Rubber-soled athletic shoes gained popularity at the beginning of the 1900s.
The athletic shoe was born in ancient Greece when athletes strapped leather onto their feet to protect them during foot races. However, athletic shoes as we think of them today, with the characteristic rubber sole, were first produced with the beginning of rubber production at the end of the 1800s.
Sneakers
The word "sneaker" is believed to have been coined around the end of the 1800s by kids when describing their tennis shoes. In 1916, Keds became the first to popularize sneakers with their brand in 1916. The following year Converse came out with its version of the athletic shoe, but the first company to produce rubber-soled athletic shoes was J.W. Foster and Sons.
Reebok
According to Margo DeMello, in her book "Feet and Footwear: A Cultural Encyclopedia," Reebok was the first company to produce athletic shoes, beginning in England in 1895. Originally named J.W. Foster and Sons, the company sold spiked running shoes and later outfitted runners in the 1924 Olympics. The Reebok line did not hit the U.S. until 1979 and, by then, had to catch up with competitors like Nike and Adidas. Reebok focused on the women's and tennis markets, and by the mid-1980s had a significant share of the athletic shoe market.
Converse
The first basketball shoe was made by A.G. Spalding and Brothers around 1900, according to expert Robert W. Peterson. Later called the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, they rolled out an all-purpose gym shoe in 1917, calling it the All-Star. Famed basketball icon Chuck Taylor made All-Stars wildly popular, as he sold the high-tops to basketball teams around the country, after retiring from his basketball career. In 1931, Converse began including Chuck Taylor's signature on the All-Star, one of the most popular athletic shoes of all time.
Nike
The other contender for most popular athletic shoe is the Air Jordan, named for basketball great Michael Jordan. When Air Jordans rolled out in 1985, Nike receive a much-needed boost. Started in 1972 by Oregon running coach Bill Bowerman and runner Phil Knight, Nike running shoes quickly became the standard and led the industry. However, by the mid-1980s, Nike faced tough competition from other shoe makers. Air Jordans helped reclaim the lead for Nike, along with the Air Max and "Just Do It" marketing campaigns. Nike has since expanded its athletic shoe line to include other sports like soccer and golf and continues its marquee marketing with star athletes like Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Adidas and Puma
Adidas was one of Nike's toughest competitors in the 1980s. Well before Adolf Dassler founded Adidas in 1949, he and his brother Rudolf were innovators of athletic shoes. The Dassler brothers even provided Jesse Owens' shoes when he won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics. By 1938, however, the two bothers had become bitter enemies. Adolf went on to found Adidas, while Rudolph started Puma. Adidas specialized in soccer and track shoes and outsold Puma. In 1996, 6000 athletes from 33 countries wore the Adidas brand during the 1996 Olympics. In 2006, Adidas bought Reebok. Puma has since been sold to the company that owns Gucci.
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