Women’s sportswear, but more importantly, women’s shoes, have been redesigned since the early 1900s. The first men’s shoes date back to the 1860s, but the first women’s shoes did not appear until nearly 50 years later. Ironically, these early women’s shoes looked more like a heeled shoe than anything you’d pick up for sports. With a full heel and a leather upper, these shoes can be easily combined with a church dress. Apparently, some were worried that women might lose their femininity by playing male sports.
Eventually, black and white rubber boots will replace athletic heels. This shoe would be the main running shoe available for women until the 1960s. Fortunately, many have realized that women’s sports and women’s sportswear do not threaten femininity. Women’s running shoes are very comfortable with all the technologies you can find in men’s running shoes.