If you want to read more about the sneaker and apparel industry, we have a few must-read sneaker book recommendations.
There are many books written about the footwear and clothing industry. Over the years, several authors have written about their experiences in the industry and about sneaker culture. Starting with Bobbito Garcia’s book on sneaker culture in New York between 1960 and 1990 and going all the way to the sneaker encyclopedia released by Sneaker Freaker in 2018, you are guaranteed to find a few sneaker books to your taste. If you are passionate about business and want to understand how Nike came to be, you will definitely enjoy Shoe Dog, the story of Phil Knight. And if you are interested in the creative side of this culture, Nike Icons: Something’s Off by Virgil Abloh explains in detail what a collaboration with the sportswear giant involves. See our list of recommended sneaker books below.
1. Shoe Dog (Phil Knight)
Phil Knight’s story about how he founded Nike is the most important and detailed book ever written about the footwear and apparel industry. Shoe Dog tells how the author borrowed 50 dollars from his father at the age of 24 and started Blue Ribbon Sports, a company that would very quickly grow into the giant sportswear brand Nike.
Blue Ribbon Sports was founded in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. For 7 years, they sold Onitsuka Tiger footwear. In 1971, the Japanese brand ended its partnership with them. Forced by the situation they were in, the two began producing footwear on their own. That same year, Bill Bowerman invented the famous “waffle sole”. One year later, Ilie Năstase would become the first professional athlete to sign with Nike. Nike shoes were a success, the products were selling themselves and the business was growing. However, the company was still in a fragile financial position. During the Winter of 1980, Nike went public, solving its financial problems.
The book offers both memories from the company’s early days and stories about its first partners and employees, as well as personal stories from the CEO’s life, from happy moments to deeply depressing ones. Here we find out the price paid to Carolyn Davidson for the famous Nike Swoosh logo – 35 dollars. From this book we also learn that Phil Knight did not trust marketing, and that the entire Nike team had nothing to do with sports, even though their job was to sell sports equipment every day. You can buy Shoe Dog from Cărturești. The book is also available in a Young Readers Edition, also on Cărturești.
2. Nike Icons: Something’s Off (Virgil Abloh)
Published by Taschen, Nike Icons: Something’s Off showcases both Virgil Abloh’s collaboration with Nike and sneaker culture. The artist worked with the sportswear giant on a reimagined apparel collection involving ten of Nike’s most important sneaker models. The brand reconstructed each pair, applying elements and details that became closely associated with Virgil Abloh and Off-White – the most recognizable being the “AIR” text in all caps Helvetica Bold, in quotation marks.
The book starts from the first Off-White x Nike “The Ten” collaboration from 2017. It provides details on every product released through the collaboration up until the end of 2020. Here we see archival images of samples that never launched and early prototypes. Original sketches that served as the foundation of the project at the beginning of the collaboration are also included. Although the visuals are predominant, the book also features a few stories and memories about Virgil Abloh’s creative process.
We recommend this book to anyone interested in sneakers and streetwear and in the creative process. Together with Virgil Abloh’s “Free Game” website, these materials are the best public resources on this culture. You can buy Nike Icons: Something’s Off from Cărturești.
3. The Ultimate Sneaker Book (Sneaker Freaker)
Published by Taschen, The Ultimate Sneaker Book is the definitive guide to all the sneakers released over the last century. Extremely substantial, it includes more than 650 pages packed with content and spans 100 years of sports shoe and footwear industry history.
Simon Wood (the author of the book, also known as “Woody”) launched Sneaker Freaker in 2002. The magazine was born from Woody’s desire to get free sneakers from brands. Nearly 20 years later, all that knowledge was compressed into a handbook for sneakerheads. Trying not to miss any important topic, he quickly ended up with a book of more than 500 pages. In an episode of Business of Hype, the author explains how the idea for the project came about and how long it took to write the book.
Structured like an encyclopedia from A to Z, the book digs through every corner of the culture, mentioning both very well-known names in the industry, such as Air Max and Adi Dassler, and lesser-known ones, such as Troop or Vision Street Wear. For a beginner enthusiast, this book can be the perfect gift for a special occasion. It includes all the essential information every sneakerhead needs to know. You can buy The Ultimate Sneaker Book from Cărturești.
