Sneakerheads, take note. Bobbito Garcia, the Harlem DJ and street-ball player has the down low on the history of New York City’s trainer fanatics.

The critically acclaimed Where’d You Get Those?: New York’s Sneaker Culture: 1960 – 1987 is an exhaustive look at the enduring love affair between the youth of NYC and training shoes.
After selling out in hardcover following its 2003 release, the book is now available in paperback. Written by a self-professed ex-sneaker addict, Garcia digs up everything you'd ever want to know about the rise of the gym shoe to its current status as a prestigious hip hop fashion accessory.

Where'd You Get Those? is an insider's account that traces New York City trainer culture back to its earliest days. It describes how a small and dedicated group of consumers in the 70s and early 80s proved instrumental in establishing current corporate giants like Nike and Adidas.

While chronicling the rise of trainers through the lean years of the 60s, the bulk of the book examines the shoes released between the golden years of 1970-1987.
Where'd You Get Those? examines training shoe culture from every angle. The various colour combinations available, nicknames of particular models, any relevant athlete endorsement, and (often hilarious) running commentary and stories from a rogues' gallery of fanatics who weigh in on the pros and cons of each sneaker.

The book also includes a chapter on New York City's playground basketball legends, the real progenitors of "urban marketing," whose athletic prowess inspired kids on the street to adopt their brands. And in a nod to more recent history, a chapter entitled "Future Undergound Classics" recognizes the models released post-1987 that maintain relevance within an increasingly soulless and money-driven industry.

It's all here. Everything you ever wanted to know about the production, distribution, and consumption of trainers in the city that set the stage for the worldwide dominance of today's training shoe industry.

Testify Books is a New York Based Independent book publisher distributed by D.A.P./DISTRIBUTED ART PUBLISHERS, INC