The Sneakerheads Swag Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
3 min
The Sneakerheads Swag Quiz
Image: Getty Images

About This Quiz

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Are you a sneaker enthusiast looking to test your knowledge? Dive into the world of sneakers with The Sneakerheads Swag Quiz by Stefani Newman. Find out if you have what it takes to be called a true sneakerhead in just 3 minutes!

Sneakerheads play a vital role in the sneaker market, helping it to grow and evolve. Put your sneaker knowledge to the test and see if you have what it takes to join the ranks of the most dedicated sneaker enthusiasts in the world. Play now and show off your sneaker swag!

Get ready to explore the world of sneakers and test your sneaker IQ with this fun and engaging sneaker quiz. Whether you're a seasoned sneakerhead or just starting your sneaker journey, The Sneakerheads Swag Quiz is sure to test your knowledge and challenge your skills. Play now and show off your sneaker expertise!

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Which rap group was the first to publicly endorse sneakers in their music?
Public Enemy
Run-D.M.C.
Beastie Boys
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Run DMC’s song "My Adidas" publicly displayed their affection for their favorite sneakers. It was Run-D.M.C that first turned this obsession into a business opportunity, after they made a video suggesting Adidas pay them a million dollars for wearing and singing about the shoes. It worked and eventually landed them an endorsement deal tied to their hit song.

What was the first sneaker ever mass produced?
Keds
Converse
Pumas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Around 1892, the US Rubber Company designed comfortable rubber sneakers with canvas tops, called Keds. By 1917, these sneakers began to be mass produced.

How many different styles of Air Jordans have been created by Nike since they debuted in 1984?
18
25
30
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Beginning in 1984, a total of 30 Air Jordan shoes have been designed and released by Nike (not counting color variations). The milestone 30th Air Jordan shoe was released in February, 2016.

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True or False: Nike’s original name was Dimension Six
TRUE
FALSE
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Nike name and the Nike Swoosh had been appearing on sneakers since 1972, but it’s original name – Blue Ribbon Sports – wasn’t officially changed until 1978. The name "Dimension Six" was Phil Knight’s idea, but it never stuck.

Which sports moment solidified Reebok pumps as sneakerhead-worthy shoes?
Boston Celtics' Dee Brown pumping his Reeboks before winning the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Michael Chang's French Open win in 1989, making him the youngest male player to win a Grand Slam singles at the age of 17.
Legendary Atlanta Hawks player Dominique Wilkins starring in the commercial “Reebok Pump 1989."
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1991, on live TV in front of millions of people, Dee Brown took a few seconds to pump up his Reeboks before flying over the competition to win the NBA Slam Dunk contest.

True or False: Rubber-soled shoes were called "sneakers" because they were so quiet, a person wearing them could sneak up on someone.
TRUE
FALSE
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Sneakers" have been around since at least 1887, when The Boston Journal of Education observed, “It is only the harassed schoolmaster who can fully appreciate the pertinency of the name boys give to tennis shoes — sneakers.” In 1895, the term appeared in Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Dictionary referring to the shoes rather than the people. The name as been more or less popular ever since.

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In 2010, video producer and fashion designer Vashtie Kola became the first woman to land an iconic sneaker design deal. Which shoe did she design?
Adidas Superstar 2
Nike Air Jordan 2
Puma Suede Classic
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The New York-based creative visionary Vashtie Kola put a fresh twist on the classic Air Jordan 2, creating a sneaker with lavender and deep-purple colorway, silver undertones and a more feminine feel to the classic shoes.

What cult 80s teen film helped bring Vans into the sneaker culture?
"Valley Girl"
"The Breakfast Club"
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

1982's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" introduced the world to Jeff Spicoli, the quintessential California surfer with board shorts and the soon-to-be-iconic checkerboard Vans slip-ons. Spicoli did more to push Vans to the general shoe-buying public than an entire decade's worth of ads.

Where can you find the biggest sneaker collection in the world?
Las Vegas
New York City
Los Angeles
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jordan Michael Geller is the biggest sneakerhead you’ll ever meet. Geller opened his Las Vegas “Shoezeum” in 2010 and housed the history of Nike in the form of more than 2,500 pairs of sneakers: from the first Nike prototypes to the Back to the Future-inspired Nike MAGs.

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Which sneaker brand garnered the most Instagram follows in 2015?
Nike
Adidas
Reebok
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Adidas (@adidas) racked up 78.8 million likes on its account last year, likely due to the popularity of its collaboration with Kanye West. Nike, even across three Instagram accounts - @nike,@nikesportswear, and @jumpman23 (Jordan) brands - couldn't keep up with West’s popularity.

Why are sneakers typically released on Saturdays?
because most people get paid on Fridays
to prevent kids from skipping school to shop for shoes
so more people could work the stores to sell shoes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sneakerheads will wait in line for hours just to get a pair of their favorite kicks. Sneaker makers learned to keep release dates to Saturday, so kids wouldn't have a reason (even a bad one) to neglect school.

Who are Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield and Nathan VanHook?
Sneakerheads with the largest collections
Collectible Nike sneaker designers
Adidas marketing experts
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sneakerheads know their shoe designers and often buy only from the designers they admire. Hatfield was hired in 1981 as a corporate architect for Nike, but switched to sneakers in 1985. Fukiwara is known as the father of Harajuku style in Japan, and VanHook is on his way to being the next big Nike designer.

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True or False: The sneaker brands Puma and Adidas were created out of a brothers’ argument.
TRUE
FALSE
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1948, shoemakers and brothers, Rudolf and Adolf Dassler, had an argument. Rudolf left the family shoe company and started his own. Adolf renamed his company adidas (a shortening of his nickname, "Adi Dassler"), and Rudolf named his Puma. The first, and longest-standing, sneaker rivalry was born.

Who was the first pro basketball player to have a signature shoe designed for them?
Michael Jordan
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Magic Johnson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

By 1971, just two years after joining the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was already a superstar. Drafted first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969, Jabbar scored 29 points in his first game and won Rookie of the Year. His second year he was named MVP. Adidas gave Jabbar his own signature shoe, setting a precedence for all sneaker makers to follow.

Where can sneakerheads go to see the most historic kicks on display?
San Francisco, Calif.
Miami, Fla.
Toronto, Ontario
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Ontario houses all makes and models of shoes throughout history, including one of the most iconic sneaker collections on public display. In 2013, the BSM presented "Out of the Box: Rise of the Sneaker Culture," the very first North American traveling exhibition dedicated to sneaker history and evolution.

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In 2006, what shop opened in New York City for sneakerheads?
Flight Club
Sneaker Heaven
Sneakerhead Central
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Japan used to be the only place in the world where sneakerheads could walk into a shop and purchase rare, plastic-wrapped sneakers hard to find anywhere else. In 2006, Flight Club opened in Manhattan and took sneakerheads in the U.S. by storm.

True or False: Michael Jordan always wanted to sign a shoe deal with Nike.
TRUE
FALSE
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Michael Jordan and Nike seemed to be an iconic fit, but Jordan actually had his sights originally set on Adidas. Jordan only wore Adidas in high school before he attended University of North Carolina, and they were the brand he wanted to wear in the pros. When the time for negotiations came, however, Adidas didn’t make the same offer as Nike. In 1984, Nike “Air Jordan” was born.

What is the largest sneakerhead summit in the world?
H-Town Sneaker Summit
Fresh Out Of The Box
Sneakercon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It may not have been the very first (Fresh Out The Box in NYC was), but the H-Town Sneaker Summit has grown over the years to become the biggest sneaker gathering known to man. Held bi-annually, H-Town anchors NBA All-Star weekend and continues to attract both new sneakerheads and the heaviest of heavy hitters in the sneaker community.

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What’s the name of sneakerheads’ most popular magazine?
Sneakerhead Central
Kicks
Sneaker Freaker
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A print magazine strictly about sneakers? Started in 2002 by Simon Wood, Sneaker Freaker still has a loyal readership, even in the age of up-to-the-minute blogging.

True or False: Sneakerheads have a single resource to help navigate the sneaker market.
TRUE
FALSE
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The website StockX.com tracks the sneaker market, including overall sneaker sales and ebay sales specifically for sneakerheads. Data includes how much is being spent on brands, price trends and sneakerhead significance (i.e. popular shoes among sneakerheads).

True or False: Chuck Taylor invented the basketball shoe.
TRUE
FALSE
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Contrary to what you've heard, Chuck Taylor did not invent the basketball shoe - or even the shoe that bears his name. Converse introduced the iconic "All-Star" sneaker in 1917 when salesman and semi-pro basketball player Chuck Taylor came on board in 1921. By 1932, Taylor's sneaker improvements had been implemented, and his name was added to the ankle patch he created.

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If a sneakerhead is someone who's obsessed with sneakers, what is a "hypebeast" sneakerhead?
A sneakerhead who buys only one brand of shoe
A sneakerhead who only buys shoes based on buzz around its release
A sneakerhead who only talks about the shoes he or she owns
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A "hypebeast" is someone that only follows the hype around some sneakers than others. Technically, they only pay attention to more buzzed-about shoe releases because they’re "cooler."

What is Niketalk?
Nike’s sneakerhead magazine
An official Nike blog and forum for sneakersheads
A gossip column for Nike sneakers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Niketalk started back in 1999, just when blogs were beginning to take shape. Until then, sneakerhead talk was limited to chat rooms and message boards. Niketalk brought sneakheads for sneak peeks of new releases, release dates and more. It’s still going strong.

True or False: Fake shoe collecting is growing in popularity
TRUE
FALSE
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fed up with skyrocketing hype -- and prices -- for sneakers, a growing number of sneakerheads on Reddit's "RepSneakers" page are going against the grain to find and wear counterfeit shoes.

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According to sneakerheads, what is a “retro” sneaker?
A shoe that was created before 1985
A shoe that looks old and worn out
A shoe that's re-released for sale due to its popularity
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sneakerhead terminology not only tracks how shoes sell, but when they're sold, as well. "Retro" sneakers are models that sold out

What percentage of sneaker sales did sneakerheads take part in the United States in 2013?
20 percent
1 percent
5 percent
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sneakerhead sales are tricky to track, since shoes are often sold and then resold. According to Forbes' latest data, sneakerheads made up about 5 percent of the total sneaker sales market - or, around $1.1 billion in sales out of $22 billion in sales total.

True or False: Michael Jordan was fined $5,000 per game because the black and red Air Jordan Air 1 were not regulation court shoes.
TRUE
FALSE
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nike paid Jordan’s $5,000 fine for each game he played wearing the black and red Jordans. It was the best investment Nike ever made, as Air Jordan's quickly became Nike's best-selling shoes of all time.

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True or False: Sneaker Con is a traveling event for sneaker connoisseurs to buy, sell and trade some of the most sought after footwear on the market.
TRUE
FALSE
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alan Vinogradov co-founded Sneaker Con in 2009, when he and about 1,500 die-hard shoe collectors huddled in a small New York comedy club swapping sneakers and stories. The touring event expanded to 13 cities in 2015.

In 2012, how much did a pair of Nike Air Yeezy II sneakers, designed by rapper Kanye West, sell for on eBay before it went on sale to the public?
50000
25000
90300
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The second Nike/West collaboration was so highly anticipated that a pre-ordered pair was sold on eBay for a whopping $90,300 after 84 bids. The retail price for the Air Yeezy II is $245.

How long did sneakerheads have to wait for the Nike Air Mags featured in the movie Back to the Future Part II?
26 years
22 years
10 years
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Back to the Future Part II was released in 1989, but sneakerheads had to wait until 2011 to buy Nike Air Mags 2011 - without the power lacing capability. However, a new version of the Air Mags was announced for 2016, with all proceeds of shoe sales going to Parkinson's Disease research.

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