Sneakers grew out of efforts to make more durable, more comfortable
shoes--and became a major link between sports and fashion. Their sales
rose with the popularity of tennis and exploded along with basketball,
leading to celebrity endorsements, big-name brands, and continued
technological breakthroughs. In the twenty-first century, sneakers are
still evolving, along with "sneaker influencer" social media, smart
tech, and other hot new trends.