1984
The first shox shoes prototype was inspired by an exceptionally springy indoor running track at Harvard. The prototype looked more like a medieval torture device called The Boot and performed much the same way. This first shox shoes prototype was used to find the optimal spring rate but its clumsy and heavy metal frame did little to improve performance.
1984-1986
Based on the information extracted from its predecessor, the section prototype of the Nike shox shoes line was a scaled down, more stable shoe that used a leaf shaped spring to provide the optimal spring earlier determined by the prototype. While easier on the eyes with good cushioning, it lacked stability and durability.
1986
The third attempt at shox shoes produced a simpler, more attractive cushioning system that utilized a closed leaf shaped spring but still disappointed in durability, comfort, and stability.
1987
The next generation shox shoes prototype attempted to solve the problem of durability and stability by replacing the closed leaf spring with a hinged carbon fiber shell, creating something that looked like a running shoe on a diving board. This breed of spring failed to provide enough resistance on impact.
1990
A few years later and still a decade from launching the shox shoes shoe line, Nike tests the first shoes that are a recognizable ancestor of the modern shox shoes. By integrating the stability of the spring plate from the previous designs with injection-molded support columns, Nike finally made progress in the creation of shox shoes technology.
1997-1998
New, high tech, high durability materials made the leaf spring obsolete and brought about the current form for Nike shox shoes: four cushioning columns between two resilient plates. The result is an effective cushioning system with a high energy return.
2001
Nike releases the first shox shoes based shoe.
2004
The release of two popular shox shoes basketball shoes, the Nike shox shoes Explosive and the Nike shox shoes Elevate. The shox shoes VC IV, shox shoes signature shoe for Vince Carter, is also released.
2008
Some of the new shox shoes are compatible with the Nike+iPod feature, particularly the Nike shox shoes Saya.
