Official Review: Golden Kicks by Jason Coles

[Izesicle]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Golden Kicks" by Jason Coles.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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I'm a reformed shoe shopaholic. My lowest point was buying 15 pairs of shoes at one time then having to bring them to work simply because I passed by a sale pre-shift. By shoes, I mean stiletto-heeled shoes. With sneakers, I'm on the opposite extreme. I just bought a pair when I had to, then wore them until they broke down.

My apathy about sneakers despite my love for shoes attracted me to Golden Kicks: The Shoes that Changed Sport by Jason Coles. It is non-fiction beautifully-illustrated in the style of a coffee table book. It starts off powerfully with a foreword by tennis legend Stan Smith who humbly jokes about being known more as a name on an iconic Adidas shoe than as a real person. The author's introduction talks about how he got hooked by the story of the Dassler brothers of Bavaria, whose feud led to the creation of Puma and Adidas.

The book is a compilation of the origin stories of 57 pairs of legendary sneakers. Each pair has a couple of two-page spreads devoted to it, with 2 page-size pictures - one of the shoe and another of the relevant sporting event. The first story is about the Converse All-Star shoe in 1917. The last featured shoe is the Under Armour Curry II in 2016.

Like Jason, I got hooked by the stories too. Stories about shoemakers collaborating with athletes who had innovative ideas captivated me. So did the stories about hardworking people who defied the odds and other challenges like snobbish aristocrats or Hitler's racism. The full color pictures and the cute illustrations drew me in. Jason's research was thorough. The historical details were convincing and, if the stories were based on oral legends, still entertaining. I enjoyed the book so much, I kept talking about it with friends.

Consequently, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I could not find fault with it. The content is top-notch and the storytelling riveting. There were rare sentences that could use a comma but they're negligible. Overall, the book seems to be professionally edited and has a reader-friendly layout and design. Given that history is included, there might be some topics too sensitive for young readers. I recommend it to anyone curious about sport and shoe history, along with self-identified sneakerheads. With the rise of athleisure, almost everyone owns a pair of sneakers or are familiar with the top sportsgear brands, making this book very relevant to the times.

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Golden Kicks
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Like Izesicle's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Kat Berg]

I am not sure that I would naturally gravitate to this book on purpose, but it definitely sounds like something that I would pick up if it were sitting out, (I read EVERYTHING! If it is in front of me, I read it) and then an hour later I would still be reading it because I totally got sucked in. Thanks for the review.

[Mercelle]

The first paragraph of your review cracked me up. This is definitely a book I would read. Shoes are a guilty pleasure of mine as well.

[MsTri]

Like you, I really only buy tennis shoes when there's a powerful need for them, yet this sounds like a really interesting and educational read, made all the better by illustrations. Thanks for the review!

[kandscreeley]

I'm kind of like Kat. I wouldn't gravitate to a book like this, but I would pick it up if I saw it sitting out. I'm not quite as much of a shoe-aholic as you. It sounds interesting, though.

[Izesicle]

I am not sure that I would naturally gravitate to this book on purpose, but it definitely sounds like something that I would pick up if it were sitting out, (I read EVERYTHING! If it is in front of me, I read it) and then an hour later I would still be reading it because I totally got sucked in. :D Thanks for the review.

classic bookworm trait, reading everything :)

[Izesicle]

The first paragraph of your review cracked me up. This is definitely a book I would read. Shoes are a guilty pleasure of mine as well.

I totally lied. I just transferred my shopping addiction to books, hehe. Enjoy the book and appreciate your shoes more.

[Izesicle]

Like you, I really only buy tennis shoes when there's a powerful need for them, yet this sounds like a really interesting and educational read, made all the better by illustrations. Thanks for the review!

I used to buy based on looks and functionality. This book is definitely going to make me more mindful of shoe models. Enjoy!

[CommMayo]

This sounds like a pretty unique book. I really enjoy how you start your review off with a funny personal story.

[Boydbunch]

At first I was thinking it would be a boring read, although I have often wondered the history behind the development of some sports shoes. Loved your intro in your review and you actually have me wanting to at least thumb through for shoes that interest me to see the history in the making.

[Libs_Books]

The first paragraph of your review cracked me up. This is definitely a book I would read. Shoes are a guilty pleasure of mine as well.

I totally lied. I just transferred my shopping addiction to books, hehe. Enjoy the book and appreciate your shoes more.

Great review of a book I would never bothered to give a second glance (unless, like everybody else here.....)

[Ashiyya Tariq]

It's a very interesting and unique book on shoemaking. Illustrations makes it more charming. Thanks for your nice review.

[Izesicle]

This sounds like a pretty unique book. I really enjoy how you start your review off with a funny personal story.

thanks! The old me would have bought new sneakers after reading that book. It's thinly-veiled brand promotion.