One can never generalize all the sports shoes available in the market under one big category; owing to the distinct needs of various sports, the shape, size, and sole of the shoes have been designed accordingly. Also, the contrast in traction, weight, and flexibility of the shoes contribute to upgrading the performance by allowing free movement of the feet. In the following segment, we have provided with 5 different kinds of shoes and their distinguishing soles.
- Running shoes
Running shoes should primarily be lightweight and have some spikes underneath its surface to improve the grip and friction of your feet to avoid slipping or sliding on a smooth track. The sole of these shoes has been designed with soles that are not more than 3mm to intensify the flexible and independent movement of each part of the foot. Along with that, the soles of these shoes are meant to distribute the pressure equally amongst the heel, toe, and midsole thereby providing a better cushion and easy adaptation of your feet during the sharp turns. In the case of trail-running shoes, the soles are a bit thicker and jaggy that supplies an extra sheet of cushion to the underfoot.
- Hiking shoes
Sports shoes required for hiking more grip and stiffness than the regular sports ones because they are designed to intercept the rocky structures and terrain with ease and comfort. The soles are usually made of rubber and have definite patterns to cater to the contrasting needs of the hiker. The lugs of the shoes too are non-identical; the deeper lugs allow more traction and keep the feet close to the ground while the facile lugs provide lesser grip. Some shoes have a heel brake to absorb shocks with escalated efficiency and decreased chances of slipping off from the terrains.
- Soccer cleats
Soccer cleats come with more number of spikes underneath its surface to form a grip on the grassy field and improve the traction. In some shoes, these studs are detachable thus letting the user adjust them according to the ground needs. These spikes can be made of three materials, rubber, plastic and metal. Furthermore, the studs too are designed in variable shapes to suit distinct purposes; the hard-ground spikes are meant for harder surfaces like cement or dry land, the conical ones endow the player with better stability while the bladed studs that have a defined angle, allow more speed and grip.
- Basketball and tennis shoes
The sports shoes meant for tennis and basketball are close counterparts of one another; while both of them come in rubber soles, the basketball shoes are flatter than its contemporary. The shoes are light-weight and have rugged patterns underneath it to improve the traction and grip that will allow the player to stop or turn quickly without slipping on the smooth floor. The basketball shoes top the list of highest shock absorption but don’t allow much flexibility as per the requirements. The tennis shoes, on the other hand, don't absorb shocks as much as the Adidas slip on shoes but have been formulated with the thickest sole and a herring-bone pattern that will enable the player to bend his feet towards any direction.
