For an athlete, the shoes they wear are not just an accessory but an extension to their body. If the extension is not compatible, the player does not feel confident and is bound to make mistakes. Over the years, decades and in some sports even centuries, shoes have undergone major changes. Of late, the advancement of technology has also helped in improving the quality with big brands playing a vital role. Even when in some sports the shoes look similar, there is a lot to distinguish between the two pairs. That's why you need to wear different shoes for different sport to prevent injuries, move more freely and create an impact.
Cricket
Cricket shoes have undergone rigorous changes. At one point they were just an extension of leather shoes with metal spikes underneath them for a better grip in the outfield or on the pitch. While at times batters are seen wearing shoes with rubber spikes to not further damage the pitch with spikes, it is non-negotiable for bowlers who need a better grip while running or before the run-up. Apart from providing a better grip, the shoe also offers protection to an extent if the hard leather ball hits the area. However, a toe-crushing yorker will still cause pain to a batter when bowled at blinding pace.
Football
The football shoes have had a rich history and probably the sole sport with too many changes. They came into existence in 1800s where most people often played the sport in their work boots. They were not the most comfortable shoes because of the weight. Also, they had steel caps that would make getting tackled a nightmare. The design remained the same during 1900-1940s as the two World Wars did not leave enough space for evolution in the sport, let alone the equipment.
As the sport evolved after the World War 2, the boots were made lighter and flexible to increase agility and quality of shots. A decade later, they were made even lighter and colours were introduced for the first time. In the 1980s, leather became the prominent material in boots to offer more comfort in addition to performance. Just before the 20th century came to a close, there were more special edition shoes.
The first ask of the 21st century in the sport was to bring more innovation that ever. The sole was under the focus and was made more flexible. In addition, customisation was introduced with the advent of laser technology. The customisation factor only increased in the 2010s. Footballers started preferring blades more than studs. In order to track and monitor the performance via smartphones, chips were also used in the shoes to help the footballers get better.
Tennis
The first ever fair of tennis shoes had rubber soles and canvas uppers. They were later termed as sneakers. For decades, there were negligible changes in the design. The time for innovation came in the 1960s as the sport grew popular. Later on, the canvas upper was replaced by nylon in order to provide more traction to the player. A softer inner sole was added to the shoe as well to make it more comfortable. Later, more companies devised their own designs as per player's needs. Soon enough, the tennis superstars got involved the in the manufacturing process as well to help cater to needs of different players on different courts. Over the years, there have been attempts to make the shoe more breathable. Suede has been used on the shoe as well. Another brand tried providing a heel lift and a strap to offer more lateral support which in turn aided movement of players. It is also said that all the athletic shoes have originated from tennis shoes.
Badminton
There is a misconception that tennis shoes are similar to tennis shoes. The difference is that badminton shoes have a non-marking rubber sole. In layman's terms, it gives the shuttler's feet more stability as they move around the court. The ankle support is better on badminton shoes as there is a higher possibility for horrible ankle injuries on hard court.
Basketball
Basketball shoes have a rich history as well as people often wear it in their day-to-day life than any other sport. In 1920s they were a lot more similar to tennis shoes. Like most sports industry, basketball shoes underwent innovation in the 1960s when leather sneakers were introduced. With new manufactures coming into the market, they patented their own design with few tweaks. More colours became the need of the hour in addition to comfort.
Air Jordans are till date the most popular basketball shoes. There were several new materials used by manufactures to make their product stand out. However, all of them had a high ankle design in common to avoid freakish injuries on the wooden court while taking unreal-looking turns. Technology came into play and some shoes were event banned for providing too much spring in the step.
Shoes used in different sports -
Wrestling - Trainers with high ankle
Running - Running shoes with spikes for better traction
Cricket - Sports shoes with spikes
Basketball - Sneakers with high ankle
Football - Studds and blades
Tennis - Canvas with low ankle
