Sole Survivors: The Shoe Hall of Fame’s 10 Styles That Stand the Test of Time

Shoes. Whether you love them or hate them, you must have them. Over the years, 10 shoe styles continued to evolve to become true shoe icons.

Footwear Royalty

It doesn’t matter if you are a shoe collector or someone who only has two pairs. Odds are good that you have heard of every type of shoe on the shoe royalty list. These ten styles of shoes have held their ground through the years and are as popular today as they were the day they hit the ground running. See the gallery below to find your favorite pair of shoes on the list!

10. Adidas Samba

I first saw these shoes at a hair salon. I knew they looked familiar, and I knew I wanted a pair. I also thought it was cute that a Gen Z girl was wearing a pair of vintage athletic shoes. The Adidas Samba started out in Germany in the 1950’s for soccer players. It was more of a boot design. In 1972, the shoe had a lower profile and added padding. By the 1990’s, the skateboarder community discovered the shoe, and today, you can see Jennifer Anniston wearing the Samba in People Magazine. Keep an eye out for a rhinestone-covered black-and-silver Samba that will be released for the Christmas season.

9. Crocs Classic Clog

Lord, I remember when Crocs first appeared, and I hated them. The people I knew who wore them used them as gardening shoes. They were not created for that purpose, though. Three guys from Colorado introduced the first pair of Crocs at the 2002 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in Florida. The shoes were designed to be boat shoes. They are made of foam, exclusive to Crocs. Crazy, right? They are not plastic or rubber. Who knew? Now, everyone from nurses to ME wears them. I gave in and bought a pair about 5 years ago and now own about 10 pairs. I bought these furry one's last weekend!

8. Chelsea Boot

I have had a pair of these since 1996. I am just now learning they have a name. The Chelsea boot is a short ankle boot that comes with elasticated panels on either side of the shoe. Sometimes they have a zipper. More often than not, they have a wide toe. My pair looks brand new, and I still wear them. The only issue I had with them (from wear and tear) was the bottom coming off of one of the heels. I had it replaced and they are as good as new.

7. Oxford

The men’s Oxford dress shoe started out as a stiff, knee high boot worn by students at England’s Oxford University. As you can imagine, the high boot thing got old, and changes were made to create a shorter boot called the Oxonian. It eventually was shrunk down as well, giving us the Oxford we know and love today.

6. Nike Air Force 1

It was a joyous time for athletes in October of 1982. The release of the Nike Air Force 1 meant that basketball players would no longer have to wear four pairs of socks to pad their feet while playing. Bruce Kilgore’s design lowered the back heel of the shoe to lessen the pressure on the Achilles tendon. Nike said the shoes cushioned shock 30 percent better and were 20 percent more resilient than a standard shoe.

5. Nike Air Jordan 1

Released in 1985, the Air Jordan 1 was the first shoe ever worn in the NBA with multiple colors. At one point, the black and red was banned for violating the league's kit policy.

4. Ugg boots

It is funny that we all associate the UGG boot with Australia when it was founded on the beaches of southern California. It was1978 when a young Australian surfer founded the sheepskin UGG brand. The first time I saw UGG boots was in the late 90’s and Pamela Anderson was wearing them. In 2006, UGG opened its first store in New York City. In 2008, I finally got my first pair of UGG boots...that I still wear today.

3. Nike Air Max

Nike Air Max may not exist today had it not been for a guy with an architecture degree who designed office spaces, showrooms and stores for Nike. Tinker Hatfield joined Nike in 1981 to design spaces, but later, he was approached about designing shoes. Nike had hit a wall with their plan to design a shoe with an exposed air bag, so they sent Tinker to Paris to work on the design that was eventually inspired by a building Tinker observed in the city. The building design allowed you to see everything inside the building, from the outside. Tinker eventually cut away a portion of the midsole of the shoe to expose the air bag.

2. Converse Chuck Taylor All Star

In 1908, Marquis Mills Converse founded his shoe company in Boston, Mass., that would manufacture galoshes and waterproof winter boots. To keep the money flowing in the summer, he created a canvas tennis shoe with a rubber sole. Basketball, invented in 1891, was growing in popularity, so basketball shoes were created in 1917. Here is the marketing genius of Mr. Converse. He created The Converse All Star Basketball team. It travelled to different towns and cities to give demonstrations about how to play the game and to sell shoes. Chuck Taylor was a player, coach, and Converse salesman who obviously did a great job. On January 1, 1934, the shoe name was changed to Chuck Taylor All Star.

1. Dr. Martens Boots

In 1945 post war Munich, Germany, 25-year-old soldier Dr. Klaus Maertens created a boot with an air-cushioned sole for his broken foot. At the time, all boots had hard, leather soles. Maertens formed a business with a friend and by 1957, the two had a successful business selling the shoes to older women. In 1959, the company began to advertise their business in foreign magazines. The Griggs Company, a shoe company in England, saw the ad and after obtaining a license, created a boot with air cushion technology. In honor of the technology's creator, they named the boot Dr. Martens. The boot was worn primarily by postmen and factory workers, but in the early 1960’s, Pete Townshend of The Who became the first high profile person to wear them.