Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks,

sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for
sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are also widely used for
everyday casual wear.

Since their popularization by companies such as Converse, Nike and Spalding in the
mid 20th century, they have become attire, with variety growing in many global
markets exponentially. Like other parts of the global clothing industry,
manufacture of shoes is heavily concentrated in Asia with nine in ten shoes
produced in that region.[1]

Contemporary sneakers are largely made from synthetic materials, and the materials
and manufacturing process produce, on average, about 14 kg (31 lb) of CO2
emissions.[2][3] Some companies are trying to substitute more sustainable materials
in their manufacture.[3] About 90% of shoes end up in landfills at end of life.[4]

Names and etymology

Reebok Royal Glide Ripple Clip men's shoe

The shoes have gone by a variety of names, depending on geography and changing over
the decades. The term "sneakers" is most commonly used in Northeastern United
States, Central and South Florida,[5][6] Australia,[7] New Zealand, and parts of
Canada. However, in Australian, Canadian, and Scottish English, running shoes and
runners are synonymous terms used to refer to sneakers; with the latter term also
used in Hiberno-English. Tennis shoes is another term used in Australian, and North
American English.

The British English equivalent of sneaker in its modern form is divided into two
separate types - predominantly outdoor and fashionable trainers, training shoes or
quality 'basketball shoes' and in contrast cheap rubber-soled, low cut and canvas-
topped 'plimsolls'. In Geordie English, sneakers may also be called sandshoes, gym
boots, or joggers;[8] while plimsolls may be referred to as daps in Welsh English.

Several terms for sneakers exist in South Africa, including gym shoes, sports shoes
and takkies.[9] Other names for sneakers includes rubber shoes in Philippine
English, track shoes in Singapore English, canvas shoes in Nigerian English, Camboo
in Ghana English meaning Camp boot and sportex in Greece.

Plimsolls (British English) are "low-tech" athletic shoes and are also called
"sneakers" in American English. The word "sneaker" is often attributed to American
Henry Nelson McKinney, who was an advertising agent for N. W. Ayer & Son. In 1917,
he used the term because the rubber sole made the shoe's wearer stealthy. The word
was already in use at least as early as 1887, when the Boston Journal made
reference to "sneakers" as "the name boys give to tennis shoes." The name
"sneakers" originally referred to how quiet the rubber soles were on the ground, in
contrast to noisy standard hard leather sole dress shoes. Someone wearing sneakers
could "sneak up", while someone wearing standards could not.[10]