Choosing the best sneaker technology for the comfort of your feet means choosing brands that innovate shoes! We live in a world of constant evolution and development. This includes the sneaker industry!
But, there was a time when shoes were just about something to cover your feet so you wouldn’t walk around barefoot. But, let’s be real, they probably weren’t comfortable at all by the looks of them. The very first shoes were made from deerskin with a sole made from bearskin and stuff with hay! Definitely does not scream comfort.
Thankfully, we’ve come a long way from walking on hay soles. This brings us to the topic of sneaker technology and how brands innovate shoes. This is especially true when running became a worldwide form of entertainment and fitness! Sneaker cushioning was a necessity.
Sneaker midsoles got bigger, softer, and, above all, better. How a brand chooses to innovate shoes is one of the things that set them apart as a sneaker brand! Nike vs. Adidas could most definitely come to sneaker technology.
Guess who has the upper hand?
Brands That Innovate Shoes The RIGHT Way!
NIKE AIR
Nike chose to innovate shoes using a type of sneaker technology that was literally groundbreaking at the time. Still is!
Aerospace engineer, Marion Franklin Rudy, brought the idea of Nike Air into existence back in 1977. It was as simple as putting tiny airbags in the midsoles of shoes to create optimum sneaker cushioning. And so, Nike thus introduced the Air Tailwind.
After that, we got the Nike Air Max 1 with the first visible Air or the Air Max 97 with the full-length Air! PLUS, we even got the Zoom Air from it. It provides flexibility, spring, and impact absorption.
Now that’s sneaker technology done right.
REEBOK HEXALITE
Reebok hasn’t been having the best time in the past few years in the sneaker industry. Adidas bought Reebok in 2006 as a part of its great Adidas return strategy. But now, they plan on selling it! Doesn’t look too hot for Reebok!
But, Reebok did have its own highlights in sneaker technology. Reebok did innovate shoes in ways that left a sneaker print in sneaker cushioning innovation!
Hexalite cushioning technology takes inspiration from honeycombs which help in shock-absorption better than regular EVA. This type of technology is still used on a lot of their models and you can actually see the signature honeycomb pattern!
NEW BALANCE ABZORB
Steve Job’s favorite sneaker!
You can innovate shoes with epic sneaker technology. But also, you can do that by taking over 2020! THAT will definitely be groundbreaking on its own. While the entire world was falling apart, New Balance was making the sneaker collaborations of the century! JJJJbound, epic Bodega, the Rolls Royce of sneakers with Salehe Bembury, and this year with BAPE!
Sometimes it’s more than just the sneaker cushioning! But, we still gotta give them credit for one of the greatest sneaker innovations, the New Balance Abzorb developed in 1993. It featured a blend of DuPont Engage isoprene rubber and foam materials for more shock-absorbance and durability.
It is used in many of their sneakers like in the New Balance 998 model. And, it’s still being developed and innovated to this day! After all, the greatest part of innovation is moving forward.
ADIDAS BOOST
Adidas had the greatest hit when they tried to innovate shoes with Boost technology back in 2013. It took the entire world by storm! A material made out of TPU that expanded around tiny pockets of air! Something completely different and out of this world!
This was the beginning of the line running and lifestyle shoes: the Ultraboost. It was more than a breakthrough in sneaker technology. It was a salvation for the Three Stripes. Completely revolutionary!
But, the true innovation behind it was not just about sneaker cushioning. It was about Mr. Kanye West debuted this technology in his Yeezys with the very first Yeezy Boost 750. That’s how the Boost took off and cemented its status as the most hyped cushioning technology. It also made it pretty hard to sell a Boost-less Yeezy, but Kanye’s got mad marketing skills!
It is a type of sneaker technology that keeps on evolving to give high-energy responsiveness, super support, and flexibility!
Final thoughts on the matter. The comfort of your feet should definitely be your top priority. Yet, if we’ve learned anything from being in this industry for so long, HYPE takes the cake! So, cop all the hyped sneakers and build the sneaker collection of your dreams! But, at the end of the day, treat your feet, fam!