The Crazy Evolution Of Your Running Shoe
We've come a long way to get to the awesome styles we have now.
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Some love them for comfort and style. Others love them for the functionality and support. The women’s running shoe has come a long way to help us log miles and continue to push through the toughest run.
Runners today benefit from the latest technology in a shoe that supports their athletic feet. Inspired from men’s shoes, the evolution of the female running shoe has come a long way—especially from the first one to now.
The Rise of Sneaker Culture, a past exhibition at the Toledo Museum of Art, traces that evolution from the 1830s to today.
Take a brief walk through history to see how style and function have come together.








Thomas Dutton and Thorowgood, Running Shoe, 1860–65. Northampton Museums and Art Gallery. Photo: Greg Washington, courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum.
Nike, Foamposite, 1997. Nike Archives. Photo: Ron Wood, courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum.