Understanding Sneakers footwear

There is a myriad of footwear types today for your sole comfort. One type that is gaining popularity is the sneakers; these are footwear that is made from flexible material with a rubber sole. The top part of sneakers is usually canvas or leather material.

Sneakers were first designed to be part of the sports apparel but have evolved to be the more casual footwear today. They are comfortable and trendy with the increasing cool designs by various manufacturers. Even students prefer to put sneakers on as part of their uniform for the comfort and versatility of the footwear.

Sneakers also come in athletic designs and purposes today as can be found in tennis and basketball sports. Cross trainers put on sneakers for better comfort over the long distance. Different countries call sneakers differently; in UK, it is referred to as "trainer"; in US, they are called "kicks"; in Australia, they are known as "runners" and in South Africa, they are "takkies".

Sneakers even impacted the hip hop culture from the 1970s; many rappers are signed up with major sneaker manufacturers to promote the brand's sneakers like Adidas, Puma and Nike. More and more sophisticated and fashionable sneakers are coming on the scene today which make them collectibles; such as the "Sneakerhead". An artistically-modified pair of sneakers can fetch as much as $500. Hence, this has motivated many talented and creative artists to put their creativity at work on a pair of ordinary sneakers to transform it into a unique collectible.

But sneakers are best when they are wearable; hence, there are many types in the market. You will find high tops covering the ankles or low tops that expose the ankles with mid cuts in between. There are fashion sneakers which extend to the calf called sneaker boots which are usually favored by the ladies.

Sneakers are being manufactured with fun and art in mind today than just wearable. Sneaker artists are creating many functional art pieces; that means they are wearable pieces besides sporting great designs, which are great for those wearers that want to make a statement with their footwear. It is a unique way of expression art. Others may just be concerned about covering your feet and giving you some comfortable material to move about in, but sneaker artists add fun and expression through their designs on the sneakers.

Sneaker art has evolved to become unique based on the various cultural groups. Since most sneakers use some canvas material covering, it has translated into the artist's canvas.You can find many wonderful designs on branded sneakers such as Adidas, Nike, Reebok, New Balance, and Asics. More and more sneaker manufacturers are jumping onto the bandwagon for the creative juice to translate into higher profits.

by Albert Colin