Keeping Track
August, 1984
In the first Olympics, the Greeks ran barefoot. That saved a few bucks on equipment but made the use of spikes rather messy. Today's track-and-field shoes are scientifically designed to withstand the demands of each event and each athlete. Here, a sampling.Clockwise from top, an Adidas high-jump shoe. This one is for the flop style. On a straddle shoe, the spikes are otherwise aligned because of the different jump techniques. The shoe shown is for the plant foot. The six spikes up front offer tr...
