Running Shoes

Recent developments in design and science mean that many running shoes are more technical than ever before. With advanced computer modeling software, creators can now develop footwear that mimic exactly how humans run.

The British company Reebok are credited with one of the very first purpose-built sports shoes when, in the late 1800’s they invented a pair of shoes designed for running that featured spikes. Something that had never been done before, the inventor, a keen runner himself, found that the spikes provided more grip and helped him to run faster than before.

Two of the giants in the sporting footwear market were actually founded by brothers. Adi Dassler created Adidas, and his brother Rudolph formed Puma. Formed in 1925, Adidas also included shoes with spikes to help runners, this time offering a range of varying styles for runners of different distance.

Extensive research was done in the early 1970’s to see exactly how humans run. Research that nowadays, with the benefit of computer software, is much easier than it was back then.

The research concentrated on the harm caused to the body, especially the knee and thigh joints as a result of prolonged running on different surfaces.

The results of the study revealed 3 main styles of running; Neutral, Supenation and Pronation.

Neutral running is where the runners foot lands flat on the ground and rolls neither inwards or outwards, but the foot travels directly in a straight line. This method of running is often the best for endurance running.

Pronation – This style of running is where the foot rolls inwards as it hits the ground, and moves to the side as it travels forwards. Tarsel tunnel syndrome, bunyons and shin splints can all be symptoms of excessive pronation.

Supenation – The opposite of Pronation – In this case, the foot rolls outwards. Excessive supenation can cause shin splints and ankle sprains.

There are now different versions of running shoes developed to cope with whatever style of running you have. Many shoes use varying density of foam in areas of the sole to offer firmer and extra support where needed to minimise the damage caused to your body with excessive running.

Other advances in running footwear include the Nike Air Sole which was developed in 1972. The inventor put rubber into his waffle machine at homeand stuck the resulting ‘waffle sole’ onto a regular pair of running shoes. The runners who tested the new invention remarked on how good they found it, and the lightweight sole revolutionised the market in running shoes.

More recently, brands including Skechers have entered the running footwear market. Their ‘Skechers Resistance Runner’ range of shoes are designed to mimic running in soft sand. The sole cushions the impact on the feet in every step, supposedly resulting in a much faster and smoother run.

As technology in computer modelling and composite materials develops further, it seems that running shoe technology will continue to advance further.