Sneakers: sports shoes to fashion icons – Quiz

Answer

1.  Read the text and answer the questions. 

1. What are trainers called in American English?

They are called ‘sneakers’ in American English.

2. How big could the market for trainers be by 2026?

The trainer market could be worth $120bn by 2026.

3. According to the article, when did trainers start to become cool?

Trainers started to gain cultural cachet in the 1970s.

4. Which famous people do the article say were important in promoting sneakers?

Celebrity endorsements from the likes of Run DMC and Michael Jordan boosted the market through the 1980s and 90s.

5. According to the article, how do some sneakerheads get hold of limited-edition shoes?

Some sneakerheads spend hours camping outside shops to get hold of limited-edition shoes.

2.  Choose the appropriate words or phrases to complete the following sentences.

1. The company hopes to dominate the global market within the next few years.

2. The clothes people wear can have cultural cachet .

3. Many trainers are named after celebrities because people pay more for products with endorsements .

4. Expensive trainers can be a status signifier for some people.5. Limited- edition sneakers can be very expensive.

Sneakers: sports shoes to fashion icons

Many of us wear trainers, or sneakers as they are called in American English. They might not seem like anything special, but these items of footwear have become an obsession for some people. Get ready to meet the sneakerheads.

From their beginnings as practical footwear for athletes, trainers or sneakers have become big business. They are now a massive part of the global fashion industry, and the sneaker market could be worth $120bn by 2026. Trainers started to gain cultural cachet in the 1970s due to the popularity of basketball and football in US and UK youth culture, says fashion gallery curator Ligaya Salazar. Celebrity endorsements from the likes of Run DMC and Michael Jordan boosted the market through the 1980s and 90s. Brendan Dunne, host of a podcast dedicated to sneakers, describes how, as they became cooler and more expensive, sneakers became status signifiers.

While most trainers are made for the mass market, limited-edition pairs are made to appeal to those who are looking for something special. Sneakerheads are those who collect rare trainers, sometimes paying thousands of dollars for a pair. Dunne compares it to art collecting, pointing out that they have been sold by major auction houses and are seen by some as an investment.

Trainer manufacturers have seen this market for rare sneakers as a good business opportunity and have teamed up with celebrities to produce limited edition pairs. This feeds into the resale market for this footwear. Some sneakerheads spend hours camping outside shops to get their hands on the most desirable limited editions which they can then flip for a huge profit.So, an item that started as an everyday functional object for people playing sports can now also be a high-fashion item worth thousands of dollars.