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First running footwear is born
In 1865, they were considered lightweight at the time at 280 grams or 0.6 pounds per shoe and consisted of 3 spikes at the forefoot and 1 at the back. The shoe was made of leather and was very uncomfortable to run in. In these shoes, English athlete William Lang ran a 4:17 mile run. -
Running Technology begins to Improve
In 1894, The Spalding Company decided to improve upon the shoe design of the first created spike. They created a shoe with 6 spikes in the forefoot. These additional spikes made it possible for athletes to adjust to different courses allowing them to run faster. These shoes were made with Kangaroo Leather and cost $6 or $184.80 in today's currency. In these shoes, Thomas Conneff ran 4:15 in the mile -
Modern Running Footwear is Born
In 1920, Adolf Dassler began making shoes for track athletes. They were internationally known as the best and were made out of old tent canvas and rubber from fuel tanks. In these shoes Paavo Nurmi decreased the mile record to 4:10. -
Adidas is founded
In 1948, Dassler founded the shoe company Adidas. The three stripe logo was accidental as Dassler put three stripes on the outside of the shoe for foot support. In these Adidas shoes, athletes began approaching 4:00 in the mile. -
GT Law and Son create lightest shoes
In 1954, GT Law and Son created a pair shoes that only weighed 128 grams or 0.28 pounds. These shoes were made of thin leather and had rubber soles with 6 spikes. Because of the increasingly lightweight design, the first sub 4 minute mile was ran by Roger Bannister. In these shoes, 2 different athletes ran under 4. Bannister running 3:59 and John Landy running 3:58 -
Shoes Become Lighter
In 1964, Adolf Dassler creates shoes without a leather upper rather opting for mesh fabrics. He also put in a full synthetic sole and raised the heel so that athletes ran on their shoes longer reducing pressure on heels. In these shoes, American Jim Ryun became the first high school runner to break 4 minutes as he ran 3:51 in the mile. -
Non spiked running shoes created
In 1964, Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman created Nike, what would soon become the number 1 athletic company in the world. In 1974, Bowerman began creating running shoes of similar weight to spikes except they consisted of a lightweight foam bottoms inspired by waffles. They also had lightweight uppers making the shoes increasingly comfortable. They allowed athletes to train on ground other than tracks revolutionizing the sport. -
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Running shoes stay consistent
Over this span, Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, etc. all create models of the same shoe. The all use EVA foam and all weigh strikingly similar amounts. Almost no change is found. -
Lightest track spikes are created
Nike creates spikes that are less than 4 ounces in weight. The spike consist of a lightweight mesh and have a full rubber bottom allowing for faster, more bounce. In these shoes and other shoes like this, over 500 athletes have ran under 3:50 in the mile. -
Carbon Fiber is Introduced
In late 2018, Nike set out on a secret project in order to make a shoe that is not only light, but also spring loaded. Their mission was to make a shoe capable of reducing muscle fatigue on athletes by 4% and increasing their speed. They weight almost half a pound, but consist of a sole of foam with a full length carbon fiber plate and a hard rubber forefoot allowing for more bounce. The carbon fiber shoes have changed running has the first sub 2 hour marathon was run in 2019 by Eliud Kipchoge -
Carbon Fiber Track Spikes are invented
After seeing the success of the Nike alphafly, Nike decided to see if they could create a spike which would give athletes a competitve advantage. In 2020, Nike accomplished this goal by creating a track spike weighing less than 4 ounces and consisting of a carbon fiber plate. The weight of the shoe allows athletes to move their legs faster and the carbon fiber reduces the stress put on the legs so allow athletes to run longer.