A superconductor is produced by the steps of combining a plurality of layers of metal sheets to form a composite structure. The sheets are pure transition metals-niobium, titanium, zirconium, or vanadium, or alloys thereof alternate sheets being formed of different transition metals or alloys. The resulting composite structure is mechanically reduced sufficiently so that each transition metal sheet is less than 1000 ANGSTROM thick. In the course of reduction, the composite is subjected to sufficient temperatures for sufficient times such that the transition metal layers are at least partially reacted to form a ductile superconducting material between the transition metal layers. Some of the transition metal layers remain sufficiently unreacted that they remain non superconducting. These unreacted layers afford efficient flux pinning within the composite when the layers are reduced to the less than 1000 ANGSTROM final size. In other embodiments, powders and filaments can be used instead of initial layers. Binary or ternary superconducting alloys can be formed.