“A vivid picture of how what we wear on our feet can tell us what it really means to be an American.”— Vanity Fair   “Expansive, thorough, and entertaining . . . a comprehensive look at how much the sneaker became a signature indicator of cool.”— The Wall Street Journal A cultural history of sneakers, tracing the footprint of one of our most iconic fashions across sports, business, pop culture, and American identity “It’s gotta be the shoes.”   When Spike Lee said it to Michael Jordan in a 1989 commercial, it was with a wink and a nod—what makes MJ so good? His Nike Air Jordan IIIs, of course. But as Nicholas Smith reveals in this captivating history, Lee’s line also speaks to the sneaker’s place at the heart of American culture.    Once the athletic shoe graduated from the beaches and croquet courts of the wealthy elite to streetwear ubiquity, its journey through the heart of American life was just getting started. In this rollicking narrative, Nicholas K. Smith carries us through the long twentieth century as sneakers became the totem of subcultures. We follow the humble athletic and watch as sneakers become the calling card of California skaters and New York MCs, the spark of riots and gang violence, the heart of a global economic controversy, the muse of haute couture, and a lynchpin in the transformation of big sports into big business.    Along the way, we meet larger-than-life mavericks and surprising visionaries: genius rubber inventor Charles Goodyear, risking everything to get his formula right; the warring brothers who started dueling shoe empires; road-warrior Chuck Taylor, hawking shoes out of his trunk; and many more mavericks, hustlers, and dreamers. With a sure stride and a broad footprint, Kicks introduces us to an influential and evolving legacy. “A lively, engaging cultural history . . . Smith’s tale teems with freebooting DIY tinkerers [and] traverses the sociocultural trend lines of our time. . . . Fascinating.” — The Oregonian   “Readers of sports history, popular culture, and business will be fascinated by Smith’s exciting, informative, and multifaceted narrative of the major roles the sneaker has played in U.S. branding, perceptions, and culture.” — Booklist   “A history that goes way beyond sports and into the streets of the youth culture . . . a cornucopia of factoids and fun asides bursting with a wealth of in-depth information on every aspect of sneakers, from their birth to their current and continuing explosive popularity.” — Kirkus Reviews “An offbeat history of the athletic shoe world with cameo biographies of those who built it, Kicks is a sneakerhead's dream . . . Fascinating.” — Shelf Awareness “A fast, smooth run through the social, financial, and athletic history of the shoes that goosed the sports boom. New slogan: It’s gotta be the book!” —Robert Lipsyte, author of Sportsworld: An American Dreamland   “Kicks is a history of great, forgotten stories. I highly recommend that anyone who’s into sneakers and its culture read it and add it to their library.” —Dee Wells, Obsessive Sneaker Disorder   “A refreshing full-court run through two centuries via the sneakers we were inventing or wearing all along. From Daniel Webster to ‘Damn, Daniel,’ an entertaining account with something to say about culture, politics, and ankle support. An always fascinating book and easier to keep clean than Air Force 1s.” —Mark Chiusano, author of Marine Park Nicholas K. Smith has worked as a reporter for the past ten years, covering a range of topics including stolen WWII art, melting glaciers, Austrian indie gamers, and the New York City mayoral election. He is a 2014 graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, where he was awarded the Lynton Fellowship in Book Writing. A native of Arizona, Nick now lives in Vienna, Austria with his wife and two children. www.nicholasksmith.com, @nicholasksmith ***This excerpt is from an advance uncorrected copy proof*** Copyright © 2018 Nicholas Smith “It’s gotta be the shoes.” Most people have heard it, even if they can’t remember the source: a 1989 commercial for the Nike Air Jordan IIIs. In the commercial, Spike Lee, playing his alter ego Mars Blackmon from the movie She’s Gotta Have It , lists all the possible reasons Michael Jordan is “the best player in the universe.” His dunks? asks Lee. No, Mars, says Jordan. His shorts? asks Lee. No, Mars, says Jordan. His bald head? asks Lee. No, Mars, says Jordan. His shoes? asks Lee. Jordan denies it, but Lee keeps circling back to the shoe guess. In the thirty-second ad, the word “shoes” is spoken ten times. Before the familiar swoosh appears onscreen, a cheeky disclaimer informs us that “Mr. Jordan’s opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.,” but everyone already knows the message here: “It’s gotta be the shoes.” Nike sold millions of Air Jordans through that ad campaign, and Lee’s most famous line was bound for pop culture immortality. But the ad didn’t