The History of Athletic Performance Shoes

Let me say, first of all, that I am a HUGE sneakerhead. I am always looking for new shoes, from skate shoes, to Jordans, I never get tired of the fresh smell of new shoes. Then I said, "Why don't I do some research and write an article about it! So i did, and here it is:

What is a performance shoe? A performance shoe is a shoe that is designed to give you comfort, safety, and support while you're doing sports. From Converse Chuck Taylors to Air Jordans, these shoes have always been improving. That's one of the reasons why the US shoe industry makes 13 billion dollars per year!

History of Performance Shoes
Who made the first successful performance shoe? Back in 1921, Converse introduced the original Chuck Taylors: the canvas topped, rubber soled shoe. It dominated the shoe industry for forty years! But still, these shoes were not high performance, until 1979. Nike's M. Frank Rudy introduced "Air" technology. These were gas filled capsules that were inserted into the sole of the shoe to provide lighter, more responsive, and more durable cushioning. When Nike's "Air Force 1" shoe came out, it was by far the best shoe in the market, and it remains a bestseller to this day.

Many sneaker collectors believe that one man revolutionized the industry: Michael Jordan. Designed by Tinker Hatfield, the "Air" Jordans were always the most comfortable and stylish shoes. Every couple of years, Hatfield would design a shoe that would revolutionize the industry. He used materials that were never before used in shoes, such as patent leather, elephant skin print leather, and mesh. The Air Jordans were so comfortable, people would wear them with suits!

How it Works
What are some technologies used in shoes? How do they work? Well, the original air soles were designed to provide lightweight cushioning, but in 1987 Nike released shoes with larger air soles called the "Nike Air Max". The shoes had larger air soles, and the air was often visible. Recently, Nike released the "Nike Air Max 360", which had a sole that was made entirely of air! In 2000, Nike released the Nike shox. Shox are rubber columns that make up the midsole of the shoe. These not only absorb, but return energy, making you run faster and jump higher. When Nike released the shox, Adidas immediately countered by creating the "A3" technology which has the same purpose as the shox. Some shoes simply have heel inserts. They just insert soft materials inside the heel of the shoe as cushioning, such as Adidas adiprene and Nike zoom air.

One very unique technology is the Reebok Pump. Designed by scientists in NASA, it pumps air to the sides of shoe to give you a custom fit. Nike tried to counter with a shoe like that of their own, but wee highly unsuccessful. Adidas however, has made a shoe to counter it: the Adidas_1 shoe. It has a computer chip that measures you weight speed and other areas to adjust the cushioning of the shoe. These shoes are getting more and more advanced every year!

Shoe companies are constantly looking for athletes(Lebron James and his $90 million dollar Nike contract) to endorse their products, and bring back the glorious days of the Jordan era.