ATHLETIC footwear's come a long way from the days when runners strapped pieces of leather to the bottoms of their feet.
The biggest improvements now and on the way involve new mechanisms in midsoles -- the slice of protective cushion between the shoe's upper and its outer sole -- to better absorb impact; shoes that sense the pressure you need and let you "adjust your ride"; and smart shoes that incorporate computer technology and provide feedback about your performance.
Soon, even smarter shoes than today's may strike up conversations with you -- telling you how to avoid an injury, when you're off balance or to pick up your pace.
"Everyone making athletic shoes is out to accomplish the same goals: absorb impact, give runners a plush ride, and take the strain and stress off their bodies," says Patrick O'Malley, vice president of product for Saucony, an athletic shoe company in Lexington, Mass.
Breakthroughs usually hit running shoes first, and then basketball shoes. "Runners and hoopsters tend to be the early adopters of new technology," says David Cornwell, lead patent attorney for Adidas, which owns Reebok.
But if you're a baseball or soccer player don't despair: Eventually, the technology will percolate down to your footwear too. "Every serious athletic company is making great shoes. Athletes can and should expect a great fit and better protection," says David Jewell, director of running for Road Runner Sports, a San Diego-based chain of running stores.
The hard part for buyers, he adds, is choosing. There is so much product on the shelves that knowing what to select can be overwhelming.
As shoes keep getting smarter, consumers will have to as well. Read on for a look at what's here and on the way.
Midsole makeovers
The midsole is where most of the improvements -- and current hype -- abound. Almost all running shoe midsoles today are made of blown-in ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), a foam that provides a great cushion. But EVA's drawback is that it breaks down quickly, so athletes soon lose the benefit of the cushion.
Foam breaks down after the first 1,000 steps, says Peter Foley, chief operating officer for Skydex Technologies, a Centennial, Colo.-based company that develops foam alternatives. The average runner takes 1,600 steps in a mile. "I always tell people to enjoy their first mile," he says. "The shoes are really shot after 200 miles. But people still run in them."
