"A Brief History of the Running Shoe." Illustration by Dan Fuehrer, text by Scott Douglas.Fashion is a game of taste. A new roast-worthy sneaker debuts every week and with it comes a corresponding deluge of ridicule, humor and scathing criticism. One need look no further than the comment section of any new shoe for proof. Long before the Under Armour “Chef Curry” 2 Lows erred the wrath of sneakerheads worldwide, however, there was another sporty sneaker that suffered the slings and arrows of streetwear’s sharp-tongued critics: the Nike Roshe Run. The original Roshe Run was introduced to the public back in 2012 as an affordable, minimalist entry in the runner category. The selling point for many was that the shoe’s EVA sole did not require the use of a mold, allowing the silhouette to hit a modest $70 price point. Drawing on his own experiences meditating, Nike designer Dylan Raasch took inspiration from the aesthetic simplicity and balance of Zen Buddhist gardens: the sole was inspired by steppingstones;

the insole imitated the look of a freshly-raked lawn of sand; even the original “Iguana” colorway took cues from the moss found growing in and around temples. Roshe is actually pronounced “roshi,” based on the Rōshi title bestowed upon Zen Buddhist masters, but the name had to be changed for legal reasons.clearance nike shoes The shoe’s Zen inspiration shone through in its publicity run, or rather the lack thereof. buy running shoes 1 size biggerThe affordable sneaker was released without a promotional campaign: that means no press release, no flashy videos or short films, no celebrity endorsements. running shoes for running on toesNike let the product speak for itself. best running shoes full marathon

The entire Roshe project was an exercise in lean, minimal marketing and a case study in bypassing the hype cycle. The Roshe became both ubiquitous and effectively resale-proof, while still retaining an air of collectibility. puma shoes for mens onlineOn paper, the Roshe ticks many of the boxes that fashion-savvy consumers look out for.soccer shoes store uk At first, response was nearly unanimously positive: the Roshe was welcomed warmly be sneaker blogs and the public at large. The shoes spawned a cult-like following: the TeamRoshe community on Instagram, for example, has amassed a following of nearly 300K followers. Nike began rolling out sneakerboot silhouettes that incorporated some of the Roshe’s elements, as well as more luxe, upscale, and exclusive colorways and collaborations. The affordable runner had a noted influence on the silhouette and style of the much-coveted adidas Yeezy Boost 350, so much so that customizers took to painting their Roshes with turtledove patterns.

Nike CEO Mark Parker even wore a rare, then-unreleased pair of fragment design Roshes when he met with U.S. President Barack Obama (see image above). This begs the question: what’s not to love? four pins killed the roshe run — Four Pins (@Four_Pins) May 26, 2016 The wheel of fortune turned on the Roshe when, much like the aforementioned Curry 2 Lows, it became the target of widespread memes and roasts. Four Pins, the late streetwear blog turned fire tweet repository, and its loyal readership proved to be particularly vehement in their distaste of the silhouette, ridiculing the shoes as a sign of tastelessness; the Roshe Run became the unofficial shoe of “the most swagless homie.” Retweeted tweets and memes about the Roshe would regularly go viral, until the shoe became practically synonymous with basic sensibilities. Former Four Pins editor-in-chief and Grailed branding director Lawrence Schlossman notes that the meme was inspired by the shoe’s proliferation: “I’m all for democratic fashion and it’s undeniable that the Roshe changed the game and whatnot.

I’m unashamed to admit I owned a pair.” Schlossman notes that there was a tipping point: “I get that they’re practically collectible in a sense, because of all of the colorways that you can pair with other awful shit, but there were just so many and they were fucking everywhere and they were so affordable.” /vJ2FAQRX86 — nate lee (@nately) November 8, 2016 Ubiquity and affordability, however, does sell. Despite the memes, Schlossman notes that the Four Pins effect is “a drop in the ocean” compared to Nike’s ability to market and sell shoes. In point of fact, the Roshe One recently topped a list of the most popular shoes on eBay and came in second place in terms of demand. The Yeezy Boost might draw record crowds and resale prices, but demand vastly outweighs supply. The Roshe balances the two, while also catering to a more sensible price point. The same can be said of the Chef Curry Lows, which did gangbusters in sales despite nearly universal design criticism.

Speaking to Vice about what differentiates the Roshe from the Yeezy, Freshness’s Yu-Ming Wu had the following to say: “You have the Nike Roshe Run and the Yeezy 350 Boost. To an outsider, they look pretty damn similar. But to insiders, one is on one level, and [the other is] just fresher.” It pays to remember that most consumers count themselves as outsiders when it comes to fashion; conversely, sneakerheads willing to camp out for Yeezys are still a relative minority in the general population. Hence the popularity of accessible and available silhouettes like the Roshe. In the end, the Roshe Run and the Curry Lows are case studies both in marketing and in the age-old adage that there really is no such thing as bad publicity. As long as a silent majority of consumers hits the mall to buy their gear, memes will never hurt business.A Brief History of Running Shoes Running shoes weren’t always around. The oldest known pair of shoes was discovered in 1938 in Oregon and was dated somewhere between 8,000 and 7,000 B.C.

By the 1800s, most shoes had stitched on soles, but most were still not foot specific—the right shoe was the same as the left. By the end of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th, running shoes as we know them were just taking their first baby steps. 1898 - Saucony Shoe Manufacturing Company is founded in Kutztown, PA. 1906 - Rihachi Mizuno and his brother found Mizuno Brothers Ltd. in Japan. New Balance is born. 1910 - By this time, Saucony is able to produce about 800 shoes a day. 1914 - Brooks Running, Inc. is founded. 1916 - Karhu, which means bear in Finnish, is founded. 1920 - Adi Dassler hires two shoemakers and begins making shoes by hand in his mother’s washroom. 1925 - Dassler develops track and field shoes with hand-forged spikes for better traction and grip. 1937 - By this time, Adi Dassler had 30 different shoes for 11 different sports. 1938 - New Balance creates their first running shoe for competitive runners.

It comes with a money-back guarantee. 1948 - Adi and Rudolf Dassler go their separate ways and Rudolf founds Puma. 1949 - Kihachiro Onitsuka begins making athletic footwear in his living room in Kobe, Japan. 1952 - Adi Dassler makes the first track shoes with changeable spikes. 1957 - Dassler develops the first nylon half-soles for sprint shoes. 1958 - Reebok, named after an African gazelle, is founded. 1959 - Onitsuka designs a new marathon shoe with holes in various parts of the shoe. These holes allowed heat to be pumped out of the shoe and helped prevent blisters during marathons. 1960 - PUMA pioneers vulcanization technology to bond the sole and shaft of shoes together. New Balance releases the Trackster, the first running shoe in the industry to be offered in multiple widths. 1964 - Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman found Blue Ribbon Sports as a shoe retailer. Bowerman begins examining their merchandise to see how he can improve them. 1968 - The market’s first jogging shoe is created by Adi Dassler.

1970 - Bill Bowerman begins experimenting by pouring liquid rubber onto a waffle iron, thereby creating the waffle sole. 1971 - Blue Ribbon Sports makes the jump from distributor to manufacturer and releases their first shoes, called “The Nike.” 1972 - Adidas develops sprint shoes using a combination of sharkskin and polyamide half-soles for improved traction. Blue Ribbon Sports introduces the first shoe featuring Bowerman’s waffle sole. 1973 - Blue Ribbon Sports pioneers the one-piece toe for a better fit. 1974 - Blue Ribbon Sports introduces the Waffle Trainer, it quickly becomes a top seller. 1977 - Onitsuka chooses the name ASICS® for his company and the first ASICS® products are officially introduced to the U.S. market. 1978 - Blue Ribbon Sports officially becomes Nike, Inc and Frank Rudy partners up with Nike to create the first Air-Sole units. 1979 - Nike introduces the Tailwind, the first running shoe to feature the Air-Sole cushioning system.

1980 - Nike founds the Exeter Research & Development Center featuring an advanced biomechanics shoe testing facility. Saucony releases the first ever slip lasted running shoe, called the Trainer 80. 1982 - Reebok introduces the first shoe designed especially for women. It was called the Freestyle™. 1987 - ASICS releases the Freaks A jogging shoe featuring their all new GEL cushioning system. 1988 - Adidas launches the TORSION® sole system that is still used today. 1989 - Adidas officially incorporates. 1990 - ASICS opens the Research Institute of Sports Science in Kobe, Japan as a place where scientists, athletes, and coaches can work together. 1991 - Saucony develops the first midsole that provides cushioning and support. 1993 - Nike introduces the Reuse-a-shoe program to grind up old athletic shoes and use them in the making of athletic courts, tracks, and fields. Saucony releases the first molded EVA dual density midsole. 1996 - Mizuno develops the Cat Plus running shoe that features enhanced forefoot functionality.