
As a runner, whether your are doing recreational or competitive running, a pair of trainers / running shoes is the most important piece of equipment you will purchase. Our modern day running shoes have come a long way since their predecessors. To learn more about the history of running shoes and their origins we have to go way back in 18th century England. It all began with a lightweight shoe made entirely from leather, which in the 19th century was further enhanced with spikes for improved traction.
Rubber soles have not been introduced until 1832, when Wait Webster attached the rubber soles to shoes and boots and by the 1860s the croquet shoe was marketed which resemble the trainer as we know it today: a rubber-soled shoe with a canvas upper and fastened with laces. Spiked running shoes were started to being developed in 1852, which were made from kangaroo skins and featured six spikes on the soles.
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