Dr Thomas Turner is a historian at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. His research has examined the history of sports shoes, looking at the role of objects in social practices and broader developments in technology, business, sports, and popular culture. He’s been fascinated by trainers since getting his first pair of adidas in 1985. In this talk, Thomas will consider the ancestor of the modern trainer: the Victorian lawn tennis shoe. Mass produced, widely available, and worn in many environments, this was a recognisably modern product with many of the same characteristics as the sports shoes with which we are familiar today. Thomas will explore how tennis shoes fit into a wider Victorian world of goods and leisure, and consider what this new type of footwear meant to the young men and women who wore them.