Tech Innovations That Shaped the Sneaker Industry: 2010–2019

Things will never be the same…

No need to pinch yourself – the end of the decade is almost upon us. It’s certainly gone by in a flash, but is that really a surprise? Everything is faster nowadays. We seemingly have the world in the palm of our hands, and those mobile technology innovations have also had a profound impact on our feet.

The sneakersphere was turned on its head between 2010 and 2019, and it’s safe to say it will never be the same. Copping sneakers might seem easier these days but, at the same time, copping what you really want has never been more of a headache. We live in strange times. Here are the key tech innovations that have shaped the sneaker game in the last decade.

Image via adidas

Virtual Prototyping and Modern Manufacturing

For years, the process of creating a sneaker from concept to production was tedious, to say the very least. Design and manufacturing processes have remained more or less the same for decades. However, in recent years, we’ve certainly seen a dramatic shift in the industry, as big brands look to cut lead times and automate for the future.

Taking a sneaker from a sketch to retail shelves is quite the operation. First things first, a prototype has to be created, with the moulds used to shape the sole probably the most time-consuming hurdle. Thereafter, a series of samples needs to be created, with plenty of extra tweaking to follow. It can take months, even years, before a sneaker is ready for mass production.

Thankfully, the romance of having a sneaker start from a humble sketch is still commonplace, but the emergence of virtual prototyping has allowed brands to dramatically shorten the design process. The ‘sketches’ can be transferred to platforms such as NOVA (developed by animation studio DreamWorks), which allows designers to produce photorealistic 3D images, cutting the need for prototyping. Nike have been in cahoots with NOVA since 2015 and, considering the amount of new colourways and models we’re seeing, we’d say the partnership is working out pretty well.

Meanwhile, 3D printing has also rapidly sped up prototyping, allowing brands to forego the step of building multiple moulds. A process that used to take up to a month now only takes a matter of hours. Various brands have dipped their toes in the 3D printing phenomenon, but adidas have been the torchbearers with their popular 4D releases. Debuting their game-changing Futurecraft 4D runner back in 2017, Team Trefoil is slowly but surely making 3D-printed soles more available to the masses. While the mainstream uptake on the tech has had its hurdles – most notably cost – we can definitely expect more 3D-printed sneakers in years to come.

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The Social Network

Talking about the emergence of the social media juggernaut may seem like low-hanging fruit, but you simply can’t deny that sneakerheads have been Zucker-punched in the past decade.

Online sneaker portals like NikeTalk and the Sneaker Freaker Forum were once principal meeting places for avid footwear collectors. But now, the social media beast has seemingly consumed all in its path, the sneaker community included. Facebook groups have changed the way people buy and sell, while the WDYWT (What Did You Wear Today) threads of days gone by have been rendered pretty much obsolete.

Perhaps the most telling impact of all has been social media’s hand in transitioning sneaker culture from the fringes to the mainstream. With so much of society’s conscious of cool shaped by the social sphere, it’s not surprising to see Instagram emerge as arguably the most influential tool in the industry.

Old heads may bicker about the lack of community, but frankly, the #community has never been bigger and more relevant.

Image via Nike

E-Commerce Evolution

We’ve certainly come a long way since the first-ever online retail transaction took place back in 1994. Naturally, with the dramatic improvements in Internet tech and speed over the last decade, combined with brands understanding how to leverage this online marketplace, buying (and even selling) sneakers has never been easier. Now, ‘buying’ is a term we’re using lightly here. Sure, you can cop pretty much whatever you want within a couple of swipes and clicks, but whether you’ll be paying the price you want is another issue altogether.

This decade has facilitated a dramatic transformation in the way we cop limited and sought-after sneakers. In-store drops are no longer the preferred mode of acquisition, with many of the premier global retailers favouring online releases and e-raffles. Besides, nobody wants a horde of sleep-deprived sneakerheads camping out the front of their store. And, while campouts still exist, you’ll see the majority of those in the line parked behind a phone screen or laptop, entering every online raffle they can find (with 20 different email addresses each, no doubt).

The market expansion has also coincided with a boom in the secondary sneaker market, with both resellers and retailers looking to cash in on those that have taken a big, fat L. On top of that, bots and backdooring are now seen as part of the game, as opposed to killers of the game.

The times, they are a changing – and will most likely continue to do so. What does the next decade have in store for us? To be honest, probably more Ls.

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