GOAT Timeline: 10 Years That Defined Sneaker History

A great number of intersecting moments, people and designs have cumulatively created what we understand today to be sneaker culture.

By most accounts, sneaker culture as it’s understood today crystallized in the mid-1980s; 1984-1985 marked Michael Jordan’s first season in the NBA and the debut of his signature basketball sneaker, the Nike Air Jordan 1. Together, Jordan and the Air Jordan 1 forever changed the industries of sports marketing and footwear design.

At the same time, Run-DMC were readying their seminal 1986 homage to the adidas Superstar, a hit single off the group’s third album, Raising Hell, which became the first hip-hop single to go Platinum and multi-Platinum. “My adidas,” also garnered the group hip-hop’s first million-dollar endorsement deal with a sportswear company. Subsequently, the Superstar became an icon in the streets. Today, Nike and adidas are still considered the two biggest leaders in culture and innovation.

Over the following decades, sneakers became cultural signifiers, embedded in the codes of hip-hop, skateboarding, graffiti and more. At the same time, innovations in manufacturing and materials helped technical advancements like visible air cushioning (Nike Air), flat-knitted 3D textiles (Nike Flyknit and adidas Primeknit) and TPU (adidas Boost). Footwear brands from around the world also started to leverage their heritage through storytelling, and using artist collaborations to elevate the use of materials and colors and reach new audiences.

From iconic signature sneakers to industry-shifting technology, here are the 10 years that defined the history and culture of a now-global industry. Discover the biggest sneakers of every year since 1985 using the GOAT Timeline feature.