The History of Running Shoes

running image by Byron Moore from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>

Specialized shoes designed to aid runners increase speed first appeared in the 1890s. Technological advances and even medical science have affected the evolution of the running shoe.

Running Resurgence

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The British running craze of the late-18th century fostered a focus on the design of athletic footwear. The rise of the sport aided in the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896.

Sneakers

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New Yorker Walt Webster patented a process of attaching rubber soles to cloth fabrics in 1832. Charles Goodyear patented the vulcanization process in 1844. By the 1890s, athletes wore vulcanized rubber shoes to compete in sporting contests. Rubber soles allowed wearers to move silently; hence the nickname "sneakers."

Spiked Shoes

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Runner Joseph William Foster attached spikes to shoes in the 1890s, marketing them through his namesake company. German Adi Dassler developed distance-specific running shoe designs in 1925, matching spike-lengths to running goals.

Medical Science

two runners image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com

The inclusion of podiatrists in the development process in the 1970s led to changes in design tailored to running styles.

EVA

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Ethylene vinyl acetate, or EVA, revolutionized the running shoe industry in 1979. The substance, formed of compressed air, offered malleable cushioning, mitigating heel-strike impacts.

Article Written By Johnny Galluzzo

John Galluzzo leads nature tours throughout the northeastern United States and since receiving his bachelor's degree in history from UMASS Amhest in 1993 has written 30 books on the Boston area, New England and the Coast Guard. He regularly contributes to "South Shore Living" and "Ships Monthly" magazines.

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