This document discusses the principles of diffusion, which is the process by which an innovation or idea spreads through a population over time. It defines diffusion as the spread of an innovation or cultural trait and outlines several key characteristics that influence how quickly and widely an innovation will diffuse, including how complex it is, how much of an advantage it provides, and whether it can be tested on a small scale first. The document then provides questions to guide an analysis of how shoe manufacturers used these diffusion principles to market expensive athletic shoes, such as who the early and later adopters were and which communication channels they used.