Chapter 1
The birth of the rubber sole
Chapter 2
The court meets the street
Chapter 3
The global design revolution
Chapter 4
The modern hype machine
Ch 1 · The birth of the rubber sole
adidas Dropping rubber and sulfur onto a hot stove cured the rubber, making it heat-resistant and flexible enough to bond with canvas.
Quiz
Before the invention of vulcanization, what happened to natural rubber shoes in hot summer weather?
Quiz
What ingredient did Charles Goodyear accidentally mix with rubber in 1839 to invent vulcanization?
adidas Canvas-topped shoes with flat rubber soles protected wealthy Victorian tourists on wet decks.
Quiz
Which country did the Liverpool Rubber Company manufacture the first 'sand shoes' in during the 1830s?
Quiz
What popular Victorian sport first adopted rubber-soled shoes in the 1860s to avoid damaging lawns?
Fun Fact
Sneaker quietness: In 1917, advertising agent Henry Nelson McKinney popularized the term 'sneaker' because the rubber soles made the wearer completely silent.
Glossary
vulcanization (noun)
A chemical process that improves the strength, elasticity, and durability of rubber by heating it with sulfur. Charles Goodyear discovered this process in 1839, allowing manufacturers to fuse durable waterproof treads to canvas footwear.
A chemical process that improves the strength, elasticity, and durability of rubber by heating it with sulfur. Charles Goodyear discovered this process in 1839, allowing manufacturers to fuse durable waterproof treads to canvas footwear.
Quiz
What company launched Keds in 1916 as the first mass-marketed American canvas sneaker?