sneaker academy

The latter part of the 20th century and the first part of the 21st century was all about celebrity endorsements and limited editions. Nike Jordan brand released retro editions of the classic Air Jordans and continued to release new models. Bill Bowerman, father of Nike Inc. died in December 1999, but Nike kept going strong to release a revolution cushioning system called Nike Shox. Reebok, in a bid to strengthen their sales, forms an unheard of partnership with various music artists to create their Sound and Rhythm line.

In the mid part of the 20th century, the sneaker becomes a more common cultural phenomenon with emphasis being put on new technologies for athletes. Sports legends such as Joe Namath and Steve Prefontaine became known as much for their performance as for their shoes, however, the first major line of sneakers was endorsed by Chicago Bulls player, Michael Jordan. The Jordan line, to date, has spawned 19 released Air Jordans, the soon to be released Jordan XX, and numerous Team Jordan models.