What were sneakers called in the Soviet Union?

Today we will talk about such popular shoes as sneakers. A century ago, this item of clothing was only for athletes, and wearing it for a walk seemed something strange. However Now everything has changed, and sneakers have firmly entered our daily lives.

Today it is a symbol of freedom of thought, subcultures and youth in general. Famous athletes, musicians, actors and just good people regularly appear in sneakers on catwalks and concerts.

This shows that these shoes not only have not lost their relevance, but continue to gain popularity. Indeed, today sneakers are not only an everyday style, but also a luxury item.

Both Louboutin and Gucci produce exclusive collections. But in 2007, rapper Big Boi broke all imaginable and unimaginable records. He ordered unique sneakers from the Laced Up company, costing 50 thousand dollars. But let's not focus on the whims of the rich. Let's dwell on history. Where did they come from? Why did they become so popular? And how they got behind the Iron Curtain.

History of sneakers

The first prototypes of these shoes began to be produced in the middle of the 19th century and were ordinary walking shoes.

The history of these shoes goes back a long way, all the way back to 1892, where several mediocre factories merged to form the U.S. Rubber Company. This association will soon include Goodyear. She was primarily involved in the production of an unusual garment with a rag upper and rubber sole.

Interesting! Initially, the Goodyear product had a name - peds, but because... a similar brand already existed, it had to be replaced with kid because the manufacturer was focused primarily on a young audience.

A flurry of popularity occurred after American Marcus Converse released the first ever batch of shoes intended exclusively for basketball players. Soon, as the popularity of basketball grew, the popularity of shoes also grew, which ensured their sales for many years.

In the 1950s-1960s, the popularity of sneakers was so high that it even penetrated into the Soviet Union, which was a real miracle during the Cold War. Soviet industry, not wanting to give in to insidious capitalism, launched the production of its own sneakers, namely GOST 9155-88, which meant “Sports footwear, rubber and rubber-textile.”

Needless to say, in addition to athletes, fashionistas and free-thinking youth immediately rushed to the new shoes. Sneakers became so popular in the Soviet Union that they attracted the manufacturing power of China to their side. This is how the “Two Balls” sneakers appeared.

Production of “two ball” sneakers in the USSR

New Chinese-made shoes were distinguished by amazing style and quality for that time. Appearing on the shelves in the sixties, they instantly won the love of young people throughout the Union.

Progressive fashionistas quickly made these shoes one of the most recognizable items of that time, along with the Smena camera and tea with an elephant.

These sneakers became so deeply integrated into the life and culture of Soviet people that they firmly became a symbol of youth.

Remember, for example, the magnificent Soviet film “The Adventures of Electronics”, and the cartoon “Well, wait a minute!”

What did the Wolf wear there, of course, Soviet sneakers.

And Ball from Prostokvashino from the famous cartoon glows in the frame in these shoes.

Also Viktor Tsoi and Yegor Letov regularly appeared in them and other progressive thinkers. The owners of the treasured sneakers did not part with them for a second. It even got to the point of absurdity, because fashionable young people of that time even came to the beach wearing these shoes! Although such a piece of clothing with swimming trunks is a dubious combination, few people cared, the main thing was that it had the coveted emblem: “Two balls.”

Speaking of the name, why were the sneakers called “Two Balls”? The answer is very simple. The emblem itself depicts two balls: a football and a basketball. This symbolizes the widespread use of these shoes and their versatility. In addition, young and free-thinking people found a deeper message in this, about two hemispheres, namely the comprehensive development and freedom of thought.

Reference! A reporter from America, Bill Eppridge, who came to the USSR back in 1967, could not help but notice that all the youth of that time were wearing sneakers. The American was very surprised to see classic American shoes in a communist country.

What did Soviet sneakers look like?

The “Two Balls” sneakers differed from the rest in their bright colors and abundance of palette on the shelves.A red sole with a seam that runs into a fabric upper in blue, green or black. The white laces had a metal tip.

On the inside there was a white emblem in the form of two balls: a football and a basketball. Such a unique style with a clear “leaning” towards the West made this item of clothing extremely popular, and did not leave the slightest chance of competition with other products of Soviet industry.

Interesting! The rarest and most expensive sneakers at that time were completely white. It was believed that they were much more wear-resistant than colored ones, although, of course, this was just a myth.

Sneakers in the Soviet Union were not just everyday shoes. It was a symbol of progressive youth and freedom of thought. They were worn not only for style and fashion. It was a protest in the truest sense of the word. It’s not for nothing that Viktor Tsoi performed in them more than once. And he, as the voice of the youth of that time, perfectly felt and knew what was happening among his listeners.