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Sneaker Nation

The fascinating histories of two of our favorite items of clothing

By Mackenzie Carro and Meg Richardson
From the March/April 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will compare and contrast the histories of jeans and sneakers and the roles they’ve played in Americans’ lives.

Lexile® measure range: 500L-600L, Easier Level
Guided Reading Level: P
DRA Level: 34-38
Other Key Skills: vocabulary, text features, problem and solution, cause and effect, key detail, expressing an opinion, synthesizing, connecting to the text, explanatory writing

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Think and Read: Compare and Contrast

 As you read, think about how the histories of sneakers and jeans are alike and how they are different.

Sneaker Nation

It was 1971. A running coach named Bill Bowerman was making waffles. As he cooked, he pondered a problem. 

Dirt running tracks across the country were being replaced with rubber ones. At the time, running shoes had metal spikes on the bottom so runners wouldn’t slip. But these spikes would ruin the new rubber tracks—and slow runners down. 

Bowerman stared down at his waffles. Then he got an idea! What if sneakers had a bumpy pattern on their soles, like waffles? The raised squares could grip the ground so runners wouldn’t slip. And the shoes wouldn’t harm the new tracks!

Bowerman grabbed the waffle maker and got to work. He was about to change the future of sneakers forever. 

It was 1971. Bill Bowerman was making waffles. Bowerman was a running coach who faced a problem. He pondered the problem while he cooked.

Older running tracks were made of dirt. But new tracks were being made with rubber. At the time, running shoes had metal spikes on the bottom. The spikes kept runners from slipping on dirt. But metal spikes would tear up the new rubber tracks. And they would slow runners down.

Bowerman stared at his waffles. Then he got an idea! What if sneakers had a bumpy pattern on the bottom, like waffles? The bumps would grip the ground. This would keep runners from slipping. And the shoes wouldn’t harm the new rubber tracks!

Bowerman grabbed his waffle maker. And he started working on his idea for a new type of sneaker. He was about to change the future of sneakers forever.

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Michael Jordan wearing Air Jordans in 1985

The First Sneakers

The First Sneakers

By the time Bowerman created his new shoe, sneakers had already been around for about 100 years. The first sneakers were expensive. They were meant for games like tennis, which few people had time to play.

That began to change in the early 1900s. More people started to exercise and play sports. Basketball had just been invented, and people loved it. In 1917, the first popular basketball sneaker came out: Converse All Stars. And in the 1920s, the price of sneakers dropped. Most people could now afford a pair. 

In 1971, sneakers had been around for about 100 years. The first sneakers were expensive. They were meant for games like tennis. But very few people had time to play these games.

That began to change in the early 1900s. More people started to exercise and play sports. Basketball had just been invented. People loved the game. In 1917, the first popular basketball sneaker came out: Converse All Stars. And the price of sneakers dropped in the 1920s. Most people could now afford a pair.

Millions of Pairs

Millions of Pairs

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Converse All Stars are still popular today!

Sneakers as we know them today started with Bowerman’s invention. He helped create a company to make his shoes. You’ve probably heard of it: Nike!

Before long, Nike was selling all types of sneakers. In 1985, it made a special sneaker for basketball star Michael Jordan: Air Jordans. Everyone wanted a pair—not just athletes. Sneakers were no longer just for sports. They were a part of people’s everyday style.

Today, Americans buy millions of pairs of sneakers each year. Kids wear sneakers with lights and wheels. You can get sneakers in hot pink, bright orange, or any color of the rainbow. 

What kind of sneaker is your favorite?  

The sneakers we know today started with Bowerman’s invention. He helped start a company to make his shoes. You’ve probably heard of it: Nike!

Before long, Nike was selling all types of sneakers. In 1985, it made special sneakers called Air Jordans. They were named for basketball star Michael Jordan. Everyone wanted a pair. Sneakers were no longer just for sports. They were a part of people’s everyday style.

Today, Americans buy millions of sneakers each year. Kids wear sneakers with lights and wheels. You can get sneakers in pink, orange, or any color of the rainbow.

What kind of sneaker is your favorite?

Jeans Take Over 

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images 

Elvis Presley was one of the most famous singers of the 1950s and ’60s. He was called the “King of Rock ’n’ Roll.”

It was 1870. Thousands of men were working in the dusty hills of western Nevada. They were all looking for the same thing—gold. Finding just one shiny piece could make you rich. 

But searching for gold was long, hard work. The men trudged through streams and dug into hills. As they worked, many men had a big problem: They kept ripping their pants!

One day, a worker’s wife asked a local tailor named Jacob Davis to make her husband a stronger pair of pants. Davis came up with a clever idea. He used a durable fabric called denim. And he attached metal pins—called rivets—onto the pants where they most often ripped. 

His idea worked! The pants were much harder to rip. Soon, all the workers wanted a pair. 

More than 150 years later, Davis’s pants are still popular. In fact, you may have a pair of these special pants. They’re called jeans!

It was 1870. Thousands of men worked in the dusty hills of Nevada. They were all looking for gold. Finding even one piece could make you rich. 

But searching for gold was hard work. The men trudged through streams. They dug into hills. And many of them had a big problem. They kept ripping their pants!

One day, a worker’s wife went to a tailor named Jacob Davis. She asked Davis to make a stronger pair of pants for her husband. Davis came up with an idea. He used a durable material called denim. And he put rivets (a type of metal pin) where the pants usually ripped. 

His idea worked! The pants were much harder to rip. Soon, all the workers wanted a pair. 

More than 150 years later, Davis’s pants are still popular. You might have a pair of these special pants. They’re called jeans!

More Jeans

Cowboys

Levi Strauss & Co., Archive

Levi Strauss & Co. has been making jeans since 1873! 

The new jeans were selling well. So Davis talked to Levi Strauss, the person who sold him the denim. He asked Strauss to work with him to make more jeans. Their company was called Levi Strauss & Co.

For many years, jeans were just for workers. That changed in the 1930s.

At that time, Americans were wild for cowboy movies. As they rode horses across the Wild West, these cowboys wore jeans. Kids begged their parents for jeans to play cowboys, and adults wore them to look like movie stars. 

The new pants were selling well. So Davis talked to Levi Strauss, who sold denim. Davis asked Strauss to make jeans with him. Their company was called Levi Strauss & Co.

For many years, jeans were just for workers. That changed in the 1930s.

At that time, Americans loved cowboy movies. The cowboys in movies rode their horses while wearing jeans. Kids begged their parents for jeans so they could play cowboys. Adults wore jeans to look like movie stars.

Jeans Today

Jeans Today

In the 1950s, rock stars like Elvis Presley danced in their jeans. These stars made jeans seem even cooler. Before long, people were wearing the pants every day.

Today, about 95 percent of Americans own jeans. And the world’s biggest jeans company? It’s Levi Strauss & Co.! 

Jacob Davis would be amazed to see how the pants have changed. Jeans now come in all sorts of styles and colors. 

What kind of jeans do you like to wear?

In the 1950s, rock stars like Elvis Presley danced in their jeans. These stars made jeans seem even cooler. Soon, people were wearing jeans every day.

Today, about 95 percent of Americans own jeans. And the world’s biggest jeans company? It’s Levi Strauss & Co.! 

Jacob Davis would be amazed to see how his pants have changed. Jeans now come in all sorts of styles and colors. 

What kind of jeans do you like to wear?

THINK AND WRITE

How are the histories of sneakers and jeans similar? How are they different? Answer in a paragraph using details from both articles.

THINK AND WRITE

How are the histories of sneakers and jeans similar? How are they different? Answer in a paragraph using details from both articles.

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Activities (8)
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Answer Key (1)
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Can't-Miss Teaching Extras

Have students read about another invention that’s become a part of our everyday life—the toilet—in “The Greatest Invention Ever.”

Nugget Nation” and “Mac and Cheese Mania” tells the fascinating stories of two highly successful creations that, like modern sneakers and jeans, provided solutions to specific problems. 

For an interesting pairing, share the fiction story “Those Shoes” about how a pair of sneakers changed the lives of two kids. 

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

Set a Purpose for Reading/Preview Text Features/Build Background Knowledge

  • Instruct students to study the title, subtitle, and illustration on pages 16 and 18. Ask them to describe the illustrations and predict what the articles will be about. Review the predictions after reading.
  • Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 16 and the Think and Write box on page 19.

Introduce Vocabulary

  • Show or assign the Vocabulary Slideshow to preview challenging words. Then assign the Vocabulary Skill Builder before or after reading.

2. Close Reading

  • Read the story as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the Read-Aloud. 
  • Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. (Alternatively, use all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck.)

Close-Reading Questions

  • Read the first section. Why did Bill Bowerman want to make new soles for sneakers? Bill Bowerman wanted to make new sneaker soles with a raised square pattern that gripped the ground so runners wouldn’t slip. Also, the new sneakers wouldn’t harm new rubber running tracks. (problem and solution)
  • Read “The First Sneakers.” Why did more people buy sneakers in the 1920s? More people bought sneakers in the 1920s because the price dropped and most people could afford a pair. (cause and effect)
  • Read “Millions of Pairs.” Why was 1985 an important year in the history of sneakers? In 1985, Nike made Air Jordans for basketball star Michael Jordan. Because Air Jordans became so popular, sneakers were no longer worn just for sports. They became part of people’s everyday style. (key detail)
  • Read the first section of “Jeans Take Over.” What was a big problem facing workers looking for gold, and how did Jacob Davis solve it? A big problem facing the men was ripping their pants as they worked. Davis solved it by making pants from a strong fabric called denim. He added metal pins called rivets to the pants where they most often ripped. (problem and solution)
  • Read “More Jeans.” Why did many kids and adults start to wear jeans in the 1930s? Many kids and adults started to wear jeans to look like cowboys in the popular cowboy movies of the 1930s. (cause and effect)
  • Read “Jeans Today.” What do you think would surprise Jacob Davis the most about today’s jeans? Answers may vary. Possible answers: Today about 95 percent of Americans own jeans. The company he founded with Levi Strauss is now the biggest jeans company in the world. Also, jeans now come in many different styles and colors. (expressing an opinion)

Critical-Thinking Questions

  • Look at the photos of Michael Jordan and Elvis Presley and read the captions. How did these superstars help to make sneakers and jeans popular in America? Michael Jordan made sneakers popular after Nike began selling a special sneaker made for him in 1985. Soon everyone wanted a pair of Air Jordans. In the 1950s, Elvis Presley was one of the popular rock stars who danced in jeans. Presley, the “King of Rock ’n’ Roll,” helped make jeans seem even cooler to wear. (text features, synthesizing)
  • Bill Bowerman and Jacob Davis both solved a problem by creating a new type of clothing. How would you change a type of clothing to make it more useful? Answers will vary but could include a type of shoelace that stays tied or pants with bigger pockets. (connecting to the text)

3. Skill Building and Writing

Featured Skill: Compare and Contrast

  • Distribute or digitally assign the Compare and Contrast Skill Builder.  
  • Ask students to write a response to the prompt in the Think and Write box on page 19. 

Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers

Have students read the Easier level version of the articles. Work with students in a small group to complete a Venn diagram about how the history of sneakers and the history of jeans are similar and different.

For Multilingual Learners

The paired texts contain domain-specific terms that might be unfamiliar to your multilingual learners. Before having students read the articles, call attention to the following terms: running tracks, metal spikes, soles, grip, exercise, afford, everyday style, tailor, rivets, and ripped. With your students, go over the definition of each term. Showing images of the terms will aid understanding.

For Advanced Readers

Have students imagine what the future of sneakers or jeans might look like. Encourage them to create an advertisement for a new type of one of these clothing items. What’s going to be new or special about it? Why will people want to wear it?

Text-to-Speech