"It's got to be the shoes," was Nike's slogan for its 1991 Air Jordan advertising campaign. While skill always outweighs style in sports, sneaker manufacturers have spent billions of dollars on research and development for the next great advancement in basketball shoes.
First Basketball Sneaker
Converse made the first sneaker. The All-Star was released in 1917, the first basketball shoe made by the company. Previously, Converse made only tennis shoes. The shoe's form has not changed since it was introduce -- a canvas upper sewn to a rubber sole. The All-Star was also the first endorsed sneaker. The Massachusetts-based company signed professional basketball player Charles Taylor to a contract to promote and wear the shoe, giving birth to the Chuck Taylor.
Nike Air
An air-filled pillow changed the basketball landscape in 1982. Nike released the Air Force I, a game-changing high-top shoe with an air pocket built into the heel. This development helped prevent shock when landing from a jump. It was also a status symbol. According to a 2007 article in "The New York Times" the shoe was considered "a revolutionary technological innovation" that immediately attracted basketball players. The air pocket stayed hidden in the shoe until 1988, when the third edition of Nike's Air Jordan made the pocket visible.
Reebok Pump
The Pump, introduced in 1989, was the next great innovation. Cushions throughout the sneaker could be inflated and deflated using a basketball-shaped pump on the tongue. HoopsVibe, a basketball pop-culture website, reports that Reebok sold 20 million shoes at $170 each from 1989-93.
Nike Foamposite
Nike released the first synthetic memory foam-based sneaker in 1997. Kicks on Fire, a basketball sneaker website, reports that Nike's Foamposite material was embedded in the shoe soles of the sneaker designed for retired NBA point guard Anfernee Hardaway. Nike re-released its Foamposite-based shoe in 2010.
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