There was a time when sneakers were simply shoes you wore to play sport. Then basketball players gave them personality, musicians carried them into the streets, designers put them on runways and collectors started treating certain pairs like minor financial assets.
Today, sneakers can reveal what music you listen to, which subculture you belong to, how closely you follow fashion and, occasionally, whether you have recently survived a raffle on the SNKRS app.
This is the world of Sneaker Talk, a new podcast from The Sandy Times. Across eight episodes, we will explore how sneakers became much more than practical footwear. Each story begins with recognisable models, but quickly expands into a bigger conversation about culture, design, identity, gender, technology and money.
No encyclopaedic knowledge is required. You don't need to know every Air Jordan by number, understand the difference between a release and a restock, or own a climate-controlled sneaker room. Curiosity and at least one pair of shoes will be enough.
What is in there in Episode 1
The first episode explores how basketball turned sports shoes into cultural symbols through four defining models:
- Converse Chuck Taylor All Star — the shoe that became almost inseparable from early basketball.
- adidas Superstar — the shell-toe design that travelled from NBA courts into hip-hop.
- Nike Air Force 1 — the performance shoe transformed by local communities and street culture.
- Air Jordan 1 — the model that turned an athlete’s identity into a global brand.
You will also discover what defines a sneakerhead and why basketball, more than any other sport, shaped modern sneaker culture.
Listen now
Listen to the first episode of Sneaker Talk on STR — and keep the conversation laced up.
More to listen
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Focus On: Chuck Berry
Before rock ’n’ roll became rock ’n’ roll, there was Chuck Berry. This week’s edition explores 14 tracks that show you why
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STR x TECHFUI: Tamara Q
A vinyl-first label meets a Kuwaiti DJ bridging classical and electronic music
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Sneaker Talk, Episode 3: The Billion-Dollar Bubble
From Yeezy to Nike Mag: how hype, limited drops and resale made sneakers a billion-dollar business
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Focus On: Khaleeji Cassette Era
Long before playlists and algorithms, Khaleeji music travelled the Gulf on cassette tapes — this Focus On takes us back
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Sneaker Talk Episode 2: When Did Ugly Sneakers Become Cool?
From dad shoes to toe sneakers: how strange footwear became fashion — and why taste keeps changing