Track Shoes & Heel

Author: dresscloth

Near the front of the foot, there are usually 3 to 11 threaded holes where the spikes may be screwed using a spike wrench. There are usually no spikes near the heel, except for high jump and javelin shoes. Some shoes have permanent or "fixed" spikes. While all track and field shoes that contain spiked soles are referred to as "track spikes", there are differences between sprinting, distance running, and field event shoes.

Sprint spikes generally have more support, and a stiffer, more aggressive spike plate. They often are built minimalistically, with as little material and hence weight as possible. Some have zip-up covers for laces, to improve aerodynamics. Distance spikes have a more relaxed plate, more heel support, and contain fewer spike points. They are built as much for support as they are for speed. Field shoes are very different, with each shoe configured for the demands of its event. The spikes of the shoe vary in size. While most range between 3 millimetres (3/16 inch) and 12 mm (1/2 in), with the most common being the 6 mm (1/4 in), there are a number of specialty lengths, as well as minimal "blank" spikes used to cover a spike hole.

The three main types of spikes are the pyramid, the needle (or pin), and the compression tier (or Christmas tree) spike. Pyramids are conical spikes that taper to a sharp point. They normally have a maximum diameter nearly equal to the diameter of the threads of the spike. Needles also have a sharp point, but a thinner cone diameter. The purpose of both is to penetrate the track surface and so derive its traction from its position. The alternate variant for synthetic tracks is the Christmas tree spike. It uses a terraced cone shape with a flat end to, instead of penetrate, compress the track below it upon impact, and use the track's reaction force to in fact return energy to the runner, increasing his speed. It also reduces the damage incurred in the event of "spiking" or contact by the spikes with another runner. Spikes also come in either steel or ceramic varieties, as well as multiple colors (or unpainted).

Most spikes have the toe of the shoe pointing up, not touching the ground. This is called "taper" and is designed to make the runner run on their toes to run faster. The more aggressive a shoe is, the stronger the taper. Sprint spikes are generally the most aggressive, with the shoes becoming less aggressive as the distance of the race that they are intended for increases. Marathons, for example, are run in racing flats, which have no taper. Notable Spike Manufacturers include Nike, Adidas, Brooks, Mizuno, Saucony, Reebok, Asics, Puma and New Balance. Some of the first known spiked track shoes were invented by Joseph William Foster in the early 1890's contrary to the belief of invention by Adolf Dassler, founder of Adidas. A heel is the projection at the back of a shoe which rests below the heel bone.

The shoe heel is used to improve the balance of the shoe or for decorative purposes. Sometimes raised, the high heel is common to a form of shoe often worn by women but sometimes by men too. See also stiletto heel. High heels are not a modern invention. Rather, they enjoy a rich and varied history, for both men as well as women. Controversy exists over when high heels were first invented, but the consensus is that heels were worn by both men and women throughout the world for many centuries and for a variety of reasons. Although high heeled shoes are depicted in ancient Egyptian murals on tombs and temples, the earliest recorded instance of men or women wearing an elevated shoe comes from Hellenic times. It is suspected that the wear of an elevated sole, or heel, occurred centuries before, but there is little direct evidence to support this, although there is indeed much indirect evidence that lends credence to the use of high heels by both men and women for many reasons.

Around 1500, European nobility developed heels as a separate part of their shoes, primarily as a means to help keep their feet in the stirrups. The wear of heels by men quickly became the fashion norm, primarily in the courts, and this practice spawned the term, "well-heeled" as a reference to those who could afford the costlier shoes. Heelwear by men continued until shortly before the French Revolution, but resurfaced in the 70s, and again in modern times. The first officially recorded instance of the wear of high heels involved the 1533 marriage between Catherine de' Medici with the Duke of Orleans. She wore heels made in Florence for her wedding, and as a result, high heels became the norm for ladies of the Duke's court in France. Mary Tudor ("Bloody Mary"), another short monarch, wore heels as high as possible. From this period until the early 19th century, high heels are frequently in vogue for both sexes.

Around 1660, a shoemaker named Nicholas Lestage designed high heeled shoes for Louis XIV. Some were more than four inches, and most were decorated in various battle scenes. The resulting high "Louis heels" subsequently became fashionable for ladies. Today the term is used to refer to heels with a concave curve and outward taper at the bottom similar to those worn by Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV's mistress. (They are also sometimes called "Pompadour heels.") The late 18th-Century trend toward lower heels had much to do with the French Revolution. During the revolution, high heels became acquainted with the opulence.

As a result, most people wished to avoid any semblance of wealth, which was singularly remarkable in the elimination of heels from the common market for both men and women. In the wake of the French Revolution heels become lower than at any time in the 18th century.

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