Quick answer: cheerleaders originally wore ordinary athletic trainers, since cheerleading's early, less acrobatic form didn't demand specialised footwear - dedicated cheer shoes only emerged as the sport's stunts, tumbling and jumps became significantly more demanding through the 20th century.
Early Footwear Wasn't Cheer-Specific
In cheerleading's earliest decades, athletes simply wore whatever general athletic shoes were available at the time - there was no dedicated cheer shoe category, because the activity itself hadn't yet developed the mix of stunting, tumbling and jumping that would later demand specialised footwear.
Why Dedicated Shoes Became Necessary
As cheerleading incorporated more jumps, tumbling and eventually stunts through the mid-to-late 20th century, the physical demands on footwear grew: athletes needed grip and stability for stunts, cushioning for tumbling landings, and a lightweight, flexible build for jumps - a combination general trainers weren't designed to balance well.
The Rise of the Modern Cheer Shoe
From the later 20th century onward, athletic footwear brands began producing shoes designed specifically around this mix of demands, leading to the low-profile, lightweight, securely fastened cheer shoe used across the sport today. See What Are Cheer Shoes? for what defines a modern cheer shoe.
A Note on Dates and Sources
Precise dates for specific cheer shoe developments are reported inconsistently across sources. Where precision matters to you, we recommend cross-checking against a dedicated historical or manufacturer source - see our sources page.