Laced is a series of illustrations premised on the cultural impact, comprehensive historic background, and evolution of the basketball shoe. The narrative was developed with multiple wide-ranging sources with articles dating from 1975 to 2019.
Each shoe is hand illustrated using three layers in adobe illustrator with painstaking care to create clean and meticulous imagery. Coming from a fine arts background with a history of precision ink work, this project combines both physical and digital aspects of that technical drawing ability.
When the Converse Rubber Company opened in 1908 they only made galoshes and work related rubber shoes. It wasn’t until 1917 that they decided to develop a basketball shoe, leading to the most popular and bestselling sneaker of all time; the Chuck Taylor.
The white high top model was designed for the Olympics in 1936 and during WWII they became the official sneaker of the U.S. Armed Forces. In 1949 the classic black and white high top was introduced and soon became the shoe for every professional, college, high school, and serious basketball player.Since 1949 the basic design has not changed and is still recognized as the classic American sneaker and a favorite shoe for people all around the world.
While released alongside the Nike Blazer the Puma Clyde didn’t fall behind. Using Walt Frazier as one of the first basketball players who brought fashion to basketball the Clyde became the first basketball shoes to crossover from sportswear to streetwear as fans wore them both for style as well as the court.Even after Frazier’s retirement, the shoe remained wildly popular and in the 80’s gained fame in a completely different sport: breakdancing.
The Clyde became the shoes for the Rock Steady Crew and New York City Breakers. They even made a comeback in the 90’s when the Beastie Boys wore them on a live concert.Today, most people have no clue that the Clyde was originally named after a basketball legend, but it still remains as one of Puma’s best-selling shoes. Frequently making collaborations and special editions, keeping it fresh and hard to forget.
First released in 1973 the Blazer was Nike’s first shoe creating a product that was as much of a logo as anything else. This shoe featured a leather upper, a mesh nylon tongue, and a textured vulcanized rubber sole. Each of these were the best technology available for shoes on the court.
Before the 70’s sneakers were only rubber soled shoes used for athletics, nothing else was taken into account which explains why shoes like the Blazer dominated the market even 12 years before Nike signed Michael Jordan.Using George “The Iceman” Gervin to promote the Blazer, it soon became a symbol of his cool attitude and incredible record. Every time the cameras caught his feet it was an advertisement for Nike and just the beginning for the Blazer which would go on to be developed into several other styles. It’s a beloved shoe to this day, still adored for its simplicity.
What could be said to be the shoe that started it all, despite whatever adjective you want to attribute to it. The Jordan 1 was born in 1985 to secure Michael Jordan’s contract and what happened over the next few years changed the course of Nike and sneaker culture forever.
The most interesting thing about it, is that it exists because Michael Jordan didn’t want to sign with Nike. As he would have it, Jordan’s favorite shoe to play in during college was The Chuck Taylor, something no one would seriously play in today.Nike told Jordan that they were going to create a whole brand for just for him and make his wildest dreams come true.
Jordan started playing games in the classic “Banned” colorway, they got that name because rumor had it that Jordan was fined $5000 per game because they broke league uniform rules. But the reality didn’t matter, when the public found out Nike used it to promote the shoes that sold out immediately for $65 retail. Resellers even sold them at $100 to make a profit; a habit that had no precedent at the time.
One of the classics in the pantheon of timeless sneakers, the Jordan 11 “Concord” was designed by Tinker Hartfield using his white and black patent colorway. Throughout the years there have been a variety of iterations, changes between Jordan’s number on the heel as well as special versions made just for himself.
The shoe was first debuted by Michael Jordan in the 1995 Playoffs against the Orlando magic. Hartfield actually advised Jordan not to wear them during the game as they weren’t yet ready for market, but he loved them so much that he decided to anyways. The original “Concord” only last two games though due to league regulations.
Throughout most of the 2010’s the pure scarcity of the Air Jordan 11 made it one of the most sought-after sneakers on the planet, until 2018 when the Jordan Brand released their first ever “45” sample in a completely restructured form.
In 2008 Nike Basketball weren’t necessarily lacking in originality, but the US basketball team was hurting for a gold medal. The Hyperdunk was created and essentially became the official shoe for all Nike sponsored countries, but it will always be associated to the 2008 American Men’s roster and their leader, Kobe Bryant.
Recognition and endorsement aside, the shoe also debuted Flywire technology and Lunar cushioning on the hardwood. These elements highlighted the lightweight movement that shifted the performance basketball category in a new direction. All this innovation caused a resurgence in performance basketball awareness and consumption, in turn raising the bar for non-signature shoe releases and making the lightweight aspect the catalyst for new basketball shoes.
After winning back to back MVP awards Lebron James had become the league’s most valuable player. But to secure his legacy and make his models the industry standard, there was a sense that he needed something more. The “South Beach” Lebron 8 surfaced in October 2010 after James announced his decision to move to Miami, making it the single most notorious free agent signing in sports history.
The shoe represented more than just a move for Lebron James, the decision and its aftermath gave rise to new topics through the public lens, the balance between loyalty and personal evolution. The “South Beach” was a loud message of teal and pink that conveyed a sense of Florida pride, saying whether you like it or not LeBron James has moved on to greater things.
Even now what some call the greatest Nike Lebron in history is still coveted as one of the game’s most important releases.
32 years is a long time for a sneaker to be continually reimagined, recontextualized, and reinjected into the culture, but 32 years after the shoe first made it to the market, Virgil Abloh has blasted it apart so we can see how we got here through in concept and materials. 32 years later the shoe will be hunted after like it was the first time, proving there’s a long future ahead of it.
Coming from a long line of shoes designed for performance, the Off-White Jordan 1 has become a sign of social status, not meant to be played in. The original concept has reimagined creating a shoe closer to high fashion than a sneaker. Flipping the expectations hordes of fanatical fans, each spending thousands of dollars to get their hands on a pair.
Abloh collaborated with Nike to completely deconstruct ten shoes in 2018 for his “ten” collection, one being the Jordan 1 treatment. Using the classic characteristics of his Milan based label such as the black Helvetica text, iconic quotation marks, and a vibrant zip tie, the recreation became one of the most pursued and anticipated shoes in recent history.