the rise of the modern global basketball superstar with Michael Jordan; Nike Air Swoopes and the evolution of the women's game; sneaker tech and tweaking design to playing style, from inside post moves to outside sharpshooting; and much more.