L’histoire de la sneaker.
Qu’on les appelle chaussures de sport, baskets, tennis ou sneakers, de nos jours, on compte tou.te.s au moins une paire de chaussures sportswear dans nos dressings. Pourtant, elles n’ont pas toujours fait l’unanimité.
Dans cet article, on fait une petite rétrospective et un zoom sur l'histoire de la sneaker, depuis les premières chaussures de sport jusqu’à nos baskets éco responsables et made in Europe modernes.
Whether we prefer to call them sports shoes, sneakers or sneakers, and whether we use them to go running, for a walk, or just to show off our latest trendy jeans, these days we all count on least one pair of sportswear shoes in our wardrobes. However, they have not always been unanimously accepted in households.
Appearing at the beginning of the 20th century, when the rubber industry was booming, Keds sneakers (small canvas sneakers) were the first shoes to have a flexible sole, and their discretion gave them the name sneakers: from the English sneak on, which means to sneak in by surprise.
Above all designed with the aim of improving sporting performance, sports shoes are primarily intended for athletes, as well as for the post-war male population, who are invited by the government to practice sport regularly, in order to be prepared for possible conflict.
During the 1930s, the offering diversified, and we saw the birth of major brands that are now world famous. Leather sneakers are becoming more popular and will conquer the hearts of many athletes, who proudly wear them to the slopes of the Olympic Games.
As the years go by, fierce competition takes place outside the stadiums between the different brands of sports shoes with the growing demand of an audience that continues to expand and diversify.
After having seduced adults, sneakers are now appearing on the feet of young people. They are all the rage in playgrounds, not only for their comfort and ease of putting on, but also because they become a fashion object and a piece in their own right in the fashion dress code of teenagers.
Controversial, this new clothing trend is not immediately unanimous, in particular because its image is associated with a form of carelessness - or even, popular delinquency.
Their modern and colorful look appeals to young people, but it was not until the 1970s and their promotion by street dancers and hip-hop culture that the phenomenon took off.
Sneakers are becoming more popular and gaining their place in the hearts of women, who in addition to being tired of the hardness of pumps, are gradually emancipating themselves from the rigid codes of chic lounge fashion, in favor of these shoe models. comfortable and flexible.
After many years of acclimatization and the explosion of variety on offer, sports shoes - or appropriating their stylistic codes like our Raven model - are becoming more popular, and becoming the star of shoes !
Since then, sneakers have continued to conquer an ever-widening and eclectic audience, becoming the most marketed type of shoe throughout the world since…..
THE VARIOUS TYPES OF SNEAKERS
1/ Sports sneakers: These sneakers are designed for use during sporting activities such as running, basketball, tennis, football, handball, etc. They are generally light, breathable, cushioning and provide good support for the feet.
2/ Fashion sneakers: These sneakers are designed for everyday use and are often chosen for their appearance and style. They can be leather, canvas, with patterns or bright colors and can have flat or thick soles.
3/ High-top sneakers: These sneakers have an upper that goes up to the ankle to provide additional support to the ankle and foot. They are commonly used for basketball practice.
4/ Skateboarding sneakers: These sneakers are designed for skateboarding and are generally reinforced in the areas that experience the most friction, such as the sole and outer edges.
5/ Hiking sneakers: These sneakers are designed for outdoor use and provide good grip on uneven terrain. They are generally waterproof and durable to withstand harsh conditions.
6/ Minimalist sneakers: These sneakers are designed to offer a barefoot feeling and great flexibility. They are often very light and offer little or no cushioning.
7/ Safety sneakers: These sneakers are designed for workers in dangerous environments. They often come equipped with safety features such as steel toe caps and puncture-resistant soles.
Eco-friendly sneakers: These sneakers are made from sustainable and eco-friendly materials, such as organic cotton, natural rubber and recycled fibers. They are designed to minimize their environmental impact.
Now a must-have in the fashion wardrobe and now accepted by everyone for several decades, sneakers are experiencing unparalleled growth and their sales continue to grow. Thus, the sneaker market has been able to experience annual growth amounting to more than 7%.
Its flexibility, its enormous potential for variation and customization, and its ease of accompanying all types of outfits fuels an ever more keen interest in sneakers among consumers, making this business an extremely buoyant market ($90 billion for the market). worldwide in 2020 according to a study by statistica).
Faced with this growing craze, certain major luxury brands are gradually shelving their dress collections to offer high-end sneakers. Partnerships are also emerging between these luxury players and the leading sportswear brands, but also with artists and influencers, to create unique pieces. Flagship models are revisited in high-end versions in limited editions.
Thus, sneakers have become a market in their own right with collectors investing in the rarest and most sought-after models.
Quel est l’impact environnemental de l’industrie de la basket ?
Emblème de mode, outil de performance sportive par excellence, objet de collection prisé des sneakers lovers du monde entier, et marqueur d’identité, la sneaker est désormais partout.
Mais cette omniprésence et cet amoncellement de marques, de styles, de formes, de déclinaisons de couleurs, ne sont pas sans effets négatifs.
Partie prenante du phénomène d’ultra fast fashion, la fabrication des 34 millions de paires de baskets produites et recensées chaque jour à travers le monde (en 2018), représente une menace doublée d' un fléau pour l’environnement. Équivalent CO² à 451 000 vols allers-retours Paris-New York en avion, cette production pharaonique est de surcroît en constante progression.
La raison de ces nuisances environnementales : une fabrication majoritairement délocalisée en Asie, l'utilisation de produits toxiques et de matières nocives pour la nature, des baskets en cuir de vachette ou autres matières d’origine animale impliquant des élevages très polluants, etc. Enfin, la production d’autant de variantes et de stocks gigantesques vendus à des prix cassés, incite le consommateur à l’achat, et le fait de pousser à la consommation induit de toujours plus produire. C’est l’effet boule de neige.
This culture has also been fueled by the use of social media, where sneaker fans share photos of their favorite pairs and exchange tips for collecting them.
Today, sneakers represent 47% of the global shoe market, all types of shoes combined.
Like the phenomenon of fast fashion, well known in the textile industry - we are now even talking about ultra fast fashion - in recent decades, faced with increased competition and a very strong public appetite, the major sneaker brands have increased the number of products and annual collections, revisiting their old ranges, crossing and revisiting styles.
If this effervescence gives rise to a palette of colorful creations and a variety having everything to serve the enthusiasm of sneaker addicts, it unfortunately does not bring only positives, since the textile industry and through it, the sneaker sector are among the industries with one of the heaviest environmental impacts.
Indeed, while 34 million shoes are manufactured every day, it is estimated that this generates the emission of more than 174 million tonnes of CO2 per year. The reason for this: production strongly delocalized towards Asian countries, the production of gigantic stocks in order to encourage consumption thanks to lower prices
In 2002, global shoe production was approximately 16.4 billion pairs. By 2019, it had increased to around 24.2 billion pairs, an increase of around 47% during this period.
Also at the origin of the ecological bill, the use of materials harmful to the environment, in particular that of leather and all that and all the emissions and nuisances induced by breeding.
...
In addition, sneakers are mainly manufactured in the countries of the economic South, which contributes to establishing a form of social poverty. In addition to receiving particularly low wages, the workers - women, men and sometimes children - in these factories are required to work in conditions that can endanger their health: unsanitary environments, use of toxic products, working hours that do not respect no standards or dignity.
To face socio-environmental issues, new players - including your humble and friendly favorite vegan shoe brand - are innovating by focusing on more ethical development, and a more virtuous dynamic for fashion through a fashion industry. responsible basketball.
In this register, each brand has its own definition of what an ethical sneaker is. Some brands continue to produce in Asia while carrying out local solidarity actions, while others favor Made in Europe sneakers, to limit their carbon impact and favor a human production framework following European health and salary standards. Some brands choose to use mineral-tanned leathers, while others opt for the use of exclusively vegan materials and recycled materials, to respond to the massive use of single-use plastics and protect animal life. as well as nature.
At COG, our ethics are oriented towards a commitment to respect life in all its forms, while promoting the production of shoes with a reduced environmental impact. Sneakers t to combine all these characteristics in our ethical sneakers, while producing a small and diverse range of vegan sneaker models, with a refined design, produced according to the technical possibilities offered to us by the European market bordering France, and designed to meet to the needs of a public keen to wear beautiful sneakers, produced with respect for the planet and its inhabitants.
A l’inverse, d’autres marques éthiques, à notre image, privilégient la production de baskets Made in Europe (sneakers faites main en Europe), pour limiter leur impact carbone et privilégier une production locale et humaine, normalement garantie par les normes sanitaires et salariales européennes.
Là ou certaines marques continuent de fabriquer leurs baskets en cuir animal classique, en privilégiant le tannage végétal pour éviter les nuisances du tannage minéral, les marques véganes comme COG, optent pour une fabrication sans matière d’origine animale (sneakers vegan) en plus de matériaux recyclés : plastiques recyclés repêchés en mer, matière à base de déchets végétaux comme les cuir vegans (cuir de raisin, simili cuir à base de céréale, de cuir de pomme…) coton recyclé, bambou recyclé… Des matières innovantes, conçues dans le respect de la planète et du vivant.
La basket tendance et écologique, la sneaker parfaite de demain ?
Qu’est ce que la basket parfaite ? Une sneaker hyper confortable ? Une basket running souple, colorée, stylée et technique ? Une basket blanche low carbone vegan, solide et durable, portable en toute occasion et adaptée pour la ville ? La basket seconde main ? Peut-être un mélange de tout cela ?
Ici en l'occurrence, à chacun.e sa vision, et à nous d’imaginer la chaussure parfaite de demain.
Chez COG, notre définition de la basket de luxe restera toujours celle d’une chaussure de sport produite dans le respect de la planète et des êtres-vivants.
Et vous, quelle est la vôtre ?
Diplôme d’expert de la sneaker et spécialiste de la basket tout terrain !
Avec toutes ces connaissances sur l’univers de la basket, vous voilà au moins apte pour ouvrir un musée sur le sujet.
Merci d’avoir lu cet article jusqu’au bout et de nous accompagner dans notre construction d’une mode plus responsable en parlant de COG autour de vous et à travers l’achat de nos baskets écoresponsables et de nos divers autres modèles de chaussures végétaliennes.
Une idée, une question, un souhait à nous partager quant à nos modèles de baskets véganes ou nos chaussures de ville écoresponsables ? N’hésitez pas à nous en faire part via notre formulaire de contact, ou par mail en nous écrivant à contact@cog-store.fr
Retrouvez également d’autres de nos articles dans le journal de bord de COG.
