In 1971, Bill Bowerman got a big idea while making breakfast. He had been trying to think of a new design for his athletic shoes. He wanted something light and fast that gripped without spikes.
He looked down at the waffle iron he was using. BINGO!
Mr. Bowerman poured a rubbery urethane mixture into the iron. Soon he had cooked up a new-style sole for Nike sports shoes.
Nike’s Waffle Trainer was released in 1974. It turned the sports shoe world upside down. It also turned the Nike company into a mega-success.
In 2010, the rusted old waffle iron he used was found in a garbage pit. Now it has a place of honor in a display case in Nike’s World Headquarters near Beaverton, Oregon. And a pair of the famous “waffle” shoes sold last year for $475,500! No pair of sneakers has ever been auctioned for more.
What Did They Wear?
Once upon a time, people just ran barefoot. Some still do. But most prefer the support, speed, and protection offered by running shoes. Today, shoe designers know a running shoe must fit the foot tightly but not too tightly. They give sneakers lots of cushion to protect joints. They make them lightweight.
But it took decades for designers to figure all this out.
1917—People make the first rubber-soled shoes. They call them “sneakers” because people can walk in them without making noise.
1920s—Shoes worn by marathoners look like something they’d wear to church, not to the track. But this thin leather footwear gets one thing right. It is light. Some models weigh less than 10 ounces. (That’s about as heavy as a hamster.)
1940s—Just add spikes. Many runners race cross-country. Spikes help them dig into the ground without slipping. An earlier version of these shoes came from England in 1865. These look like someone had pounded nails through a pair of dress shoes.
1951—Boston Marathon winner Shegeki Tanaki sports an unusual shoe. It is more like a canvas sock with a separate compartment for the big toe.
1960—For the first time, everybody can buy a pair of running shoes. The New Balance Trackster becomes one of the first mass-produced runners. Its price is $15.
1974—The Nike Waffle Trainer becomes available.
1995—Who needs shoes? Christopher Kosgei wins the world steeplechase title. He wears nothing on his feet but tape on a few toes.
2005—Barefoot running becomes popular again. So do Vibram FiveFingers—shoes with an individual section for each toe.
2019—Eliud Kipchoge breaks the marathon record in Nike “super shoes.”
