A Report on

Athletic Shoes
Submitted for fulfillment of assignment of

ERGONOMICS AND WORK PLACE ENGINEERING

By
Nikita Jain
MFT III

Under the Guidance of

Prof. (Dr.) Prabir Jana

National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi

YEAR: 2014-2015

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The Athletic Shoe

Year

Description

Photos

Oldest known pair of shoes was discovered in 1938 in

Oregon and was dated somewhere between 8,000 and
7,000 B.C. By the 1800s, most shoes had stitched on
soles, but most were still not foot specificthe right
shoe was the same as the left.
1892

Goodyear made flat bottomed, light weight, and flexible

shoes that became a design revolution. This was mainly
marketed for the basketball players.
Converse Allstars The Keds

1917

Later in 1917 they were called sneakers because of

rubber sole they could sneak around silently. (Goodyear)

1920
1925

Adi Dassler develops track and field shoes with handforged spikes for better traction and grip.

1938

New Balance creates the worlds first running shoe with

a ripple sole and varying widths
(New Balance)

1948

Puma Schuhfabrik is founded and the world is

introduced to the PUMA Atom, PUMA's first football
cleats, white. (Evolution of football cleats)
Image: Joe Namath

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1957

Dassler develops the first nylon half-soles for sprint

shoes. (A history of Adidas)

1959

Onitsuka designs a new marathon shoe then set about

trying to solve the problem. He was inspired by the air
cooling systems of motor-cycles to use a loose cloth for
the top of the shoe, combined with front and side holes.
This created a cooling effect to combat the heat of
impact, which created the blisters. The resulting shoe
was called 'magic runner'. (Onitsuka Tiger brand history)

1960

PUMA pioneers vulcanization technology to bond the

sole and shaft of shoes together. New Balance releases
the Trackster, the first running shoe in the industry to be
offered in multiple widths.

1970

Bill Bowerman begins experimenting by pouring liquid

rubber onto a waffle iron, thereby creating the waffle
sole.

1972

Adidas develops sprint shoes using a combination of

sharkskin and polyamide half-soles for improved
traction.
Blue Ribbon Sports introduces the first shoe featuring
Bowermans waffle sole. (A history of Adidas)

1978
- 79

Blue Ribbon Sports officially becomes Nike, Inc and

Frank Rudy partners up with Nike to create the first AirSole units.
Nike introduces the Tailwind, the first running shoe to
feature the Air-Sole cushioning system.

1980

Saucony releases the first ever slip lasted running shoe,

called the Trainer 80.

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1982

Reebok introduces the first shoe designed especially for

women. It was called the Freestyle.
(A history of Adidas)

1987

ASICS releases the Freaks A jogging shoe featuring

their all new GEL cushioning system. (ASICS)

1988

Adidas launches the TORSION sole system that is still

used today. This enables forefoot and heel to move
independently giving midfoot light weight support, allows
foot to flex in proper place, for natural and efficient
motion. (A history of Adidas)

1991
- 93

Saucony develops the first midsole that provides

cushioning and support and releases the first molded
EVA dual density midsole. (Saucony Again)

1996

Mizuno develops the Cat Plus running shoe that features

enhanced forefoot functionality.

1998

Mizuno creates running shoes using artificial leather

made from recycled plastic bottles.
(Mizuno)

2003

Karhu and the University of Jyvaskyla collaborate to

create an evolution of Fulcrum technology.
(Karho Strong Fulcrum ride)

2004

ASICS introduces Biomorphic Fit design that allows the

foot to distort naturally.
(ASICS)

2005

Vibram releases Five Fingers, a glove for the foot.

Minimum rubber thickness in the outsole maximizes
foot feel and flexibility, while a soft midsole further
reduces thickness and weight for natural movement. A
stitched-in insole protects skin and foot tissue during
longer runs. For a snug fit, the lightweight, stretch mesh
upper has a seamless collar and adjustable hook-andloop closure. (Vibram Five Fingers)
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2006

Nike releases the Air Max 360, the first shoe with a
foamless midsole. (Airmax History Nike)
Nike and Apple team up to launch Nike+, combining
music, biofeedback, and data collection.

2008

Brooks launches BioMoGo, the first ever bio-degradable

athletic shoe midsole. Once in a landfill, BioMoGo
breaks down 50 times faster than traditional cushioning
materials. (Brooks
BIOMOGO)

2009

Brooks releases the DNA cushioning system, the first

ever
smart
cushioning
midsole.
Reebok releases /the innovative EasyTone toning
footwear technology.
(Brooks DNA)

2010
2014

Adidas Supernova Glide 6 a nice fit for long runs. Boost

offers more cushioning than traditional EVA foam and is
resistant to temperature changes, so the shoe won't get
hard in cold weather.
Brooks pure flow 3: reduction in the width to make for
smoother landings; reshaped pods of rubber on the
outsole for a more flexible forefoot; and a tongue that's
fixed at the arch and wraps to the outside.

Key Terms:
1.

CUSHIONING IN RUNNING SHOES

Cushioning systems greatly increased comfort, reduced the occurrence of painful feet and
allowed many people who would not otherwise have participated to enjoy the jogging boom.
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Cushioning in athletic shoes has been shown to attenuate skeletal shock transients and to
reduce peak plantar pressures. The addition of a layer of compliant material between the foot
and the ground distributes impact forces, both temporally (reducing peak forces) and spatially
(reducing peak pressures).
2.

Analysis of Sprinting

The leg action in running is one that takes place in a sagittal plane about a frontal axis and
involves the hip, knee and ankle joints

The bones of the hip involved are the femur and pelvic girdle which form a ball and
socket joint.
The bones of the knee involved are the femur and tibia which form a hinge joint.
The bones of the ankle involved are the tibia and calcaneus which form a modified joint.

Each of these joints produces two actions, one when the leg is in contact with the ground
(driving phase) and one when the leg is not in contact with the ground (recovery phase).

Works Cited
(n.d.). Retrieved from New Balance: http://blog.needsupply.com/2013/03/04/newbalance-a-short-history/
A history of Adidas. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.designboom.com/design/adidasslers-first-shoes-an-exhibition-by-adidas/
Airmax History Nike. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/sportswear/airmax
ASICS. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://corp.asics.com/en/about_asics/institute_of_sport_science/materials
Brooks BIOMOGO. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/0724-2008.html

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Brooks DNA. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/brooksdna/brooks_dna.html

Cavanagh. (1980). The Running Shoe Book, Anderson World.
EuroShoe. The EuroShoe approach to ergonomics.
Evolution of football cleats. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://sneakerreport.com/news/the-surprising-and-unexpected-evolution-of-thefootball-cleat/10
Goodyear. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sportsartifacts.com/other.html
Karho Strong Fulcrum ride. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.therunnersvibe.com/?
p=2262
Mizuno. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mizuno.com/corporate/history/
Onitsuka Tiger brand history. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.trainerstation.com/onitsuka-tiger-brand-history.html
Ransacker. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ransacker.co.uk/home/aboutus/manufacturers/the-history-of-running-shoes/
Saucony Again. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://pausemag.co.uk/?p=23252
Vibram Five Fingers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.vibramfivefingers.com

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