01.[1914] Surprisingly, it began with the manufacture of saltwater shoes and ballet shoes.
In 1914, Brooks' predecessor shoe factory was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by John Brooks Goldenberg. Initially, the company entered into the production of bathing shoes and ballet shoes, and gained a reputation for its superior quality. At that time, the brand was spelled "BRUXSHU".
In 1921, the company manufactured baseball spikes. Since then, Brooks baseball shoes have been used by numerous players and teams, including New York Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle, who won four home run titles in the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1930, Brooks also manufactured shoes for American football, and grew to become one of America's leading sports shoe brands.
02.[1974] The masterpiece "Vanguard" was recognized by "Runner's World" magazine.
In 1974, a pair of shoes was introduced that would lead to Brooks' subsequent success in the running category. That shoe was the Vanguard. This running shoe, marketed under the name "Villanova" at the time of its release, was created on the advice of runners such as Marty Riccioli, the former U.S. record holder in the 5,000 meters and a famous runner who reached the 1500 meter final at the Mexico Olympics at the age of 19.
Suffering from repeated injuries, Riccoli gave Brooks advice on the development of a shoe that thoroughly pursued leg protection, and the result was this shoe. The nylon upper was not only flexible and lightweight, but the low price of less than $20 with a 1/2-inch wedge heel was also a secret of their popularity.
In 1976, the shoe was ranked second in Runner's World magazine's annual shoe ranking, and continued to receive the highest rating of five stars. Incidentally, the original model was named after Villanova University, a prestigious track and field school in Pennsylvania, where Brooks was headquartered at the time, and where Marty Riccioli attended.
03.[1975] The now familiar EVA material was first used by Brooks.
In the mid-1970s, competition in the development of sports shoes intensified. Brooks was one of the first brands to focus on the importance of the midsole, and continued to research ways to improve the shock-absorbing performance of this part of the shoe. As a result, Brooks was the first in the world to adopt EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate), a foam material that was lighter than rubber, had superior shock-absorbing performance, and kicked back much faster than the rubber sponge that was common at the time, for use in running shoes.
When EVA was used in shoes such as the Vantage, which won a Five Star rating from Runner's World magazine, runners raved about its light weight and shock-absorbing properties. Since then, other brands have followed suit, and EVA became the most popular midsole material for running shoes in the 1980s.
Because EVA is easy to process and lightweight, it continues to be the most common material used for the midsole of running shoes, along with PU (polyurethane).
