TRAINERSHACK.CO.UK

History of Trainers - Part One

2006-07-19T14:06:00.000+01:00

In the first of our four part series looking at the world history of trainers, we look at the period from 1917 to 1972. This period includes a selection of some of the first trainers produced including the Stan Smith from Adidas and the Pro-Keds Royal Plus.

1917 – Converse All Star
Launched in 1917 and taking the Chuck Taylor name from 1923 in honour of the world famous basketball player, the shoe has been a favourite in the music world and has been associated with Snoop Dogg and bands including The Ramones and The Strokes. The shoe also featured in the film "I, Robot" starring Will Smith. The trainer’s classic status, history and styling should mean it is around for many years to come.

1964 – Adidas Stan Smith
Quality design and still popular across the world since it’s launch as the first all-leather performance tennis shoe. The shoe has been re-issued in many colours over the years but this is the classic white model, combining retro and athletic fashion. These trainers go with any outfit.

1968 – Puma Suede
The basic design of these trainers, coupled with the wide variety of colours, these are one of the world’s best loved shoes. The 1990s brought about a revival of these Puma classics which can be worn with virtually anything and still look good.

1969 – Adidas Superstar
This was the first low top basketball shoe to be made and is known by millions as the "shell toe", a feature that was included to protect the toes of the players. A favourite on the hip hop scene with its chunky fit and styling, Run-DMC released the song "My Adidas" in recognition of the shoe. The trainer, worn by basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar when they were released, can be seen worn across the globe today including in every US prison!

1971 – Pro-Keds Royal Plus
Available as either a high or low top, these trainers were easily recognisable by their red and navy stripes. Developed for the basketball court, these Keds were worn by Nate Archibald of the Kansas City Kings.

1972 – Adidas SL 72
With the ‘SL’ standing for Super Light, these trainers were designed for the 1972 Olympics in Munich and were incredibly light. These trainers featured a built in heel counter and were re-issued in 2004.

That’s it for the first instalment, next time we will look at the period up to 1987 which includes the birth of the mighty Jordan.

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Nike Air Force One black/white and Nike Dunk High White/Navy trainers

2006-07-12T16:36:00.000+01:00

Nike Air Force One Mids in the rare black/white colourway are now available at just £49,47 including free delivery.

These hard to find trainers come with soft leather uppers and air sole unit across the shoe.

Click here to find out more...

You won't find these limited edition Dunk High trainers

on the High Street.

In white/navy/ecru, these Dunks come in at only £44,47 and feature two sets of laces so you can choose the look.

Click here to find out more...

Don't forget, the Trainershack.co.uk July sale is now on and there's a further 10% off all displayed prices!

Nike Air Force One Lo 82 in white

2006-07-04T14:50:00.000+01:00

These are priced at the lowest in the market and with our extra sale reductions you won't find these trainers from Nike any cheaper.

The Air Force One is a true classic from Nike and is well known across the streets and basketball courts of the world. Take advantage of this chance to get this hard to find trainer at such a low price.

Find out more about these Nike Air Force One trainers...

Nike Air Force One black/red and Special Purchase Nike Cortez trainers

2006-06-30T15:54:00.000+01:00

Two new trainers from Nike appear in store today - the legendary Air Force One Mid in black and the classic Cortez in white at a special purchase price. We have managed to get hold of the Cortez trainers at a special discount price from our suppliers so we are happy to pass the savings on to you. You won't beat these prices.

Click here to find out more about these trainers

Adidas Superstar 2

2006-06-21T21:36:00.000+01:00

From the Adidas Originals range, this legendary trainer is now available to buy in white leather.

Priced at just £46.47 with free delivery, you won't find these any cheaper.

Take a closer look...

Nike teams up with Apple

2006-05-24T16:41:00.000+01:00

Nike have this week announced a new product, made in collaboration with Apple, to report joggers' running data in real time.

The Nike+iPod Sport Kit will be be available in around three months and is essentially a product that connects the Nike+ Air Zoom Moire to your iPod Nano. The Air Zoom trainers are fitted with a sensor and receiver in order to connect to the iPod.

"Information on time, distance, calories burned and pace is stored on the iPod and displayed on the screen," according to a statement released by Apple.

Using the 'Nike+ Experience' software, a workout programme can be entered in to your Nano and a female voice will update you on your progress as you exercise.

Announced in New York, Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong was present and made the following statement:

"If you can incorporate time, distance and calories burned together, and make it function for both the fitness runner and the high-level athlete, it will take working out to a whole other level."

Nike Air Rift Plus 10th Anniversary special edition

2006-05-22T09:36:00.000+01:00

To celebrate 10 years of production of the Air Rift, these limited edition Nikes are now available to buy online for just £69,47 with free delivery.

Buy Nike Air Rift Plus 10th Anniversary >>>

Trainers - some brand histories

2006-05-15T12:56:00.000+01:00

NIKE
Co-founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman started selling trainers in 1962 under the name of Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS) with the aim of crushing Adidas' domination of the US market.
Going from strength to strength, the company was renamed Nike in 1971, after the Greek goddess of victory. This was also the time the brand logo "the Swoosh" was born. 1972 saw Nike's first public appearance at the Olympics with athlete and Nike employee Steve Prefontaine wearing the trainers.
After rapid growth in the States, the company moved in to the UK in 1981. The legendary Jordan range was born in 1985, making Nike a really major player and fueling fierce competition from competitors. The 'just do it' slogan was born in 1988 and helped take Nike to their current position of market leader.
Click here to visit our Nike trainers department>>>
Click here to visit the Nike website>>>

ADIDAS
Brothers Adolph and Rudi Dassler, both sons of a cobbler, began making sports shoes in 1920 in the small town of Herzogenaurach in Germany. After a dispute between the brothers in 1948 they went their separate ways, Adolph forming Adidas and Rudi heading off to start rival brand Puma.
1949 saw the introduction of the shoe supporting three stripes that became famous worldwide and 1972 saw the release of the Adidas 'trefoil' logo. This was later replaced by the three striped 'performance' logo.
It is argued that although there were earlier producers of sports shoes such as Converse and Dunlop, Adidas is the original godfather of the trainer brands.
Click here to visit our Adidas trainers department>>>
Click here to visit the Adidas website>>>

REEBOK
Runner Joseph William Foster, of Bolton in England, developed the spiked running shoe in 1895. The success of his shoes grew and in 1958 Foster's grandsons launched the brand Reebok. By 1979 the company was trading in 28 countries and then moved across to the United States and created overwhelming demand.
Despite riding high with the launch of women’s aerobic range Freestyle and standing at the top of trainers sales leagues, Reebok lost out during the 'trainer wars' of the 1980s to the likes of Nike with the introduction of the Jordan.
The Pump was a huge success in the 1990s and the Reebok Classic is today the biggest selling trainer in the UK, however the brand has a greater following across the world than in it's own country.
Click here to visit our Reebok trainers department>>>
Click here to visit the Reebok website>>>

PUMA
The Puma story starts in Germany in 1948, but as mentioned in Adidas' history the roots can be traced back to the 1920s.
The Puma logo was first released by founder Rudi Dassler in 1951 and the 'Form Stripe' a few years later in 1958 - a feature designed to provide extra strength and stability to the trainers. They can also take the credit for being the first manufacturer to use velcro straps in 1968.
After going from a small family business to being listed on the German stock exchange, Puma now stands as one of the major players with their combination of original designs and new advances.
Click here to visit our Puma trainers department>>>
Click here to visit the Puma website>>>

Adidas Country Flag special edition

2006-05-13T14:38:00.000+01:00

You can now buy these trainers with free delivery for under £40!
First launched in 1970, this is the original Adidas running silhouette. Released as a cross-country shoe, these trainers can now be found in most cities across the world recognised as a true classic. 'RUN LONGER. RUN FASTER. RUN SMARTER.'
Buy Adidas Country Flag >>>

Collecting trainers - an interview with an expert

2006-05-03T11:16:00.000+01:00

Trainer collectors come in different forms – some collecting because they like the shoes and want to wear them, some for nostalgic reasons and others because they have a serious passion to build a valuable collection.

In this first article of our new collectors series, we bring you an exclusive interview with New York collector Nick Gonzalez. New York is a hot bed for valuable trainers and Nick is one of the area’s most famous collectors, a true expert in his field.

TRAINERSHACK: How did you get in to collecting trainers?
NICK GONZALEZ: The right sneakers are very important when you’re growing up as a kid. I spent most of my leisure time on the basketball courts and if you weren’t wearing Jordans you might as well not even show. I kept the first pair I owned and it went on from there.
TS: How many pairs do you have in your collection?
NG: I must have over 500 by now I guess. I only wear about five or six pairs myself, the rest are boxed up in the spare room.
TS: Do you have a favourite pair?
NG: I’ve always had an affinity to the Air Jordans but my collection is so vast it’s hard to choose just one pair. I guess other than those, it would have to be a pair of the Air Force 1s. They have got me through a few scrapes on the courts.
TS: Do you collect all the brands?
NG: I was brought up with Nikes but I love anything as long as it’s got some sort of appeal to me. I’ve got a good selection of Adidas Stan Smiths and have a soft spot for the Reebok Pumps I own – going back to my court days I guess.
TS: What sneakers are you wearing now?
NG: I woke up with no clothing direction this morning so I went for Superstars – they go with anything.
TS: What has been your best find?
NG: When I was visiting relatives in Chicago they took me to this store that was closing down. The owner had a pair of original Air Max 95s and he only wanted 35 dollars for them. They were in my size and I took them away. I gave him an extra 50 bucks for them though.

Avoid buying fake trainers online

2006-04-28T14:17:00.000+01:00

We receive many calls from customers who have purchased trainers online, generally through internet auction sites, and have found them to be copies when they receive them. If they receive them at all.
China is a great exporter of these copies, with thousands entering the UK every month. As a company, we receive a large quantity of emails from these manufacturers trying to sell their products to us—some for as little as £10 per pair. All such emails are forwarded by us to the relevant authorities but this is unfortunately nowhere near enough to tackle the huge problem.
Nike in particular is targeted by the illegal factories, employing workers in “sweat shop” conditions, and loses a lot of money through the trade. Air Max and Jordans are two of the styles favoured by replica producing factories, however the fakes can come in virtually any form.
As Trainershack.co.uk often sells rarer trainers in full size runs at much lower than average prices, we often get calls and emails asking if our trainers are authentic and how we can sell them so cheap. We guarantee that every pair of trainers we sell are genuine—and this is what has helped our success. There are many sites and auction traders out there that will happily take your money in exchange for fake shoes, or just take the money and run.
The appearance of the majority of fakes is very close to the real thing, which makes them even harder to spot. The quality however is far from that of authentic trainers.
Fake trainers affect the buyer, responsible online retailers and the manufacturers. In order to help with the battle of fakes, we have put together a few pointers to help you spot fakes so you don’t become a victim.
Spotting fakes - a guide
1. Is the deal too good to be true? Counterfeit trainers are sold , often in large quantities and size ranges, for incredibly low prices. Although there are some good bargains to be found on auction sites, the fact is there are more fake trainers listed on them than real.
2. Check the small print on the site or auction you are buying from. Some sites admit that they are selling fakes, or “variants” as they are often described as for the purpose of fooling the consumer.
3. Research auction sellers. If you are buying from an online auction, check the seller’s feedback and look for negative comments - although all their previous customers may have been fooled enough not to question the authenticity. Check for a history of selling large quantities of “rare” trainers and contact previous buyers to ask them to check their purchase.
4. Check the box. Fake boxes are of poor quality both in the construction and the print. The wrapping inside them should be thick paper and not thin tissue.
Unfortunately, there are no comprehensive methods of spotting fakes because of the closeness of the imitation however we will be more than happy to help you if you would like to contact us with any concerns about trainers you are thinking of buying.

Nike Air Rift Plus Brazil special edition

2006-04-28T14:16:00.000+01:00

These trainers are now available to buy online, priced at just £69,47 with free delivery. Released in 1996 for the Kenyan running team, and with inspiration taken from split-toe wearing Japanese Ninjas, this trainer is now a nightclub favourite.

2000 saw the release of this special Brazilian football team edition. Featuring the colours and stars of Brazil, this is the most collectable Rift to date.
Buy Nike Air Rift Plus Brazil >>>

Trainershack.co.uk gift vouchers now available

2006-04-28T14:15:00.000+01:00

After many requests for Trainershack.co.uk gift vouchers, these can now be purchased online. The vouchers, available in multiples of just £5, make ideal presents for family and friends.

Buy gift vouchers>>>

Uniform tee shirts

2006-04-28T14:13:00.000+01:00

We are pleased to announce that we will now be stockists of urbanwear brand Uniform.

The first range to hit Trainershack.co.uk is the DJ tee shirt collection. The inspiration for the DJ:SBR range comes from the DJ lifestyle and snowboarder mentality. Grafting these two cultures together results in a state of mind that is completely in tune with urban life today. As Mixmag put it: "Should suit you down to the ground, or sticky dancefloor, depending on where you are standing."

Buy Uniform tee shirts >>>