Birth of the Broomball Shoe

For William Olmstead, an Ottawa native, this was the beginning of an exciting and prosperous venture. A strong defenceman, he was known throughout the broomball circuit for his shot at right point. His love for the sport brought him extensive travel in Ontario and Quebec.

After years of competing, Olmstead had a different outlook than most participants. Since broomball is played on an ice surface, the footwear used is of utmost importance. This was without a doubt Bill's biggest concern. His first attempt at creating a shoe was simple. Sheets of sponge and a boot type running shoe were purchased. The sponge was then cut in such a way that it would fit onto the soles of the shoes.

The only drawback to this procedure was that it became a tedious job for trainers. As players stepped off the ice for line changes the sponge sole was removed and a new piece was added. This was due to the fact that the resistance for the material was very poor when subjected to ice conditions. Nevertheless, Olmstead claims that the modified boot played a very important role in the tournaments that were won following its introduction.

When opposing teams caught on to the new design footwear, a number of them objected to its usage. Discussions ensued and before long Bill Olmstead was back to the drawing board.

Although the sponge sole had proven to be successful, a better one was still needed. Since traction was still the important issue, a new concept was formulated. This time Olmstead used the same principle, however rubbermaid material replaced the sponge.

A trial of the newly conceived shoe revealed that it was less effective than the first, The reason being that the thickness of the rubbermaid material was not sufficient to absorb the the weight of the athlete. The next step in footwear improvement was a combination of the two ideas, Olmstead eliminated two major stumbling blocks, namely the banning of the sponge sole and the ineffetiveness of the rubbermaid.

The new idea was introduced to several players through Olmstead's many travels and soon requests for the improved footgear began pouring in. In fact, even though the boot was intended to serve a purpose in arenas or outdoor rinks, the footwear was used by several football teams to counteract frozen field conditions. At first Bill managed to keep up with the orders but as time went on, demands could not be met, even with working nights and weekends.

By this time Olmstead had a good thing going. The new shoe provided better traction and more control, not to mention a reduction in the time of stops and starts. The problem he now faced was insufficient production capabilities.

With the final alteration to the design of the broomball boot, difficulties of manufacture were easily overcome. Production moulds of various shoe sizes were made which produced a shoe with a bottom outer sole of soft gum rubber having several closely spaced, short cylindrical protuberances on the outer side. In addition the the rubber, a layer of sponge latex foam was inserted between the boot and the mould. Once the new method had been perfected Olmstead patented the invention. To those players who were more active than most, good traction was imperative. After a winters usage, the shoe could be resoled, just like new for a nominal fee.

For years business was booming and what was once considered by Ottawans as an average sporting goods store, was now transferred to "Broomball Products" owned and operated by William Olmstead.

Towards the end of his playing career, Olmstead's interest in broomball declined rapidly. Perhaps this was due to the fact that both leisure and business hours had been totally dominated by one sport and it was time to move on to something different. "Broomball Products" and the patented footwear were sold and the star defenceman returned to his first love, "Olmstead's Drywall". Although he has now retired from Broomball, his relentless efforts in improving the sport inspire those who now participate.

Published by the Eastern Ontario Broomball Association circa 1984. Written by Lucie Perrier.