Test Your Sneaker Knowledge! 

You’re about to read “The History of Sneakers.” This text pairing is about how the sneaker has become America’s favorite shoe. How did we get here? Take the quiz to find out. (Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers. By the time you’re done, you’ll be an expert.)

1.

True or false: The first athletes to wear sneakers were in ancient Greece and Rome. 

DEA/Bardazzi/Getty

Many athletes in ancient Greece and Rome competed completely barefoot! Others wore leather sandals. Sneakers weren’t invented until the mid-1800s. 
2.

By the 1900s, shoe companies were making more sneakers. But they weren’t the only ones! ________ companies were also making sneakers. (Hint: Think about how most sneakers are made with rubber.) 

Mikhail Turov/Shutterstock; Oleksandr Grechin/Shutterstock;  OKcamera/Shutterstock; RUKSUTAKARN studio/Shutterstock   

At one point, a lot of tire companies were making shoes. BFGoodrich originally designed a style called Jack Purcell. It’s still made by Converse today! Another tire company called Uniroyal made the first Keds.
3.

These Converse All Stars are also known as Chuck Taylors. They are named after:

 xMarshall/Shutterstock

Chuck Taylor was a pro basketball player. He was hired as a salesman for Converse in 1921. Shortly after starting, he helped improve the design of the Converse All Star. His signature was then added to the shoe. It was the first athletic shoe to be endorsed—or officially supported—by a celebrity! 
4.

True or false: People who collect sneakers are called sneakerpilers.

 labsas/Getty

False. People who collect sneakers are known as sneakerheads. Sometimes sneaker companies will create a limited number of a certain sneaker. When these new sneakers come out, sneakerheads line up for hours just to get a pair! 
5.

Over the years, Nike has teamed up with celebrities to help sell its shoes. Which of the following stars has Nike not yet worked with?

poi3/Shutterstock

So far, Shawn Mendes has not worked with the popular shoe company. But many other stars have! NBA player LeBron James has been paid more than $90 million to wear Nikes. Singer Billie Eilish and tennis star Serena Williams have both helped Nike create new designs. 
Take the quiz again

Click here to return to story.

Text-to-Speech