History of the Athletic Shoes

The first rubber soled shoes called plimsolls were developed and manufactured in the United States in the late 1800s. In 1892, nine small rubber manufacturing companies consolidated to form the U.S. Rubber Company. Among them was the Goodyear Metallic Rubber Shoe Company, organized in the 1840s in Naugatuck, Connecticut. This company was the first licensee of a new manufacturing process called vulcanization, discovered and patented by Charles Goodyear. Vulcanization uses heat to meld rubber to cloth or other rubber components for a sturdier, more permanent bond.

On January 24, 1899, Humphrey O'Sullivan received the first patent for a rubber heel for shoes. 

From 1892 to 1913, the rubber footwear divisions of U.S. Rubber were manufacturing their products under 30 different brand names. The company consolidated these brands under one name. When choosing a name, the initial favorite was Peds, from the Latin meaning foot, but someone else held that trademark. By 1916, the two final alternatives were Veds or Keds, with the stronger sounding Keds being the final choice.

Keds® were first mass-marketed as canvas-top "sneakers" in 1917. These were the first sneakers. The word "sneaker" was coined by Henry Nelson McKinney, an advertising agent for N. W. Ayer & Son, because the rubber sole made the shoe stealthy or quiet, all other shoes, with the exception of moccasins, made noise when you walked. In 1979, the Stride Rite Corporation acquired the Keds® brand.

But the elevation of athletic shoe manufacture to both a science and a fashion was due largely due to Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman of Oregon.

In 1958, Phil Knight, a business major at the University of Oregon, and a miler on the track team, shared with his coach, Bill Bowerman, a dissatisfaction with the clumsiness of American running shoes. They formed a company in 1964 to market a lighter and more comfortable shoe designed by Bowerman. In 1968, this company became NIKE, Inc.---named for the Greek goddess of Victory. At first, Knight and Bowerman sold their shoes in person, at track meets across the Western US.

Their company thrived through a classic combination of entrepreneurship and innovation. Bowerman's most memorable technical breakthrough was the optimal traction of the waffle soles he invented by shaping rubber in the waffle iron in his kitchen (1972). Other essential innovations were the wedged heel, the cushioned mid-sole, and nylon uppers. Knight's first great marketing ploy was announcing that "four of the top seven finishers" in the marathon at the 1972 Olympic Trials had worn NIKEs (the first three runners, in fact, had worn West German Adidas®). Through the 80s and 90s, NIKE's advertisements helped make it by far the foremost retailer of athletic shoes world-wide, thanks to endorsements from superstars like Michael Jordan, and catchy slogans like "Just Do It."

After dozens of years, patents, and commercials, NIKE and its competitors created an absolute mania for elaborate athletic shoes, in the US and abroad. Though fashion remains a matter of taste, it is undeniable that both world-class athletes and even the average aerobics enthusiast owe a debt to the innovations of Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman, and to the industry they inspired.

Nike’s image has gone through its ups and downs since first taking off in 1984. Nike came from an idea to have an athletic shoe designed to take the character of a cartoon.In this case the cartoon was a car.The Nike athletic shoe was compared to a dune buggy, a 4x4 truck, and racy sports cars. Nike has seen what it takes to get a teenagers attention and then what they have to compete with to keep their consumers pleased and interested. Nike’s product has changed to fit the lifestyle and image of different groups throughout its years just to maintain the cool image that so many recognize.

The Waffle outsole transformed the running world. Soon after, Nike Air evolved Nike's revolutionary impact on sports. The strength of Nike Air is its versatility. Beyond its basic function of impact protection, it can be shaped and tuned to meet the specific demands of contemporary athletes: Max Air, Zoom Air, and Tuned Air. In 2001, Nike introduced Nike Shox, unique columns of engineered foam, and a new revolution in cushioning began.

The History of Shoes: Superstition
Boots - good luck

Colonial Americans used to place their heavy boots on their abdomen to cure stomachache. To avoid bad luck, boots must always be carried under arm. Some people put salt and pepper in their left boot for good fortune. More boot superstitions can be found at Jennifer June's.