By Darin Before the high-tech, lightweight turf shoes of today, football was played on heavy leather soles with permanent spikes—until a high school coach from Illinois decided to change the game forever. Imagine a world where changing your traction for a muddy field required a professional cobbler and hours of manual labor. This is the story of how John T. Riddell turned a logistical nightmare into a multi-million dollar sporting goods empire, starting with a single, brilliant invention on April 29, 1927.
The Revolution of the Gridiron: How John T. Riddell Invented the Removable Cleat
April 29, 1927: John T. Riddell and his fledgling Riddell Company developed the first football cleat. According to the blog on the Edison Nation.com website, John Riddell taught mathematics and also served as the Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois, from 1913 through 1927. It was during this time that Riddell invented and developed the removable cleat around 1922.
During that era, football shoes were equipped with leather cleats nailed to the soles. Changing cleats due to inclement weather required a cobbler to install the longer tangs. Unfortunately, because Northwestern University used the same shoe smith as Evanston Township High School, Riddell’s team football shoes were often not ready by game time.
Riddell knew his idea would solve this problem for the masses, but lacked the needed funding to produce the new product himself. Riddell had his shoes manufactured by the J.P. Smith Shoe Company, and he and his wife installed the posts and cleats in the evenings. John continued to teach, coach, and make his shoes until this 1927 day, when, with the popularity of his shoes on the rise, he left his teaching job, devoting his entire effort to making shoes. John T. Riddell, Inc. was formally announced in February of 1929, and its aim was to create innovative, protective sporting goods that offered the best performance for athletes.
Conclusion:
John T. Riddell’s transition from a mathematics teacher to a sporting goods titan is a testament to the power of problem-solving. By identifying a simple but frustrating bottleneck—the inability to quickly adapt footwear to field conditions—he laid the groundwork for the modern athletic industry. Today, the name Riddell is synonymous with football safety and innovation, but it all began with a coach, his wife, and a vision for a better shoe.
Verified Football Milestones:
- 1913–1927: John T. Riddell serves as Head Coach and AD at Evanston Township High School.
- Circa 1922: Invention and initial development of the first removable football cleat.
- April 29, 1927: John T. Riddell officially leaves teaching to devote himself full-time to his fledgling shoe company.
- February 1929: The formal announcement and incorporation of John T. Riddell, Inc.
