In his book Golden Kicks, sneaker head Jason Coles charts how so many popular sports shoe brands, from the Stan Smith to the Converse All Star, have vaulted from the running track, football field or tennis court into popular culture, and on to the feet of the masses.
He tells us the story behind 2 iconic trainers.
First, Nike's Air Jordan.
The ankle-high basketball shoe that still generates annual sales of over $US3 billion a year for the brand with the swoosh, even though Michael Jordan hasn't played for a decade.
And the Adidas Superstar; the shoe with the rubber shell toe that, back in 1969, took on the market leader Converse ... and won.
Jason Coles' book 'Golden Kicks: The Shoes That Changed Sport' is published by Bloomsbury.
