In 1985, Nike released Michael Jordan’s first sneaker, the Air Jordan 1, and sneaker culture was born. With vibrant photographs and illustrations throughout, as well as input from some of the sneaker world’s most important voices, Complex Presents: Sneaker of the Year is a must-have for hypebeasts and sneakerheads everywhere. Foreword by Marc Eckō Contribution by Joe La Puma Sneaker of the Year explores the past 35 years of sneaker culture with the expertise, authority, and passion that only Complex can offer. Now, thousands of people wait in line at Supreme, and companies throw millions of dollars at LeBron James to keep him in their marketing plans. The trend that saw steady growth for decades with the emergence of sports, hip-hop, and sportswear advertising has exploded into a phenomenon. And no one has watched that phenomenon more closely than Complex. Highlights include: Converse Weapon (1986) Vans Half Cab (1992) Reebok Instapump Fury (1994) Nike Zoom LeBron 3 (2005) Supra Skytop (2007) Balenciaga Arena (2013) Nike React Element 87 (2018) Fashion designer Marc Ecko says in his foreword, “The players who attached their names to iconic sneakers became icons themselves, figures whose personalities could shape multinational companies from the boardroom down. Jordan—and Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson, and dozens more—rose to the level that had once been off limits to athletes. . . . What began with Jordan wearing a pair of sneakers culminated in a moment of economic and social justice. It’s a power shift we have never seen again in any industry—and something we may not witness again” Whether you owned them back in the day or collect them now, this is a full-color trip down memory lane for sneakerheads.

A provocative look at the new, digital landscape of childhood and how to navigate it. In The New Childhood, Jordan Shapiro provides a hopeful counterpoint to the fearful hand-wringing that has come to define our narrative around children and technology. Drawing on groundbreaking research in economics, psychology, philosophy, and education, The New Childhood shows how technology is guiding humanity toward a bright future in which our children will be able to create new, better models of global citizenship, connection, and community. Shapiro offers concrete, practical advice on how to parent and educate children effectively in a connected world, and provides tools and techniques for using technology to engage with kids and help them learn and grow. He compares this moment in time to other great technological revolutions in humanity's past and presents entertaining micro-histories of cultural fixtures: the sandbox, finger painting, the family dinner, and more. But most importantly, The New Childhood paints a timely, inspiring and positive picture of today's children, recognizing that they are poised to create a progressive, diverse, meaningful, and hyper-connected world that today's adults can only barely imagine.

A book about Sneakerheads, written by a Sneakerhead, for the advancement of Sneakerheads and the enlightenment of those who are not Sneakerheads. Most people have never heard the term "Sneakerhead". They do not have an idea of what a Sneakerhead is, what Sneakerheads are about or what it is that a Sneakerhead does. This book is a guide on how to talk the talk, walk the walk and broaden not only your knowledge of Sneakerheads, but your personal sneaker collection as well. For the average person you will find a new awareness and understanding about the sneaker community and those within it. Whether new, old or continuing your passion for sneakers. Break open the book and break into the world of Sneakerheads.

“A vivid picture of how what we wear on our feet can tell us what it really means to be an American.”—Vanity Fair “Expansive, thorough, and entertaining . . . a comprehensive look at how much the sneaker became a signature indicator of cool.”—The Wall Street Journal A cultural history of sneakers, tracing the footprint of one of our most iconic fashions across sports, business, pop culture, and American identity “It’s gotta be the shoes.” When Spike Lee said it to Michael Jordan in a 1989 commercial, it was with a wink and a nod—what makes MJ so good? His Nike Air Jordan IIIs, of course. But as Nicholas Smith reveals in this captivating history, Lee’s line also speaks to the sneaker’s place at the heart of American culture. Once the athletic shoe graduated from the beaches and croquet courts of the wealthy elite to streetwear ubiquity, its journey through the heart of American life was just getting started. In this rollicking narrative, Nicholas K. Smith carries us through the long twentieth century as sneakers became the totem of subcultures. We follow the humble athletic and watch as sneakers become the calling card of California skaters and New York MCs, the spark of riots and gang violence, the heart of a global economic controversy, the muse of haute couture, and a lynchpin in the transformation of big sports into big business. Along the way, we meet larger-than-life mavericks and surprising visionaries: genius rubber inventor Charles Goodyear, risking everything to get his formula right; the warring brothers who started dueling shoe empires; road-warrior Chuck Taylor, hawking shoes out of his trunk; and many more mavericks, hustlers, and dreamers. With a sure stride and a broad footprint, Kicks introduces us to an influential and evolving legacy.

The definitive primer on the world’s most popular shoe: the basketball sneaker. Basketball shoes have a long and storied history both on and off the court. Back in the 1930s, a basketball sneaker was created for straight-up performance. Today, hoops footwear do double duty: they’re designed for and by elite players, but to sneakerheads, how they look is nearly as important as how they perform. SLAM Kicks breaks down the path of the basketball sneaker, from the birth of the very first iconic shoe, the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star, to the white-hot best-selling cultural-phenomenon Nike Air Jordan sneaker line. This book showcases the hottest basketball kicks over time, throwbacks and new shoes alike, covering each legendary sneaker and its design, the technical advancements found in the shoe, the athletes who made the shoe famous, and the cultural waves the footwear has made off the basketball court. Featured sneakers also include the Adidas Jabbar, the Puma Clyde, the Nike Air Force One, the Reebok Question, the AND1 Tai Chi, the Nike Zoom Kobe IV, and many others. SLAM Kicks: Basketball Sneakers That Changed the Game is the perfect gift for basketball-sneaker fans and street-fashion enthusiasts alike.

Founder of the phenomenon social media account PreachersNSneakers tackles how faith, capitalism, consumerism, and (wannabe) celebrity have collided and asks both believers and nonbelievers alike: how much is too much? What started as a joke account on Instagram has turned into a movement. Through this provocative project, the founder of PreachersNSneakers is helping thousands of Jesus followers wrestle with the inevitable dilemmas created by our Western culture obsessed with image and entertainment. In PreachersNSneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities, Ben Kirby approaches many of the difficult questions plaguing countless Christians’ minds, presenting experiences and input from both sides of difficult questions, such as: Should pastors grow wealthy off of religion, and can their churches ever be too large? Do we really believe that divine blessings are monetary, or is that just religious wallpaper to hide our own greed? Is there space in Christendom for celebrities like Kanye and Bieber to exist without distorting the good news? What about this: Is it wrong for someone—even wrong for author Ben Kirby—to call out faith leaders online and leverage “cancel culture” to affect change? PreachersNSneakers will navigate these challenging questions and many more with humor, wit, candor, and a few never-before-published hijinks. Each chapter will explore the various sides of the debate, holding space for us to make up our own minds. This book is not about finding the perfect, “right” way to do something, but instead learning how to articulate what we believe, why we believe it, and what to do when we want to stand up against cultural norms. This book will doubtlessly become a staple for church small groups, college ministries, and book clubs, emboldening struggling believers who want to live a more genuine faith. After all, the Lord works in mysterious colorways.

Air Jordan History: Flip through 150 pages filled with over 700 images of Air Jordan sneakers dating back from 1985 to 2013. Each sneaker includes the exact date when they first released, what they sold for in stores, color ways, and even the shoe box they came with. You'll be surprised to discovery how many Jordans you never knew existed. Take a trip down memory lane as you go through years and years of Air Jordan releases. For those who are serious collectors, which Jordan was your first pair? Was it the 2001 Air Jordan I "Bred"? Or maybe it was the 2007 Air Jordan V "Metallic"? Whichever one it may be, you probably remember how it felt to finally get your hands on that one particular pair you been waiting months to get! Remember when you first lifted open that shoe box and you couldn't help but admire the design and the fine details that reminded you why you bought the shoes in the first place? And not to mention that NEW SHOE SCENT. Oh, yes, that NEW SHOE SCENT (you sneakheads know what I'm talking about) Relive those memories today, they're waiting for you. Add the Air Jordan Price Guide 2013 to your Jordan collection today! Air Jordan Price Guide: Finally a Kelley Blue Book for Air Jordan sneakers! Tired of not knowing how much to pay for a pair of Jordans? Tired of having to search countless sneaker forums just to see what the going rate for a pair is? Maybe you just don't want to get ripped off by resellers...(we all don't). Well, look no further, we have the solution for you: The Air Jordan Price Guide. We have calculated values from numerous and reliable sources such as Ebay, Craigslist, and sneaker forums to get you the best average values for each sneaker. We already did the hard work for you. What are you waiting for? Protect yourself from headaches and resellers today! This guide also makes for a perfect gift to that sneaker collector friend of yours. Don't wait, GET YOUR COPY TODAY!

Introducing Air Jordan Coloring Book: Midnight Edition. Troy Davinci has done it again with this Limited Midnight Editon. you LOVE Air Jordans - everything about them... especially their super-cool colors and designs - then imagine yourself CREATING the colors and designs that you always wanted to see. No matter what your level of artistic skill is, you can have a BLAST coloring the sneakers you love to admire - Air Jordans - and show the world what a FAN you are If you're a true "sneakerhead" - you can even customize your own sneakers by working out the designs via this coloring book This book comes with digitally-drawn representations of the famous Air Jordan sneakers, with TWO identical drawings of each shoe so that you can experiment with different colors and designs. This is truly a one-of-a-kind book and will provide hours of fun for fans of all ages

COSTUME, CLOTHES & FASHION. In the skateboard universe, the evolution of riding technique, skateboard decks, graphics and art are well documented. Until now, however, skateboard shoes have received little attention. Made for Skate tells the story of skateboard footwear as seen through the eyes of those who lived it. Along with the classics by companies such as Vans, Airwalk, Etnies, and Duffs, it features hard-to-find and one-of-a-kind shoes that emerged throughout almost five decades of skate history, all photographed superlatively. This book provides an exhaustive overview of the history and styles of skate shoes and is based on the collection of the Skateboard Museum Stuttgart, Germany. Skate personalities we meet include Stacy Peralta, Lance Mountain, Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, and Natas Kaupas.

The unauthorized national-bestselling sensation revealing the absorbing story of the rise, fall, and recovery of Nike, by a former employee and a Los Angeles Times reporter.