Therunning shoe(or trainer) is a relatively new invention (just over 200 years old). The resurgence in running brought about by theEnglishin the18th centurymeant the development of a light weight shoe which could grip the ground. However, initial attempts at a running shoe were made from leather which unfortunately had the tendency to stretch when wet.
In1832the first breakthrough was made whenWait Websterpatented a process whereby rubber soles could be attracted to leather shoes and boots. This led to the creation ofPlimsolls, which were widely worn by children. It wasn’t until1852when another Britain (Joseph William Foster – the founder of the company Boulton, now known asReebok) had the “eureka moment” and decided to add spikes to the bottom of the plimsols and created what we now know asrunning spikes.
The next big development was vulcanization, which revolutionized shoe manufacturing. Vulcanization is simply the process of melting rubber and fabric together. This molten mixture was then molded to create a sole for shoes that had a tread design. This design revolution made shoes lightweight, quiet, and flexible. This led to the creation ofKeds: canvas and rubber shoes in1892by the manufacturerGoodyear. It wasn’t until1917whenGoodyearmade the correlation and started to advertiseKedsas an athletic shoe. They eventually became known as sneakers, because of the rubber sole, they could ‘sneak’ around silently’.
The father of the modern running shoe wasAdolf Dasslerwho began making shoes in1920. Each shoe design had a special hand forged set of running spikes and each design was made especially for a certain running distance. This was the first time designs were focused on whether the runner was a sprinter or a long-distance runner. By1936his shoes were internationally acknowledged as the best and were worn by athletes of the calibre of Jesse Owens.
After the lean war years he continued to progress and developed the training shoe made from surplus tent canvas and rubber from fuel tanks. In1948he founded Addas but the company was soon to split into Addas (later known asAdidas) andPuma. To give support to the running shoe Dassler added three side strips to the shoe which first appeared in1949.
Whilst on the other side of the world a new era of sportswear manufacturing began in 1949, whenMr. Onitsuka started Onitsuka Co. Ltd. Looking stunned at post World War II Japan with its huge numbers of homeless children he asked himself:“What can I do to give them a better future?”His love for sports led him to the right answer: That sports would be the best starting point to achieve this goal.ASICSwas born.
Throughout this post war period the demand for leisure footwear grew. The fitness craze of the 30s meant sneakers became associated with sports and leisure activities. In1936the U.S. basketball team adopted the Converse Chucks as the official shoe. In the same year Dassler’s running shoes were worn at theBerlin Olympics. By the1950sfamous runners were supplied shoes free. At the discretion of the athlete, they either wore socks or not. This would imply the shoe was a very tight fit.
In1962,New Balanceintroduced the first scientifically tested shoe and this weighed96 grams. In1968brush spikes were introduced and replaced the traditional four spike running shoe.
Phil Knight,a business major at the University of Oregon and a miler on the track team was unhappy with the types of running shoes that were currently available. In the early1960′she decided along with his coachBill Bowermanto form a company to market a shoe that Bowerman had designed. The shoe was lightweight and comfortable in running conditions. Bowerman and Knight did the only marketing in person. The pair traveled the country to track meets selling their running shoes and becoming more and more successful and well known. The shoes were first known asTiger Shoesand their defining characteristic was a cushion heel wedge designed by Bowerman. The company, originally called Blue Ribbon Sports, became known asNike, named after the Greek goddess of victory.
1970′s
Demand for the specialized shoe showed that consumers were ready for further innovation in footwear. The first big innovation forNikecame in1972when Bowerman poured rubber into a waffle iron in his kitchen. This was the birth of the waffle sole as well as the best selling running shoe in the country. Later on that year Bowerman paid a student $35 to deign a trademark for the growing company. He wasn’t thrilled with the “swoosh” that the student came up with but it was to later become the backbone ofNikeadvertising, a status symbol, and a cultural icon.Nikesoon became by far the leader in athletic footwear sales and design.
NASA was not only making strides for the space program during the late 20th century, but was also working withNiketo develop the first air cushioned athletic shoe.Frank Rudyfrom NASA brought the idea of bags filled with pressurized gas that compress under impact toNike. The bags absorb shock and cushion the foot. The cushioned were placed in the soles onNikeshoes and are still used today, twenty years later.
The1976 Montreal Olympicswas the first time an athlete was photographed endorsing his running shoes after winning10,000meter race. Such public endorsem*nt was well rewarded by the companies which produced the goods.
The firstOlympicsto be televised wasMexicoand promoters wasted no time displaying their brand insignias on the champions for the world to see. Before this; shoe advertisem*nts showingOlympiansreceiving their glittering prizes and wearing branded shoes had to have their faces blotted out. The sight ofTommy Smithphotographed in hisPuma Suedesgiving the Black Power fist was a powerful image closely identified by many young people around the globe. At this time it was alleged track athletes were given monetary rewards for wearing certain competition shoes.
In1973track athleteSteve Profontanebecame the first major track person to wearNikes. When the aerobics explosion took placeReeboksaw the market potential and began to make trainers in softer materials and in colours appropriate female tastes. The shoes were less rigid in construction.
During the1970srunning shoes were designed based not only on the type of running the person did, but the running style the runner had. Thethree running stylesthat shoes were designed for included neutral runners, supernation runners and pronation runners. The final advancement that running shoes received during the1970swas the use of ethylene vinyl acetate, also referred to as EVA. This material added an air cushion to the design of a running shoe providing runners with extra cushion and shock absorption when they ran.
1980′s & 1990′s
Niketook advantage of big name sports stars during the1980′sand1990′s. Endorsem*nts from people such as Michael Jordan accompanied with the feeling of movement produced by the “swoosh” and the catchy phrase“Just Do It.”The television commercials forNikeportray the same feeling of movement that was the desired effect of the “swoosh”. By choosing sport super starsNikeappealed to the younger generations who idolized these figures and aspired to “be like Mike”.Nikeadvertising helped to boost sales and create some of the most effective and memorable advertising seen thus far. Athletic shoes were becoming more of a fashion statement than an athletic item.
2000′s
Today there are many running shoe companies, most with running shoes to suit all styles, surfaces, distances and speed. Some brands make shoes available in different widths to ensure the perfect fit.
Currently, the biggest players in the running shoe industry are:Nike,Adidas,Asics,Reebok,New Balance,Saucony,Mizuno,BrooksandPuma.
Probably the most iconic image of running shoes and running spikes in recent years is Usain Bolt’sGoldenPuma SpikestheComplete Theseus II.
Resource founded from and used from:
http://www.ransacker.co.uk/home/about-us/manufacturers/the-history-of-running-shoes/
