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Where'd You Get Those?x$14.74
  (10 reviews)
Best Price: $29.95 $14.74
Finally in paperback! This critically acclaimed, best-selling insider’s account of New York’s sneaker culture chronicles the rise of the mighty gym shoe, with the bulk of the book examining nearly 400 models released during the golden years of 1970-1987. Bobbito Garcia, a DJ, a VIBE columnist and the host of ESPN2’s "It’s the Shoes," describes how a small and dedicated group of consumers in the 1970s and early 80s were instrumental in creating the trends that have made athletic shoes ubiquitous today and in establishing current corporate giants like Nike and Adidas. Information-packed entries for each model include available color combinations, athletic endorsements and often hilarious running commentary and stories from a rogues' gallery of fanatics who weigh in on the pros and cons of each shoe. It's all here, fully illustrated with almost 500 photographs: everything you ever wanted to know about the production, distribution and consumption of sneakers in New York City during the seminal years that set the stage for their worldwide dominance.
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Customer Reviews
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Ah, those were the days...
By A2HK0Z8NTYLKXJ on 2004-01-02
Reading this book is like travelling in a time machine with an expert guide by your side. Bobbito has done an incredible service to those of us who stepped through our New York childhood and adolescence in the 70s and 80s fixated on our sneakers, especially our basketball sneakers. My wife gave me this book for Christmas and I spent much of the day poring through it, absorbing the photos and reliving experiences I had in many of the sneakers Bobbito included in the book. She didn't understand it, but she appreciated my rapture. It was like seeing pictures of dream images--looking at things I never thought I'd see again, as if they had never existed, with memories of games played in particular sneakers, in particular leagues, in particular gyms and parks, with and against particular players in their particular sneakers, flooding back to me. It also brought back memories of the sneakers that I wanted--the Wilson Batas that my cousin had, the $100 red-on-white Indiana addidas Top Tens, the yellow-on-blue Nike Waffles--and the pain of not having them. If any of this sounds strange, or even pathetic, this book may not be for you, but it will thrill the sneakerholic in your life. But the fun isn't just in the pictures--Bobbito has assembled a crew of not-so-famous commentators on sneaker and basketball culture in New York City. To his credit, Bobbito has arranged their funny, opinionated observations in a way that makes it seem like you're reading the transcript of a barbershop conversation. This "dialogue" makes up the bulk of the text and is as engaging as the photos. Lastly, Bobbito's introductions to each section of the book are also valuable for their personal honesty and dead-on social observations. Where'd You Get Those? is no exercise in nostalgia. Instead, Bobbito strikes a perfect balance between testimony and critique, which makes the book a valuable piece of cultural history.
back in the day
By A1LKCJNCAMJBGH on 2003-09-15
Long before sneaker contracts were handed out to music stars like Jay Z, 50 Cent, and Nelly with the matched ferocity of those given to sports stars, and basketball shoes were more about function than giving you something cute to wear to your local Wal-Mart, you had New York City Sneaker Culture.
Bobbito Garcia, a Vibe Magazine contributing editor, street ball player and one of the world's most premier sneaker collectors, has chosen to document his obsession and love for one of the origins of the current sneaker phenomenon in his book, "Where'd You Get Those? New York Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987," by compiling testimonies, photographs, and stories on some of the most classic sneaker styles and brands of that era.
Along with the showcasing of timeless sneaker styles like the classic Converse All Star Chuck Taylor, to what Garcia calls "slept on butters" or classics that went unnoticed like the Adidas Achille, and rare gems (limited editions), like the Nike Airship, quotes from collectors such as Mc Serch, Pete Nice, and basketball legend Pee Wee Kirkland, liven up an already exciting book with first hand accounts on what it was to go on the hunt for, style and impress with the perfect shoe.
A Flat-Out Great Book!
By A3H51X2QOVXRKG on 2003-11-03
Powerful stuff, if you grew up in/around NYC in the early '70s through the mid-'80s. You'll see all the old faves, beautifully categorized and depicted, with extraordinary and completely appropriate attention to detail. Note that this isn't just a picturebook or catalogue, but rather takes the form of an oral history where the participants are a panel of sneaker fiends from way back (propers to 3rd Bass!) The slang (e.g., grips, quiver, slept-on butters) is incredible and infectious, and prone to misuse by people like me. And the shoes? Can't get enough, from Walter Davis's unique Dr. J's to Sake's green half-shells. Message to Bobbito: I've got 3 pairs of Lendl Comp's on ice, tell your friend!
sneakers and new york city basketball
By A1I65XVHSAIXSW on 2003-09-14
where'd you get those is the best sneaker book of all time capturing the essence and soul of basketball and sneakers in the 60s, 70s and 80s in new york city. anyone under 30 might not be able to understand bobbito's views or why sneakers are so important to life. this book shows how sneakers meant unbelievable status in the street and on the court, which is different from today. the uniqueness and passion that occurred during these years made sneaker fanatics hungry for that next fix. thats why every young and old hip hopper, basketball player or sneaker fanatic need this book. you will never put it down.
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By A12B66G74NAWTO on 2003-10-13
this book is heat. best book on shoes of all time. it is like a dictionary for shoe lovers.
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