It seems a long way from a training shoe created in 1917 to the gaudy and much-coveted street-wear of today, but a new book demonstrates the long and lucrative history of the sneaker--and the sportsmen who became the brands' ambassadors.
They wait in long lines in the bitter cold. They squeal with delight over the stitch on the shoes or the faux snakeskin upper. Colors more likely to be seen during Carnival in Rio than on any self-conscious American are hits.
