The Evolution of Running Shoes

One of the most popular commercials of all time was run by Nike. It included Spike Lee and Michael Jordan and burned the slogan “it’s gotta be the shoes” into the minds of basketball fans around the globe. It was a facetious attempt at correlating Michael Jordan’s brilliance as a basketball player with the shoes he wore.

Is it all about the running shoes?

Just like basketball shoes have evolved so have running shoes. Running shoes have changed drastically over the last 30 years. As we’re told by the elaborate marketing efforts of major shoe brands, running shoes change each year because the latest design represents the most advanced stage of performance technology.  But is it the shoes that makes today’s world class runner’s the athletes that they are?

That’s a very tough question to answer and not something we can answer here. Nonetheless it’s interesting to look at the evolution of shoe design over time. Let’s take a step back and do just that.

The first running shoe

Yup, the shoe of all shoes actually isn’t a shoe at all. The unshod human foot has been the primary mode of transportation for people for a very long time. There are quite a few runners today who are part of a growing niche of “taboo” runners who are moving back to barefoot running and ditching shoes because they believe they can run healthier, longer by relying on the natural design of the foot for efficient running.

If you’re a runner you might have heard of Abebe Bikila and Zola Budd. Both were runners at the top of their game. Abebe won the gold medal in the Olympic Marathon in 1960. Zola Budd was a record holder in the woman’s 5000 meters in the mid 1980′s. They were both barefoot runners.

But long before Abebe and Zola were setting their records people were trekking around the planet completely barefoot. It’s inconclusive as to when the first pair of shoes were actually created. Ancient Man, surely out of necessity in cold/harsh weather conditions, created a rudimentary shoe to provide additional protection for their feet. However, despite the universal adoption of footwear by most cultures today, the bare foot can be considered the first running “shoe” and some of today’s avid runners who have switched back to barefoot running help validate to that claim.

The original running shoes

The first rubber shoes were created as a result of a breakthrough by Charles Goodyear when he introduced the vulcanization of rubber. He patented the process in 1844 and by the late 1800′s the vulcanization process was being applied to activity specific shoes, namely around sports. Basketball and tennis shoes were some of the front runners in sports shoe development. It wasn’t really until the 1960′s and 70′s that “jogging” shoes were being marketed and manufactured in great quantities to meet an exploding demand for that type of shoe.

But before modern day “jogging” shoes entered the running scene, spiked running shoes were created over a century before. In 1852 the first spiked running shoe was introduced. It was basically a canvas slipper with a hardened rubber sole with spikes built for an improved grip of the running surface. The below image is an example of classic running spikes.

Fast forwarding a bit to the mid 20th century, Roger Bannister became a world famous runner by being the first person recorded to break the 4 minute mile barrier. Running shoe design didn’t really advance much from the introduction of the first spiked shoes back in the 1850′s. If you look closely at the below image of Roger Bannister crossing the finish line you’ll notice the simplicity of the shoes he is wearing. Again, they are mostly a thin leather slip with a rigid sole void of major supporting structures that we currently see in today’s running shoes such as a prominent heel and arch support.

The evolution of modern running shoes

In the 1960′s New Balance was already spitting out running shoes. The New Balance Trackster was one of the most popular running shoes at that time. It was made up of a paper thin leather upper skin and a durable mid panel that allowed for a snug fit along with a set of side laces to improve the fit at the midfot. There was little to no arch and heel support and weighed in at 10.9 ounces. They actually look like modern golf shoes.

Nike is widely credited with being the brand that drove the production of today’s mainstream running shoes. Back in 1974 Bill Bowerman (co-founder of Nike) introduced the Nike Waffle Trainer, one of the first modern day running shoes. It’s name came from the waffle-like pattern of the sole which Bowerman created while experimenting in his kitchen. You’ll notice one of the first prominent heel supports in the shoe and a raised outer sole. The upper was a synthetic mesh (although not nearly as breathable as some of today’s shoes).

Another major player entered the scene when Saucony introduced the Saucony Jazz 3000 in the early 1980′s. Similar to the Nike Waffle Trainer, the Saucony Jazz introduced a prominent heel aimed at providing additional cusioning. It had a suede and nylon upper (intended to prevent stetching out of the shoe, helping it retain original shape and form), a padded color for a soft fit around the ankle, and a sturdy rubber sole. In total the shoe weighed in at 10.5 ounces (it’s important to note that improved padding added additional weight to the shoes).

In 1985 Nike mixed up the running shoe scene by introducing the Nike Sock Racer. The shoe was actually developed on accident. Researchers were looking for a light weight material and happened upon a synthetic fabric used in womens clothing. It turned out to be ideal for running shoes. It also featured wrapping tongues that we see in many of today’s shoes. The Sock Racer came in at a measly 6.4 ounces.

Then in the early 90′s Nike came out with the Air Huararche. It featured a very prominent arch support, which was an emerging feature in running shoe design. It also had abundant ankle support and cushioning which was meant to provide more stability and comfort. The major downside of the shoe though was it didn’t release heat and moisture very well. The arch support turned out to be a bit too prominent. It was a pretty well known shoe at first but did not last more than a couple of years because of the exaggerated arch and inability to release heat well enough.

By the late 1990′s most running shoe makers began developing several different types of shoes. Some were “road racers” that were meant for speed and less mileage. For the high mileage runners brands like Nike, Saucony, Adidas, New Balance and so on were creating various types of motion control shoes to try and correct what were called natural dysfunctions in running form. Today you can buy stability plus, stability, neutral and other types of motion control shoes, each with it’s own intended purpose. Stability shoes for example have design elements meant to prevent over pronation such as a prominent arch support. Below is a stability shoe from Asics. Notice the massive heel support, outer sole, mesh upper, “rounded” top box and high ankle support. For the most part today’s running shoes are designed for comfort and support.

Summing up how running shoes have changed

Performance is probably the most common theme no matter what running shoes you look at. The original running spikes included spikes to provide more grip to assist with running performance. Throughout the 1960′s and up until the 1990′s many experimental shoes were developed that included brand new features such as a thin mesh upper to keep the shoe light and breathable. The raised heel and arch support has become one of the more dominant product features as it’s believed these parts of the shoe will help prevent common running injuries, although some recent research suggests otherwise.

Although some product features failed miserably, such as inflating air sockets built in for ankle support, others have remained. Spikes have been a part of running shoes since the first modern running shoes were created. It will be interesting to see the evolution of running shoes over the next 10-20 years. My suspicion is we’ll see shoe design resort back to a more minimalistic state as we come to better understand the natural design of our feet and how they function when running. In the end we may only need a thin slipper to prevent cuts and puncture wounds. Despite the outcome though it’s worth testing out what works for you as a runner and which shoe type enables you to run healthy and happy for as long as you desire.