Nike LDV with "waffle" sole

The modern running shoe took shape in the 1960s and 1970s, when running enthusiasts at shoe companies started experimenting with improved designs. In 1972, Bill Bowerman applied for a patent on “an athletic shoe suitable for use on artificial turf . . . the sole has short multi-sided polygon shaped studs. . . which provide gripping edges that give greatly improved traction.” The sole’s design was inspired by his wife’s waffle iron which Bill subsequently ruined while using it to form his experimental rubber soles. Bowerman received his shoe patent number 3,793,750 on February 26, 1974 and Nike began producing the “waffle” trainers the same year.

This example is a Nike LDV (Long Distance Vector ) shoe in blue suede and nylon mesh fabric upper with the orange Nike "Swoosh" on left and right sides of the shoe. The shoe is covered by two of Bowerman's US patents: 3,793,750 (1974) and 4,098,011 (1978). The patent numbers appear on the bottom of the sole. In the later patent the original "waffle" shoe was modified to address some weaknesses in the earlier design including undue wear of the sole and lateral instability.