Nike: a waffle iron and a goddess
It starts with shoes sold from the boot of a car and a waffle iron ruined in the name of research. Out of that came the waffle sole, the air unit, and the most effective three words in advertising.
The stories behind the brands
Brand history
Brand history
New Balance: a century of balancing heritage against innovation
It began in 1906 with arch supports, inspired by the way a chicken stands. A century on, it is the brand that still makes shoes in multiple widths and still declines to pay for celebrity endorsements.
11 September 2026
Brand history
Salomon: how mountain shoes took over the high street
It began in 1947 with ski edges and a saw-sharpening business. Forty-five years passed before the first shoe – and its models now turn up on fashion runways.
11 September 2026
Industry
The court cases that shaped the trainer industry
Patents, trade marks, advertising claims and ethics. Five cases that changed the rules of the industry – and what is left of them today.
11 September 2026
Brand history
Skechers: from rebel boots to global comfort
It began in 1992 with work boots for skate culture, went through the most expensive advertising scandal the trade has seen, and came back with technology developed alongside podiatrists.
Brand history
Hoka: how the oversized midsole went from joke to standard
Two Frenchmen, a name borrowed from Māori, and a sole everybody laughed at. Fifteen years later everybody copies it.