Thousands of years ago, humans discovered that walking barefoot across the ground didn’t feel good. Soon after, we invented shoes.
For millennia, footwear was firmly practical. Shoes made it easier to hunt and gather, softened long days in fields, and protected soldiers’ feet on endless marches. At some point along the way, shoes became less about necessity and more about statement. High heels, decorative slippers, and even restrictive practices like foot binding prioritized appearance over function.
At P.F. Flyers, we believe you shouldn’t have to choose between utility and aesthetics. That’s why our sneakers are built with both. From military-inspired designs like The Grounder to our patented Posture Foundation insole, utility sits at the foundation of every pair we make.
Top 6 Greatest Innovations in Footwear Utility
From the world’s first shoe to the first shoelace and aglet patent (in 1790), shoes have seen a range of innovations over the years.
Here are the top 6 greatest innovations in footwear utility.
The Invention of the Shoe
The earliest known shoes date back more than 10,000 years. They were basic: made with leather wrappings, woven reeds, or animal hides. Their purpose, however, was clear: to shield feet from harsh terrain. This was utility in its purest form.
The World’s First Shoelace & Aglet Patent
A small innovation that transformed footwear forever, shoelaces make shoes adjustable and flexible.
We take them for granted today, but shoelaces are younger than the United States: the world’s first shoelace patent (which included a detailed description of aglets to protect the ends of laces) was awarded to an Englishman named Harvey Kennedy in 1790. Harvey reportedly made around $2.5 million from his invention: it was a sign the world was ready for more practical and adjustable shoes.
The Insole Revolution
For centuries, shoes were built flat. People didn’t think to create insoles to mold shoes to the curvature of the foot.
Then came insoles: cushioning layers that changed how weight was distributed across the foot. Insoles added comfort and reshaped performance, but they also made shoes more practical for people with certain neurological and musculoskeletal disorders.
Archaeologists have identified ancient insoles: people used to insert wool, leaves, and straw into shoes for cushioning and protection.
Formal modern insoles, however, started to appear in the early 1900s thanks to innovators like Dr. William Mathias Scholl, who received his first patent for an arch support system in 1904 while still in school. He went on to found Dr. Scholl’s in 1906, popularizing insoles and making his mark on utilitarian footwear forever.
P.F. Flyers has its own contribution to this corner of the space: The Posture Foundation insole. In 1933, B.F. Goodrich scientist Hyman L. Whitman created a breakthrough arch system to improve comfort and posture. Patented under U.S. Patent No. 1,938,127, that insole continues to be found in every sneaker we make. It’s a cornerstone of our ethos.
The First Modern Running Shoe
The first person to run a marathon wasn’t exactly wearing Hokas. In fact, the modern running shoe is only around 100 years old. In the 1860s, runners in England started hammering nails into leather shoes to improve cross-country running times.
The first real running shoes are often attributed to German brothers Adi and Rudolf Dassler, who launched a shoe manufacturing company called Geda (short for Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik, or “Dassler Brothers Shoe Manufacturing”). Geda rose to fame for helping Jesse Owens cruise to victory at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin: he was wearing Geda shoes when he won gold.
After 30 years of partnership, Adi and Rudolf abruptly called it quits, dividing their hometown. Rudolf established Puma, while Adi launched Adidas (named after himself, Adi Dassler). It split Geda’s workforce, divided the brothers’ hometown of Herzogenaurach, and changed footwear forever.
The Rubber Revolution & Modern Sneakers
In the early 1900s, someone realized adding rubber to shoes helped you walk without being heard, creating the world’s first official “sneaker” (yes, because it helped you sneak).
Early tire companies, including Continental and B.F. Goodrich, were some of the biggest rubber innovators of the time. They realized rubber could be useful beyond the tire world because it was more lightweight and durable than leather while being grippy and waterproof.
In the United Kingdom, rubber-soled shoes became known as plimsolls: the horizontal lines joining the sole to the upper resembled the Plimsoll line on a ship’s hull. And, if water reached above the liner, the wearer would get wet.
Durable Materials, Ruggedness, & Other Innovations
Over the years, footwear has seen a range of other utilitarian innovations and modern refinements.
Rubber outsoles, rubber treads, waxed cotton laces, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) for cushioning, the rise of synthetics, and other material innovations have all left their mark on utilitarian footwear.
P.F. Flyers and the Utility Breakthrough
When P.F. Flyers launched in 1937, we set out to do more than make sneakers look good: we wanted them to feel good and perform under pressure.
The key was our Posture Foundation insole, patented in 1933 by Hyman L. Whitman. Borrowing from cutting-edge B.F. Goodrich tire technology, the wedge redistributed weight to reduce strain and align posture. It was the first patented insole for athletic footwear, a real innovation that changed how people thought about sneakers.
This commitment to function led to collaborations outside the court and field. In the 1940s, the U.S. Army tapped P.F. Flyers to help develop rugged sneakers for soldiers. The result was The Grounder, a heavy-duty canvas shoe with lugged rubber traction, reinforced stitching, and military-grade durability. For soldiers, it meant reliable footwear that moved with them across mud, gravel, and long marches. For us, it cemented our reputation as a sneaker company that prioritized utility.
Utility Meets Style
The beauty of utility is that it never goes out of style.
Look around today and you’ll see military jackets, cargo pants, trench coats, aviator sunglasses: all icons in fashion rooted in utility. Footwear follows the same path.
Sneakers like Base Camp, part of The Grounder Collection, embody that crossover. Born on the battlefield, and built to move through modern life. Every stitch is functional: the canvas upper breathes and endures, the lugged outsole grips, the Posture Foundation insole supports. But every detail is also purposeful in style, from authentic colorways to subtle leather accents.
The shape of the human foot hasn’t changed in a long time. The shoe, however, continues to evolve for both fashion and function.
Because the best shoes don’t force you to choose between utility and style. They give you both.
