Do you know which musical act was the first ever to get a non-athletic entity sneaker endorsement from adidas? If you guessed Run-DMC, the pioneers that fused rap with rock to remake that hit Aerosmith song “Walk This Way,” you are correct. In 1986, adidas gave Run-DMC a $1 million sneaker endorsement. This deal was unheard of in those days! The group already had a song called “My adidas” that they pitched to the conservative German company. adidas was clever enough to see the marketing potential in endorsing these boys from the New York City borough of Queens. The rest, as they say, is history. If you want to learn more about the intertwined cultures of sneakers and hip hop, the subculture of sneaker fiends and collectors, and the $26 billion global sneaker market, check out this interesting documentary by Lisa Leone and Thibaut de Longville.

Just for Kicks - DVD - $13.99 (Save 30%)
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