Classic Sneakers Have Returned!

Sneaks, tennies, runners; whatever you want to call them, a great pair of sneakers have always been an integral part of any man’s shoe collection. These days though, vintage tennis shoes are your ticket to sneaker coolness.

Retro sneakers are incredibly fashionable at the moment and all the major tennis shoe companies have hopped on board to re-issue their classic sneaker models. Converse, Puma, Asics, Onitsuka, PF Flyer and Keds sneakers are all readily available in online shoe stores. Some companies had stopped producing their brands entirely until a revival of classic sneakers hit the United States and demand soared through the roof.

In the Air Jordan age, it is funny to think of these shoes as top-of-the line athletic footwear. They were for many years, however, the most technologically advanced shoe available and designed specifically for basketball and tennis. Converse Hi-Top sneakers, along with short shorts and big hair are the defining features of any 1970s basketball highlight reel.

Old School Technology

Classic tennis shoes are traditionally made of canvas and have a rubber sole. Occasionally, there are sneakers available in leather and suede but they are often luxury versions of their canvas cousins. Canvas sneakers were made by melding the rubber sole and canvas upper together using heat.

This was a revolutionary shoe manufacturing technology at the time as it eliminated the need for any additional stitching on the sneaker. Unfortunately, many new advances in industrial processes rendered many small tennis shoe companies obsolete during the late 1970s and early 1980s forcing brands like PF Flyer and Kangaroo to stop making their sneakers.

After a decade of air pumps and gel cushions, sneakers have finally returned to their simple, classic roots. They’re widely available, cheap and most of all.fun!