History of Basketball in Fifteen Sneakers

A celebration of the iconic shoes and superstars who have defined the sport for decades, A History of Basketball in 15 Sneakers tells the story of hoops as only shoes can.

The ultimate book for both hoops fans and sneaker obsessives, A History of Basketball in 15 Sneakers is an exciting and fascinating look at the sport written with authority and experience by former Complex magazine editor Russ Bengtson. From primeval Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars to baroque Reebok Pumps and myth-making Air Jordans to super-high-tech Nike Adapt BBs, each chapter breaks down how a specific sneaker defined an era of basketball, transformed the culture, or changed the game.

With full-color sneaker photographs and sidebars throughout, the book is a kaleidoscopic celebration of the players, styles, and iconic moments that have shaped hoops both on and off the court. Topics include: Puma Clydes and the New York City street game; the explosion of sneaker marketing in the 1980s and the rise of the modern global basketball superstar with Michael Jordan; Nike Air Swoopes and the evolution of the women’s game; sneaker tech and tweaking design to playing style, from inside post moves to outside sharpshooting; and much more.

About the Author

Russ Bengtson is the former editor-in-chief of SLAM magazine and longtime sneaker editor at Complex. He was a monthly columnist at Mass Appeal, and conducted one-on-one interviews with most of the NBA superstars of the 1990s and 2000s, including Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal. He was also a contributor for the books Agents of Change: The Story of DC Shoes and Its Athletes (HarperCollins, 2003) and SLAM KICKS: Basketball Sneakers that Changed the Game (Universe, 2013), and edited Nike SB: The Dunk Book (Rizzoli, 2018).