Athletic Shoe - Use in Sports

Use in Sports

The term athletic shoes is typically used for running in a marathon or half marathon, basketball, and tennis (amongst others) but tends to exclude shoes for sports played on grass such as association football and rugby football, which are generally known as "Studs," or in North America as cleats.

Attributes of an athletic shoe include a flexible sole, appropriate tread for the function ability to absorb impact. As the industry and design have expanded, the term "athletic shoes" is based more on the design of the bottom of the shoe than the aesthetics of the top of the shoe. Today's designs include sandal, elevated, and Mary Jane styles suitable for running, dancing and jumping.

The shoes themselves are made of flexible compounds, typically featuring a sole made of dense rubber. While the original design was basic, manufacturers have since tailored athletic shoes for the different purposes that they can be used for. A specific example of this is the spiked shoe developed for track running. Many of these shoes are made up to a very large size because of athletes with large feet.

Modern running shoes are available in different designs suited to different running styles. Those that like to land on their heels are divided into neutral, overpronation and underpronation (supination). The faster and more efficient runners that land with their weight on their forefoot will mostly be running in flat shoes.

There are a variety of specialized shoes designed for specific uses:

• Racing flat
• Track shoe
• Skate shoe
• Climbing shoe
• Approach shoe
• Wrestling shoe
• Football boot
• Dance shoe