Sanford C. Sneaker: More than meets the eye...sneakers cut in half

Research evidence excerpt

Sanford C. Sneaker: More than meets the eye...sneakers cut in half

26 June 2026

European General Retail

Sanford C. Sneaker: More than meets the eye...sneakers cut in

half

Following our launch on Puma, this note is part of our ongoing series of reports exploring the William Woods

+44 20 7676 6806 sneaker lifecycle from innovation and product development to marketing and brand heat. In

william.woods@bernsteinsg.com this note,

Richard Trainor With sneakers, there’s more than meets the eye. Sneakers, particularly performance

+44 20 7762 1050 sneakers, are the product of complex design and construction. Sneakers are composed

richard.trainor@bernsteinsg.com

of the upper (the part that wraps around the foot), the midsole (the layer between the foot

Alice Buckley and the outsole, the most important performance component) and the outsole (the base

+44 20 7676 6739 of the shoe). To manufacture a shoe: upper panels are cut, stitched/bonded together and

alice.buckley@bernsteinsg.com then shaped over a last (a foot-shaped mould). The midsole is produced by moulding foam

and technologies like plates are embedded. The outsole is then attached to the midsole.

Rhea Gudiwala Finally, the upper is attached to the sole either through injection moulding or cemented +44 20 7676 7293

rhea.gudiwala@bernsteinsg.com construction (where they are bonded with adhesive under heat).

Specialist Sales There is genuine technical innovation in performance sneakers. In performance

sneakers, there is linear, Enlightenment-esque progress, making marginal improvements

Alix Turner to shave minutes and seconds off marathons and sprints. Over the last 100 years, running +44 20 7762 4044

alix.turner@bernsteinsg.com sneakers have advanced from simple plimsolls to carbon plated, super-foamed shoes with