Introduction
On this page, you will follow the timeline of the history of the running shoe from 1950 to present day. By examining this timeline, you will see how prevalent brand names, media like music and films, and famous athletes transitioned the running shoe from an athletic tool to a cultural symbol.
On this page, you will follow the timeline of the history of the running shoe from 1950 to present day. By examining this timeline, you will see how prevalent brand names, media like music and films, and famous athletes transitioned the running shoe from an athletic tool to a cultural symbol.
1950-1970
Emerging Brands
The 20th century saw the birth of the biggest running shoe brands in history. In 1916 Keds was founded and in 1917 Converse came to be. These two brands are both still prevalent and influential today. The early 20th century also saw the birth of the Dassler Brothers shoe company, Gebruder-Dassler Schuhfabrik. Gebruder-Dassler Schuhfabrik was established in Germany in 1924 by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler. The company was a great success after Olympic runner Jesse Owens wore their shoes in the 1936 Olympics (Kawamura). In 1949, due to a disagreement between the brothers, their partnership was broken, and each went their separate ways in the running shoe industry. Adolf Dassler went on to form Adidas, while Rudolf founded Puma (Werd).
The 20th century saw the birth of the biggest running shoe brands in history. In 1916 Keds was founded and in 1917 Converse came to be. These two brands are both still prevalent and influential today. The early 20th century also saw the birth of the Dassler Brothers shoe company, Gebruder-Dassler Schuhfabrik. Gebruder-Dassler Schuhfabrik was established in Germany in 1924 by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler. The company was a great success after Olympic runner Jesse Owens wore their shoes in the 1936 Olympics (Kawamura). In 1949, due to a disagreement between the brothers, their partnership was broken, and each went their separate ways in the running shoe industry. Adolf Dassler went on to form Adidas, while Rudolf founded Puma (Werd).
To the left, Jesse Owens is photographed at the 1936 Olympics, where he won 4 gold medals.
New Balance was another shoe company that gained prevalence in the running shoe industry
in this period. Though New Balance had been making shoes since the early 1900's, it
wasn't until 1961 when Paul Kidd overtook the company that they made their first running
shoe. Using his prior knowledge in orthopedics, Kidd invented the first modern running shoe,
the New Balance Trackster (Werd). The shoe included increased heel height, and a wedge
of rubber under the heel for additional arch support (Werd).
In 1964, Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight teamed up to start the Blue Ribbon Sports company (Kawamura). Blue Ribbon Sports would later become one of the biggest shoe companies in history, Nike. Bill Bowerman
used his knowledge as a coach to design shoes specifically made to
aid athletes speed and agility (Werd). Bowerman's prototype running
shoes were made of lightweight leather and nylon uppers (Capstone Press).
Blue Ribbon Sports teamed up with Tiger shoe company in Japan
to compete with the big German shoe companies in this time that
were run by the Dassler brothers. As a result of this partnership,
by 1967 the Tiger Marathon and Roadrunner shoes had become
the most popular in the market (Werd).
The shoe showcased on this Blue Ribbon Sports and Tiger
advertisement is the Tiger Marathon Shoe. The shoe is made
of "a light rubber outsole with a separate heel and forepart,
including a reverse leather upper " (Werd).
used his knowledge as a coach to design shoes specifically made to
aid athletes speed and agility (Werd). Bowerman's prototype running
shoes were made of lightweight leather and nylon uppers (Capstone Press).
Blue Ribbon Sports teamed up with Tiger shoe company in Japan
to compete with the big German shoe companies in this time that
were run by the Dassler brothers. As a result of this partnership,
by 1967 the Tiger Marathon and Roadrunner shoes had become
the most popular in the market (Werd).
The shoe showcased on this Blue Ribbon Sports and Tiger
advertisement is the Tiger Marathon Shoe. The shoe is made
of "a light rubber outsole with a separate heel and forepart,
including a reverse leather upper " (Werd).
Changing Demographics: Athletes to Average Consumers
Running shoes and sneakers began being worn as casual wear in the 1950's with the emergence of cultural figures sporting running shoes as a day-to-day fashion item. This includes famous athletes, movie stars, and musicians. One of most notable stars to wear running shoes casually is James Dean, who was seen wearing sneakers on and off screen (Braithewaite).
Above James Dean is pictured wearing Jack Purcell tennis shoes in 1955.
Due to this cultural shift in 1968, New Balance began designing dual usage running shoes. This duality allowed for consumers to wear the shoes as a daily fashion item, as well as an athletic aid. These shoes also fed into the emerging rhetoric in the 60's that emphasized exercise and encouraged Americans to spend less time on the couch (Werd). This emphasis on average people engaging e in casual athletics, led to a greater demand for running shoes that served the average person instead of only professional athletes.
Due to this cultural shift in 1968, New Balance began designing dual usage running shoes. This duality allowed for consumers to wear the shoes as a daily fashion item, as well as an athletic aid. These shoes also fed into the emerging rhetoric in the 60's that emphasized exercise and encouraged Americans to spend less time on the couch (Werd). This emphasis on average people engaging e in casual athletics, led to a greater demand for running shoes that served the average person instead of only professional athletes.
In this time period, running shoes were an item that played a major role in many culturally significant moments. At the Mexican Olympics in 1968, Tommie Smith won the 200-meter run wearing Puma Suede trainers named Clydes (Worsley). This pushed Puma shoes into cultural resonance, as it was at this event where Smith raised his fist in the Black Power salute. His actions transformed the shoes into a cult item linked to Black Pride (Worsley).
To the left, Tommie Smith is pictured beside fellow American athlete John Carlos with raised fists at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics (Worsley).
The Adidas Superstar is the perfect example of a running shoe that surpassed its athletic purpose and became a fashionable phenomenon.
In 1969, Adidas launched the classic basketball shoe, called the Adidas
Superstar (Kawamura). Though the shoe was initially designed for basketball it has far surpassed the courts of basketball games and can be seen worn as casual wear to this day. It continues to be one of Adidas' best-selling shoes (Kawamura).
1970-1980
Sneaker Culture and the Birth of Nike
Though running shoes were gaining popularity as casual wear throughout the 50's and 60's, it wasn't until the 1970's that collecting running shoes became its own subculture. This subculture was born from the poor neighborhoods of New York and the growth of hip-hop culture, practiced mostly by people of colour (Kawamura).
Though running shoes were gaining popularity as casual wear throughout the 50's and 60's, it wasn't until the 1970's that collecting running shoes became its own subculture. This subculture was born from the poor neighborhoods of New York and the growth of hip-hop culture, practiced mostly by people of colour (Kawamura).
In 1971, Tiger Shoe Company and Blue Ribbon Sports ended their partnership due a distribution dispute. This separation was what prompted Knight and Bowerman to change the name of their company from Blue Ribbon Sports to Nike (Werd). Nike is one of the running shoe companies that make sneaker collection possible in the first place.
Nike's first official shoe, The Cortez, was released in 1972 (Werd). Designed by Bill Bowerman, the shoe was created with running in mind and used a waffle iron stolen from his wife's kitchen supplies (Braithwaite).
Below is an advertisement from June 1973 for The Cortez. In the advertisement, Bowerman's expertise and dedication to athletics/athletes comes through, as the advertisement's major concern is selling the shoes function as an athletic tool.
Nike's first official shoe, The Cortez, was released in 1972 (Werd). Designed by Bill Bowerman, the shoe was created with running in mind and used a waffle iron stolen from his wife's kitchen supplies (Braithwaite).
Below is an advertisement from June 1973 for The Cortez. In the advertisement, Bowerman's expertise and dedication to athletics/athletes comes through, as the advertisement's major concern is selling the shoes function as an athletic tool.
1980-2000
Nike Air Jordan Series
In 1985 Nike released the sneaker brand Air Jordan 1 named after
basketball star, Michael Jordan (Kawamura). The initial deal between
Nike and Michael Jordan was signed for five years and 2.5 million
dollars, however after only one year the brand had earned 1.3 million
dollars (Kawamura). Michael Jordan attracted sneaker lovers when
he began to wear his personalized shoes on the court in 1984, calling
attention with the colourful designs.
At this time, the NBA had strict rules about the colour of the running shoes players wore, and the Air Jordan 1's in black and red were banned because of these rules. Undeterred, Jordan went on to wear the shoes three separate times, unwilling to conform to the ban. This lack of conformity made the running shoes even more attractive to consumers and Nike hooked onto this hype by catering its marketing of the shoes to the banned narrative (Kawamura). Below is a commercial from 1985 that displays this narrative focused marketing in action.
The Nike Air Jordan 1 brand released the shoe in twenty-three different colour variations, each shoe accompanied by two sets of laces to match the colours and model (Kawamura). The different variations of the shoe, paired with its cultural impact is what brought the subculture of sneaker collection to the attention of
mass audiences. Since the Air Jordan 1 series was so successful, Nike releases
a new series of Air Jordan's yearly with multiple colours and models (Kawamura).
The iconic Air Jordan Jumpman Logo is introduced with the Air Jordan III series
in 1988 and continues to be a cornerstone of Nike Brand to this day(Kawamura).
Running Shoes in Media
The 1980's and 90's saw the running shoe centred in entertainment media. In 1986, with the rising relevance of running shoes and sneaker culture the American hip-hop group Run-DMC released the song My Adidas. This song caught the attention of Adidas and led to a sponsorship deal between the group and the brand (Braithwaite).
The 1980's and 90's saw the running shoe centred in entertainment media. In 1986, with the rising relevance of running shoes and sneaker culture the American hip-hop group Run-DMC released the song My Adidas. This song caught the attention of Adidas and led to a sponsorship deal between the group and the brand (Braithwaite).
In the video above you can hear the song for yourself. If you pay attention to the lyrics in the first verse of the song, you will see an exemplification of the cultural relevance and daily connection individuals had to their shoes. There is a reverence and dedication exemplified in the words of the song. The verse goes:
"My Adidas walk through concert doors
And roam all over coliseum floors
I stepped on stage, at Live Aid
All the people gave, and the poor got paid
And out of the speakers I did speak
I wore my sneakers but I'm not a sneak
My Adidas touch the sand of a foreign land
With mic in hand, I cold took command
My Adidas and me close as can be
We make a mean team, my Adidas and me
We get around together, we're down forever
And we won't be mad when caught in bad weather
My Adidas." - My Adidas by Run-DMC
"My Adidas walk through concert doors
And roam all over coliseum floors
I stepped on stage, at Live Aid
All the people gave, and the poor got paid
And out of the speakers I did speak
I wore my sneakers but I'm not a sneak
My Adidas touch the sand of a foreign land
With mic in hand, I cold took command
My Adidas and me close as can be
We make a mean team, my Adidas and me
We get around together, we're down forever
And we won't be mad when caught in bad weather
My Adidas." - My Adidas by Run-DMC
Another major moment for running shoes in entertainment media came in in 1994 when The Cortez by Nike was worn by Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump the film. This appearance cemented Nike as a cultural symbol in American pop culture (Braithwaite). The pivotal thematic role the running shoes played in the story of Forrest Gump further showcases the connection consumers and society had to the symbol and product of running shoes. |
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2000 - Present
Internet and Social Media
As the internet, smartphones, and social media gain prevalence in the 21st century we see the way the culture of running shoe collectors has spread further and further into society (Kawamura). Due to these developments, sneaker collection has gone from the underground and fairly unheard of activity it was in the 1970's to a common, accessible, and well-known practice. Even those who do not partake in the culture have some idea of what it entails, and in the 21st century it is very likely you have met at least one person who considers themselves a "sneakerhead."
As the internet, smartphones, and social media gain prevalence in the 21st century we see the way the culture of running shoe collectors has spread further and further into society (Kawamura). Due to these developments, sneaker collection has gone from the underground and fairly unheard of activity it was in the 1970's to a common, accessible, and well-known practice. Even those who do not partake in the culture have some idea of what it entails, and in the 21st century it is very likely you have met at least one person who considers themselves a "sneakerhead."
Social media is not only used to speak about running shoes and spread information, but many individuals even use social media to resell their rare and limited-edition shoes for a huge profit. The average retail value of most running shoes by popular brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma is between US$190 to US$240, but are reselling for between US$1,695 and US$6,118 (Braithwaite).
Those dedicated to running shoe collection and trading have maintained this decades long culture. Nike and Adidas routinely release limited edition shoes associated with a celebrity, hip-hop star, or athlete, as was the case in the 80's and 90's (Braithwaite)
Those dedicated to running shoe collection and trading have maintained this decades long culture. Nike and Adidas routinely release limited edition shoes associated with a celebrity, hip-hop star, or athlete, as was the case in the 80's and 90's (Braithwaite)
The current athleisure trend has been prevalent for much of the last decade and contributes greatly to the ever-growing sales of running shoes. This trend only
grew more during the Covid - 19 pandemic in 2020 as lockdowns made people further prioritize comfort, which resulted in a rise in sales of loungewear,
athleisure, and flat shoes, like sneakers and running shoes (Braithwaite).
Presently, Nike, Adidas and Puma are the leading running shoe brands with
Nike leading, Adidas in second and Puma third (Kawamura). As of 2020,
the global running shoe market was valued at approximately 79 billion dollars (USD) (Braithwaite).
Conclusion
After examining the last 70 years of running shoe history, you can see how the birth of brands like Adidas, Puma, and Nike catapulted running shoes in popularity and necessity. These brands, as well as the athletes that wore their shoes are the reason that running shoes were culturally resonant through the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s and continue to be today. These brands and athletes made it so that running shoes were not just an athletic tool but a symbol and companion to the average and everyday consumer, as displayed in the media that came from this time period.
Today the running shoes are a multi-million-dollar industry, and those huge amounts of revenue can be attributed to its developments throughout the 1950’s to today, as well as all that came before, beginning in the 1800’s.