How It Happened! Sneakers

March 1, 2023

Gr 3-6-This colorful, informative nonfiction book leads readers through the fascinating history of sneakers, from the oldest known shoe (a 9,000-year-old sandal woven from sagebrush) to the popular shoes of today. The book is divided into three sections: "How It All Started;" "How It Got Off the Ground;" and "How It Took Over the World." The first section describes Charles Goodyear's decades-long quest to develop vulcanized rubber, only to have his invention stolen, leaving him in debt at the end of his life. It also talks about the rise of Keds (originally called Peds), which became popular with women tennis players in the 1920s. The second section covers the 1936 Olympics, when American athlete Jesse Owen broke world records while wearing special sneakers designed by the Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Company. The Dassler brothers, Adi and Rudolf, eventually had a falling out that led them to the formation of two rival companies (Adidas and Puma), which led to a feud so bitter that employees of one company were forbidden from dating or marrying employees of the other. The section also covers the birth of Nike (which was almost called Dimension Six), and Onitsuka. The last section describes the rise of sneaker culture, including Van's, Converse, and Reeboks, and the major celebrity endorsements (Jane Fonda, Michael Jordan, and RUN-DMC) that transformed sneakers from an accessory reserved for athletes, to the everyday shoes they are today. The book ends by describing modern innovations, (including shoes that lace themselves, track the wearer's performance, or have designs that can be instantly changed with the touch of a button), and asks readers to come up with their own logos and designs. Colorful photographs and drawings appear throughout, along with interesting bits of trivia and quotes, and the brightly colored pages add to its readability and eye-catching design. A table of contents, time line of important events, glossary, and index are included. VERDICT This engaging, educational book will appeal to middle grade sneakerheads and fans of books about the history of inventions.-Ashley Larsen

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2023
The history of what nearly everyone wears on their feet. This brisk account moves from a description of ancient woven bark sandals discovered in Oregon in 1938 to the use of latex by Mayan and Olmec peoples to the incorporation of rubber into the soles of shoes for croquet players to footwear endorsements by athletes like Michael Jordan. Bright colors feature throughout the exuberant cartoon drawings along with plenty of sidebars and photos spotlighting diverse people, both famous and everyday. Drimmer covers the history of familiar brands and logos--the rivalry between the Dassler brothers, who founded Adidas and Puma; the development of Blue Ribbon Sports into Nike; the reason that Converse shoes carry the name Chuck Taylor. She avoids discussing economic, human-capital concerns about the manufacture of what are often hugely expensive and collectible shoes. An intriguing chapter on future developments for sneakers mentions the sound-absorbent sneakers that T'Challa wears in Black Panther and a real-life attempt at making a similarly quiet pair. The narrative is a bit thin (and neither source notes nor suggestions for further exploration are offered), but overall, it's a clear, close-up look at an invention (versatile, comfortable shoes) that captures affection and loyalty, plus an exhortation to young innovators to think about their own spin on the product. It's also an interesting examination of the ways that professional athletics and personal exercise have evolved over the last century. A fun and fact-filled look at footwear that will find its audience. (timeline, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

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February 15, 2023
Grades 4-8 The How It Happened! series (2 titles) provides energetic, upbeat histories of everyday items that should be familiar to most kids. Pages are filled with eye-catching graphics, sidebars, photos, illustrations, and accessible text peppered with numerous exclamation points. Despite having different authors, both books feature the same bouncy style, inviting layout, and overall format, including four sections ("How It All Started," "How It Got Off the Ground," "How It Took Over the World," future applications) and brief chapters that cover technical details wrapped within social context and historic perspective. Sneakers wanders a bit, starting out with the history of rubber before detailing the famous rivalry between Adidas and Puma, celebrity endorsements, and specialized applications (aerobics, skate boarding, streetball, Hip Hop). Both selections are broad in scope, touching on popular culture, familiar advertising slogans, and ways their products were initially promoted to women. Back matter includes detailed time lines, a glossary, and related activities--but (alas) no notes or bibliographies. Despite the lack of references, these attention-getting titles will appeal to browsers and enrich STEAM collections.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.