The History Of High Fashion Sneakers In One Minute

Excuse me while I nerd out, but the beat up high-tops sitting in your closet are just as full of history as a college textbook. CNN shared a super cool short video covering the history of high fashion sneakers, summarizing finds in the upcoming book Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture by Elizabeth Semmelhack. Oh, and bonus points for you if you're in Brooklyn, because you'll be able to check out The Rise of Sneaker Culture, the exhibition the book is based on, at the Brooklyn Museum from July 10 through October 4!

For those unable to hop to Brooklyn (or with really short attention spans that don't want to read the book), the video is a perfect way to learn some seriously nifty sneaker history. It breaks down the evolution of high fashion sneakers, starting all the way back in 1934 with Chuck Taylor All-Star. Trust me, things have come along way for sneakers from 1934 to this past season's 16 hottest NYFW tennis shoe looks.

In barely a minute, you'll learn Chuck Taylor marked the dawn of celebrity shoe endorsements, Nike turned the sneakers into a fashion item in 1972, Gucci was like, "we need fancy tennis shoes" in 1984, and that Christian Louboutin basically redefined masculinity with slip-on tennis shoes in 2011. Yowza.

There's obviously more, but what fun would watching the video be if I told you every little detail? You can watch it here.

And below, a sneak preview of the exhibit!

Image Credit: Beacons Closet/Instagram