From the street to the museum: “They used to say: “Why do you have 300 pairs of shoes?”

Ms. Fuchte, are sneakers the lowest common denominator when it comes to fashion?

Sneakers are a democratic thing. This doesn’t apply to limited edition sneakers at exorbitant prices, but you can wear these Adidas Stan Smiths as a ninth grader or a CEO. This development came primarily from basketball, and is an important foundation for sneakers. Unlike tennis, it has always been an urban sport. Michael Jordan himself came to this through pickup games…

…meaning spontaneous meetings on the football field where baskets are tossed…

And at the same time, Michael Jordan had an incredible rise. He became an idol for many. Sneakers were originally a youth item. Many collectors who have been there for a long time also told us that they were looked at strangely at first because of their passion. Then they said: “What, do you have 300 pairs of shoes?” Now they are admired for it.

Does this mean the sneaker craze started in basketball?

In basketball and hip-hop – because the influence of the members of the group Run-DMC in the 80s was also important. They always wore Adidas without laces, as a sign that they were banned in American prisons. Then there was the legendary Madison Square Garden concert in 1986, where all the fans were holding their Adidas sneakers in their hands. Someone from Adidas was also in the room and noticed how powerful it was.

Adidas has signed a contract with Run-DMC. The subculture has become mainstream.

This is how things stand today. Adidas, for example, had no idea about the recent Samba trend. The company addressed this issue with the new edition only after people suddenly rediscovered the few models that were on the market.

Many people who are afraid of looking old choose sneakers. Can you understand this?

Designer Virgil Abloh, who died in 2021, also once said that sneakers are no longer rebellious. But there are differences. You may also see On brand sneakers on middle-aged people, but also noticeably more often on older people who may be on a city trip. These are also sneakers. Not all shoes are created equal.

And at the same time, sneakers are a phenomenon that affects society as a whole. What does it mean? To express freedom? Convenience? Need for uniformity?

Maybe a little for everything. Sneakers are functional, but for some people they may seem rebellious when paired with a suit. In fact, everyone wants to express themselves individually through sneakers, and they all end up looking the same. For example, many students wear white Air Force 1 sneakers from Nike because identification in the group is important to them.