Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 140, April 2021 Apr 2021 | Page 50

OUT OF THE BOX out of the box by NORRIE WILLIAMSON

OUT OF THE BOX out of the box by NORRIE WILLIAMSON

Evolution of the Running Shoe ( part 1 )
Since the genesis of humans , feet have played an essential part in our survival . Amongst mammals , we are unique to have evolved to stand vertically , which has given us specific advantages in endurance and running and this ability was key to our hunting , gathering and hence survival . Science has stated that while we are not the fastest creatures , we are designed to run .

Our evolution has given us the ideal musculature , joints , tendons and ligaments to run long distances . Our leg , ankle and foot design created the world ’ s best biomechanical spring , which together with our alternate hand and leg cross-sling structure provide the balance , agility and twist that allows us to launch from foot to foot at a moderate speed and rhythm , which we can sustain for hours at a time .

Historical Look-back
Competitive sport dates back to the ancient Olympics , but eve before that , running was not only our ally in hunting food , but also a profession as messenger . Many runners know the story of Greek messenger , Pheidippides , who first ran 254km from Athens to Sparta ( in under 36 hours ) to request the assistance of the Spartans against the invading Persians in 490 BC . His call was rejected , so he had to travel back to Athens – another 254km – then went to the battlefield at Marathon ( 40km ) to fight with his comrades , before being sent with the infamous message of victory to carry back to Athens – where he is alleged to have died after delivering his message . That gave him a total of 588km of foot travel over a few days … arguably the first case of over-racing !
At the time of Pheidippides , the best protection for a runner ’ s foot would be a flat ( zero drop ) leather sandal , harnessed to the foot by thin straps . Little changed in that regard in running until the 1800 ’ s , with most running being done either barefoot or in basic leather shoes . It is thought that the first running shoe made on a production basis was for Lord Spencer in 1865 . This looked like a normal shoe of the time , but with three spikes for grip .
Little changed until the early 1900 ’ s , when a gamechanger was discovered by welding canvas uppers to rubber outer soles . This was the evolution of the plimsole ( takkie ), which became the running shoe of choice after the First World War and continued to dominate in distance running for the next four decades . German Adi Dassler was thought to be the first sports shoe producer , and in 1925 he introduced spikes for Track and Field . The fact that even 96 years ago , the spikes were placed on the front of the track shoes , is clear indication that this was where the natural running landing should be .
There was no heel build-up in shoes at that time , but of course , this was for short distances up to 800m , or the mile . A visit to Comrades Museum will see the minimal variations between the plimsoles used by Shackleford in the 1923 Comrades and Clive Crawley ’ s model in 1961 , where he had glued a small heel to the underside , giving a 2-3mm drop .
The period from the 1920s to the 1970s saw the likes of Arthur Newton , Wally Hayward , Jackie Mekler , Basil Heately , Ron Hill and many others setting National and World Records with running times that are still hard for the average or even good club runner to match . And all those times were run in the most basic of foot covering , with nominal or no cushioning , and no so-called ‘ foot control .’ It was the culmination of thousands of years of running without any serious technology … just the basic foot ! How is this possible if the foot is not the correct running tool ?
Then Everything Changed
In 1948 the Dassler brothers split to form today ’ s Adidas and Puma companies , while in the 1960 ’ s New Balance introduced width fitting with their first Trackster shoes . Meanwhile , in the Far East , Onitsuka Tiger shoes grew in popularity after the company that was to become Asics put an even lighter and less chaffing nylon upper on a thin , highly flexible , slightly cushioned compound sole . ( The Tigers worn by Max Botha and four-time winner , Alan Robb , are also on display in the Comrades museum , as are the racing 1982 New Balance 200 ’ s of Bruce Fordyce and his mid 80 ’ s progression to the Nike
Images : Courtesy Adidas , Nike , Running Mann & Wikimedia
50 ISSUE 140 APRIL 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za