Keds were actually the first sneakers. They were so-called because of the stealth and quiet manner in which you could creep up on someone when you wore them. Back in the day, Converse, Keds, and PF Flyers were the shoes kids in America typically wore. Nowadays, those shoes are frowned upon by the biomechanical experts. Today shoes need to be devised to assist the athlete with specific demands of the sport, and to meet the individual biomechanical needs.
Within the context of the modern athletic shoe development, podiatric biomechanical thought has been included in new sneaker development. The buying public looks for stable and motion-controlled shoes. The use of motion-control devices, new shock-absorbing materials, and many other ideas has largely been influenced by podiatric medicine experts. There is a realization that foot and lower extremity biomechanics play a vital role in the performance of all athletes at every level.
Today’s shoes are designed with the intent to provide athletes accommodating comfort for various shapes and sizes of feet. Shoes are made to allow for differences between men and women, light and heavy-weight people, and narrow and wide footed people. Sneakers have also become sport specific, meaning shoes are meeting the specific needs of differing sports.
Podiatrists have been involved in the development of athletic shoes since the early 1970s. As biomechanical foot and lower extremity knowledge became widespread during this decade, the use of effective devices in shoes gained momentum. Podiatrists added wedges, arch supports, heel cradles and other devices to the existing footwear, making any athletic sport more enjoyable and more comfortable to play. Because of the new-found comfort in athletic shoes, podiatrists began contacting athletic shoe companies to sell their biomechanical ideas. The subsequent incorporation of these devices into athletic sneakers marked a revolution in the athletic shoe industry.
As a result, many athletic shoe makers began hiring podiatrists to help develop new lines of athletic shoes. Companies began investing time, money, and effort into developing shoes that would last, and offer pain-free solutions to many foot problems of athletes. For example, Joe Ellis, Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), worked closely with Asics in 1981. He originated and developed the first mid-sole technology that incorporated medial posting in the mid-sole section of the running shoe. Today, dual-density mid-soles are the standard motion-control feature utilized by most of the mainstream shoe industry leaders.
Shoe companies have proudly promoted new shoe designs and given credit to the podiatrists who helped invent and develop them. Clearly, podiatrists have played an important role in the advancement of athletic shoe technology. Without podiatrists and their professional understanding of the foot and lower extremities, sneakers may not have been developed into what they are today. Millions of people enjoy the comfort of having shoes that cater to their own feet. Nearly 380 million pairs of shoes are sold during a given year in the shoe industry. Because of the huge market for athletic shoes, it’s important that shoe companies supply people with shoes that provide comfort, reliability, and durability. That’s why it’s important for shoe companies to maintain an ongoing relationship with podiatrists because podiatrists have contributed and will continue to contribute to athletic shoe technology and development.
By John Ivie