It's not that I've never heard the word, it's that I haven't used it since about fifth grade. I usually call them by what they are:
If they're for running, then "running shoes"
Tennis - "tennis shoes"
Basketball - "basketball shoes"
Or sometimes i just call them "shoes."
I have no problem with "sneakers," it's just that it was definitely a blast from the past for me to hear that. Kinda like hearing someone call a dick a "pee-pee."