See the massive amounts of foam and the elevated heel? Quite a difference. So what happened during that thirty-year period to change the shape of shoes? New materials, and “science”. Alexander Sibilla From the mid 1970s onwards, running companies got scientists involved in footwear design. This is when the terms “neutral”, “pronation” and “supination” entered runners’ vocabulary. Suddenly, it wasn’t enough simply to buy the shoe that seemed to fit best and feel most comfortable. Instead, you had to figure out your running “style” and pick a shoe to “correct” your running dysfunction and prevent injury.