Chapter 32The Global Sneaker

How did the Tennis Shoe come to be called “sneakers”

•An American noticed how quietly people walked in them and they were not just used for sports (tennis)

What two materials made up the sneaker for the first 100 years of its existance?

•Cotton canvas and rubber

List 3 ways the design of the sneakers has changed since the 1950’s.

•Designed for many types of activities•Design improved performance and comfort•Fashion appeal

How did the Tennis Shoe come to be called “sneakers”

• Upper – Natural materials like cotton and leather or synthetic materials like nylon• The midsole of plastic and foam padding (made

from oil) • The outer soul (or tread) is made of natural or

synthetic rubber (made from coal or oil)

List a reason each sneaker material might come from the locations listed

1. Leather From Texas and Venezuela•Livestock centers

2. Foam padding from Saudi Arabia•Oil rich country

3. Synthetic rubber from Taiwan•Coal and oil

Where were sneakers manufactured until the 1960’s?

•The United States, Great Britain, and Germany.

What changes occurred in the 1970’s that caused sneaker companies to no longer make shoes at home (in the US, Great Britain, and Germany)?

•The designs and materials became more complex and prices started to rise. More labor was needed to assemble the sneakers. It became too expensive to make these shoes in high wage countries.

What changes occurred in the 1970’s that caused sneaker companies to no longer make shoes at home (in the US, Great Britain, and Germany)?

South Korea• Large pool of low wage workers• Factories that could make shoes• Ports for shipping raw materials in and for

shipping finished products out.

Then jobs moved to China, Indonesia, and Vietnam

Where might shoe manufacturing move to next?

•Sneaker production may move again, perhaps to low-wage Africa. (page 460 – caption to the left of the map)

What three modes of transportation are used to move sneakers from Asia to the United States?

•SHIPS to TRAINS to TRUCKS

How is each mode of transportation used?

• SHIPS – are used between Asia and the U.S.•TRAINS – are used from the west coast

to distribution centers.•TRUCKS – are used from distribution

centers to stores around the country

What are three advantages of using freight containers to transport products

1. Easy to stack

2. Weatherproof

3. Big ships can carry a lot of these at one time.