Running shoes are designed for sporting activities. They are also known as athletic shoes. Earlier, they were made from a flexible material with a rubber sole. The soles were created using a process known as vulcanization which involves the melding of rubber and cloth together through a heating process. Since these shoes were lightweight, comfortable and allowed the wearer to move around without being heard, they came to be known as "sneakers." In 1917, the Keds shoe company became the first to manufacture and sell running shoes in the United States. The British company, J. W. Foster and Sons, that renamed itself later as Reebok, developed running shoes with spikes. The founder of the company. J. W. Foster had a passion for running and was keen on developing a shoe that would increase his speed. His idea of adding spikes to the sole revolutionized the sports shoe industry. In 1925, Germany's Adi Dassler went a step further and created a range of shoes with hand-forged spikes. His company used a state of the art material to produce shoes that were extremely light. They also developed a range of shoes, custom designed for different distances. In the 1970s, the trend moved towards podiatrists actively collaborating with shoe manufacturers in a quest to develop the perfect running shoe. More research was conducted in the way human beings ran and the effect of shock on different parts of the leg, each time the foot hit the ground. Kinesiology played an important role in research. Eethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), a substance made up of millions of tiny air bubbles that provides cushioning and absorbs shock, was developed. The usage of EVA in the manufacture of shoes was considered to be a major advance in footwear technology. This technology is still being widely used today. In 1979, Nike developed the most famous cushioning system. Nike Air was the first to incorporate an air bubble into the heel of the shoe. The success of Nike led its competitors such as Reebok, Asic and Brook, to join the race in finding the ultimate in footwear cushioning. Today, competition amongst sportswear companies has intensified. Fashion and brand recall of a shoe are just as important factors as its sporting performance. Athletes are sponsored, events are held more frequently and fortunes are spent on advertising. In keeping with this trend, millions of dollars are also spent on designing "safe" shoes. |
