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Shoe Series LbNA #73511

Owner:Silver Eagle Supporter Verified
Plant date:Dec 17, 2018
Location: Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area
City:Spicewood
County:Burnet
State:Texas
Boxes:6
Found by: NLW (6)
Last found:Dec 5, 2020
Status:FFFFFF
Last edited:Dec 18, 2018
Terrain Difficulty: Easy (flat, 5 miles RT)
Status: alive


This series contains brands of shoes, some from the past, present and future, and can be found at Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area. The logbook is in the last box.

Directions:
From TX 71 go east on Gregg Dr (CR 413) for 0.9 mile, bear right on CR 404 for 1.2 miles, then turn left on CR 414 for 2.8 miles to the park entrance. Pay fee, get map and continue a short way to trailhead on left and park.


Box 1: Converse
In 1908, Marquis Mills Converse opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Massachusetts, providing winterized rubber soled footwear for men, women, and children. By 1915 the company began manufacturing athletic shoes and in 1917 the iconic Converse All-Star basketball shoe was introduced. Then in 1923, a basketball player named Charles H. "Chuck" Taylor walked into Converse complaining of sore feet and Converse gave him a job as a salesman and ambassador, promoting the shoes around the country. In 1932 Taylor's signature was added to the All-Star patch on the classic, high-topped sneakers and soon every basketball player was wearing them. They remained popular until the 1970s when competitors introduced new designs, and they were the only basketball shoes I ever used for a long time. In 2003 they were acquired by Nike but still retain the name Converse on the shoes. To find this All-Star, walk right from trailhead map to Great Escape Trail and follow it to the 1.75 mile marker (#116) at end of Recycler Trail loop. Continue 20 steps to jct with start of Recycler Trail and go right on it 25 steps to just before trail bends right. Go left off trail 20 steps to medium oak tree with 3' stump behind on right. LB at back base near stump under rocks & needles.


Box 2: PF Flyers (ink=green)
PF Flyers is one of the original American sneaker brands and was created in 1937 by B.F. Goodrich. Using the patented "Posture Foundation" (PF) insole and creating the slogan "Run Faster, Jump Higher", they became one of the most popular shoes in America by the 1960s, and I remember loving them as a kid. They soon struggled with industry changes in the early 70s and fell into obscurity until New Balance purchased them in 2001 and re-launched the PF brand in 2003. The brand has been slowly regaining momentum since then. To find this Flyer, continue on the Recycler Trail 50 steps to two cedar trees next to trail on left & right. Go right and up 9 steps to top ridge of rocks. LB is within a small cave under ridge behind rocks & a stick.


Box 3: Reebok (ink=red & blue)
In 1895, Joseph William Foster started work in his bedroom in Bolton, England, and designed some of the earliest spiked running shoes. He founded his business in 1900, and later joined with his sons to form the company J.W. Foster and Sons, which gradually became famous among athletes for his "running pumps". The company began distributing shoes across the Union Jack flag which were worn by British athletes, and they were made famous by 100m champion Harold Abrahams in the 1924 Summer Olympics. In 1958, two of the founder's grandsons, Joe and Jeff Foster, formed a companion company "Reebok," which is Afrikaans for the grey rhebok, a type of African antelope. In 1979, at the Chicago International Sneaker Trade show an American businessman, Paul Fireman, took notice of Reebok and negotiated a deal to license and distribute the Reebok brand in the United States. By 1981, Reebok reached more than $1.5 million in sales and continues to be a popular shoe world wide. To find your Reebok, continue on trail 120 steps to 3' stump on left side of trail. Go right and up 4 steps to back of multi-trunk cedar tree in front of a 4' bleached stump. LB is at back base of cedar under rocks & needles.


Box 4: Adidas
Adidas was founded by Adolf "Adi" Dassler who made sports shoes in his mother's laundry room in Herzogenaurach, Germany after he returned from World War I. In July 1924, his older brother Rudolf joined the business, which became Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory, and they developed spiked running shoes (cleats) for multiple athletic events utilizing canvas and rubber instead of metal. After persuading U.S. sprinter Jesse Owens to use these spikes at the 1936 Summer Olympics, business boomed until 1949, when a breakdown in the relationship between the brothers caused a split. Rudolf established Puma and Adolf created Adidas, a name combining his nickname with the first three letters of his last name. In 1952, Adidas acquired its signature 3-stripe logo from the Finnish athletic footwear brand Karhu Sports, helping make Adidas the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and they were my cleats of choice as a kid playing football and baseball. To find this brand, continue on trail 105 steps to 4' cedar stump next to trail on left. Go right & up 4 steps to double-trunk cedar tree near a 3' stump. LB is at back base of cedar under rocks & needles.


Box 5: Nike
Nike, originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS), was founded by University of Oregon track athlete Phil Knight and his coach, Bill Bowerman, on January 25, 1964. The company initially operated as a distributor for Japanese shoe maker Onitsuka Tiger, making most sales at track meets out of Knight's automobile. By 1971, the relationship between BRS and Onitsuka Tiger was nearing an end and BRS officially became Nike on May 30, 1971, taking its name from the Greek goddess of victory. Bill Bowerman was dissatisfied with available running spikes and he sought to create a shoe with excellent traction on multiple surfaces to help runners slash seconds off their times. This resulted in the Waffle Trainer in 1974, a shoe that was flexible and lightweight with a raised, gridded pattern created in a waffle iron. With inventions like this and its trademark Swoosh logo, Nike eventually became the world's largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel. To find this Swoosh, continue on trail 300 steps to multi-trunk cedar tree on left side of trail and cactus on right side. Go right and up behind cactus 4 steps to multi-trunk cedar tree. LB is at back base under rocks & needles.


Box 6: Muleshoe
Mule is a style of shoe that has no back or constraint around the foot's heel and they have been worn since the 15th century. They were typical indoor shoes for both men and women in the early 1700s but by the beginning of the 1800s mules went out of style. Eventually they rose in popularity again, especially during the end of the 1990s, and recently Elle magazine called mules the shoe of 2017. Though there is no brand called Muleshoe that I know of, I have created a logo that would fit this future company. To find this muleshoe, continue on trail 290 steps to trail marker #118. Continue 20 steps to where trail bends right with cedar tree next to trail on left. Go left 2 steps behind tree to rock ledge. LB is beneath large rock in crevice behind rocks & needles. Continue on Recycler Trail back to the Great Escape Trail and go left to return the way you came. For a shorter way back, go right on Great Escape Trail past jct with start of Recycler Trail to just past mile marker 2.25 at dry creek bed. Go right across creek to Short Track Trail and go left on it back to parking area.



Hike length: 3-5 miles