SLAM Kicks: Basketball Sneakers that Changed the Game

208 pages
Edited by Ben Osborne
Essay by Scoop Jackson, Russ Bengtson, Lang Whitaker, John Brilliant
21 x 21.2 cm 
Language: English
Softcover
Publisher: Universe
2014

The definitive primer on the world’s most popular shoe: the basketball sneaker. Basketball shoes have a long and storied history both on and off the court. Back in the 1930s, a basketball sneaker was created for straight-up performance. Today, hoops footwear do double duty: they’re designed for and by elite players, but to sneakerheads, how they look is nearly as important as how they perform. SLAM Kicks breaks down the path of the basketball sneaker, from the birth of the very first iconic shoe, the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star, to the white-hot best-selling cultural-phenomenon Nike Air Jordan sneaker line. This book showcases the hottest basketball kicks over time, throwbacks and new shoes alike, covering each legendary sneaker and its design, the technical advancements found in the shoe, the athletes who made the shoe famous, and the cultural waves the footwear has made off the basketball court. Featured sneakers also include the Adidas Jabbar, the Puma Clyde, the Nike Air Force One, the Reebok Question, the AND1 Tai Chi, the Nike Zoom Kobe IV, and many others. SLAM Kicks: Basketball Sneakers That Changed the Game is the perfect gift for basketball-sneaker fans and street-fashion enthusiasts alike.

"SLAM Kicks: Basketball Sneakers that Changed the Game is the new book by SLAM Magazine Editor-in-Chief Ben Osborne that sheds some light on the multi-billion dollar industry revolving around sneaker collecting. In particular, the book gives a thorough account of basketball sneaker history, featuring product photographs, alongside informative illustrations and amazing action shots of “kicks”...takes a closer look at 33 of the most coveted and “game changing” shoes and their designs, as well as their influence and appeal off the court. Definitely a must read for seasoned sneaker pros as well as aspiring collectors..." -Highsnobiety.com

"Slam Kicks is a serious book for people who really care to know the history, have a passion for the sport, and can appreciate the stories attached to great pairs of shoes." -Complex.com

"It’s always handy to have a physical compendium for sneakers at your disposal. The trusted minds at SLAM have just debuted another of those: Basketball Sneakers that Changed the Game from their Kicks division. The book was pieced together by notable sneaker writers like Scoop Jackson, Russ Bengtson, Lang Whitaker, and John Brilliant, and seeks to document the most important of hoops shoes from the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star to the Air Jordan franchise to some more modern designs that have already made their mark in sneaker history." -Sneakernews.com