Sneakers: Fashion, Gender, and Subculture

Cover
Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Placing Sneakers within Sociology
	Sneakers and youth subcultures within sociology
	Subcultural ethnography as an outsider/insider researcher
	A background of the sneaker industry
	Literature on sneakers
	Outline of the book
1 Academic Research on Footwear
	The sociocultural significance of footwear
	Footwear in fashion and dress studies
	Studies on historical footwear
	Footwear and sumptuary laws
	Footwear in rituals and religion
	Footwear as a fetish object
	Conclusion
2
Sneakers as a Subculture: Emerging from Underground to Upperground
	Three waves of the sneaker phenomenon
	The First Wave pre-Jordan Phenomenon as an underground subculture
	Rejection of a legitimate aesthetic taste
	The Second Wave post-Jordan Sneaker Phenomenon
	The production of new sneaker technologies
	Controversies and debates to strengthen the subcultural bond
	Conclusion
3
Sneakers as a Symbol of Manhood: Wearing Masculinity on Their Feet
	Footwear and gender
	High heels: Mobility for men and immobility for women
	A male material object that binds subcultural members
	The exploration of masculinity in subcultures
	Male socialization through sneaker trading using social capital
	Distinguishing oneself from a female shopper as a male entrepreneur
	The culture of endorsement: The personification of success
	The
increasing significance of gender and the declining significance of race
	The construction of masculine identity
	Conclusion
4
Sneakers as Fashion: Reclaiming Masculine Adornment
	A functional shift from practicality to adornment
	Reclaiming fashion and adornment as a male affair
	In pursuit of limited edition sneakers: Neophilias and neomanias
	The Third Wave Sneaker Phenomenon: Sneaker hunting as a game
	The commodification and diffusion of sneaker subculture
	Sneakers as part of the growing streetwear industry
	Sneakers
as postmodern fashion: Transcending categorical boundaries
	Conclusion
5
The Sneaker Subculture from Durkheimian Perspectives
	Connecting theory and practice
	Transition from modernity to postmodernity
	Overcoming accelerated anomie in postmodern society
	Social
cohesion, collective conscience, and mechanical/organic solidarity
	Conclusion
Conclusion: Future Directions and Possibilities in Footwear Studies
Notes
Bibliography
Index