Seen on the cat walks

Chanel’s Fall 2014 show was held in Paris recently with a shopping mall theme. Chanel Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld put on a runway show with every model wearing Chanel Couture sneakers. The kicks are all handmade pieces crafted by Massaro . Created using python skin, tweed, lace, pearls and jewels, each pair of trainers reportedly took 30 hours of labor to make. The shoes will cost more than 3,000 euros. Versions of the Chanel sneakers and sneaker boot are tipped to sell well in the coming months.

The new trend for sporty fashion in the form of a high heeled trainer has not escaped Jeremy Scott and Adidas. Isabel Marant was the first to put the heel into the trainer and now Nike and high street brands have followed suit.

At the Iris van Herpen show in Paris, the Dutch designer best known for her elaborate 3d-printed designs and for outfitting Lady Gaga, called upon artist Lawrence Malstaf to create an installation on the runway reminiscent of embryos. Cat walk models wore seven-inch platform, heel-less shoes with shin guard-like shafts that wrapped around the back of their knees Footwear was in collaboration with United Nude, and these were created by 3D printing collaboration with Julia Koerner.

Continuing the theme for giving a hint of height to an otherwise usually flat shoe Mui Mui models wore wellies with a sturdy looking heel on the catwalk .The transparent shoes came in green and blue versions and were shown as part of the designers ready to wear fall/winter 2014-2015 collection.

The 4th Annual Rock the Red Fashion Show

The 4th Annual Rock the Red Fashion Show from The Red Pump Project on Vimeo.

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GPS Shoes : the nana technology smart shoe

Andrew Carle is an assistant professor at George Mason University and a consultant on senior housing issues. He is always on the look out for new technology to improve the lives of the elderly. He came across a shoe with a Global Positioning System device embedded in the sole to help parents concerned about their kids disappearing amd thought the same technology could be used for shoes for senior citizens. After collaborating with GTX Corp., a new prototype GPS-equipped shoe was developed and in 2012 a Swedish science museum named the shoe as one of the “Top 100 Innovations of Mankind,” alongside the telephone and the Internet. Now, Carle and GTX are taking their nana technology a step further. They’ve developed insoles with an embedded GPS device so that the technology can be easily moved between pairs of shoes. The shoes and the insoles use cellphone technology. Family members with a smartphone can determine the shoes’ location by calling them. The “shoe” texts back with a Google map pinpointing them. In addition, family members can set up a “geofence” perimeter of any distance, and the application sends an alert any time the shoes go beyond the perimeter. The “Smart Soles” are being tested by groups that work with dementia patients, GPS shoes could be a lifesaver for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia patients while easing caregivers’ fears they will wander away.

Hidden shoe for luck : Wimpole Hall

Hidden under the floorboards at Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire, England, was a man’s shoe thought to be over 200 years old. The seventeenth century gentleman’s shoe was discovered after renovations to the building and is thought to be a talisman to ward off evil spirits. The shoe was found under a floorboard directly in front of a window, presumably to stop any evil spirits entering the house through it. It is thought the shoe had been placed under the floorboards in 1742 when the 1st Earl of Hardwicke commissioned the architect Henry Flitcroft to reconfigure Wimpole Hall. Many believe old shoes show a lot about their owner, including abnormalities in the foot. This appears to have given rise to the belief that they contained the spirit of their owner.

Slouchy boots for the Fall

Slouchy boots look like the new trend for the autumn from what has been seen so far on the fashion catwalks. Black, white and brown slouchy boots up to upper mid-calf region of the leg were seen in New York . An elastic-like top kept the boots snug to the models' legs at the opening ceremony. Some models wore knee-high slouchy boots in Derek Lam's fall 2014 collection and Rag & Bone paired them with thermal leggings and wool skirts. Stuart Weitzman is the latest designer to feature trendy slouchy boots.

Flyknit vs Primeknit: Who will win the World Cup ?

Nike and Adidas have new soccer boots which are knitted. Set to unveil their new boots the footwear giants are hoping to revolutionise the world of football footwear before the World Cup this summer.Nike have been using Flyknit technology in running shoes for two years but the new Magista (lightweight) boot which incorporated the same will be released soon . The new books have been endorsed by Andres Iniesta ( FC Barcelonaand Spain). The Magista will be released officially at the Champions League Final in Lisbon as a prelude to the World Cup in Brazil.



Luis Suarez (Liverpool and Uruguay ) will wear the new Adidas Primeknit Samba boot. The one piece upper is knitted using lightweight running shoe technology and will be available only as a limited edition.

Contaminants in human nail dust: an occupational hazard in podiatry?

Studies carried out in the UK have shown large amounts of nail dust become airborne during the human nail drilling procedure during routine podiatry session. These remain present in the air for up to 10 hours after a clinical session. The potential risk of Respiratory Tract (RT) infection for practitioners is ever present but to date there have been limited research indicating podiatrists' health may be at risk from exposure to human nail dust. A recent small study published in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research used a nasal swabbing technique and fungal culture to determine whether podiatrists (n = 50) had the same microbes present in their nasal cavities as non-podiatry health professional control group (n = 45). All swabs were cultured, counted and identified for each subject. Survey data of use and type of nail drill, type of mask used and frequency of change were also recorded over a two week period. The results showed podiatrists had a greater range of microbes in their nasal cavities although the controls had greater overall numbers of organisms. The known pathogen and common mould, Aspergillus fumigatus was most commonly found fungus within the podiatric group with 44% of the group having the fungus present. All nail drills used by the podiatrists had some form of dust extraction (except one). Of concern was 17% (n = 8) of the podiatrists did not use a mask at all whilst drilling and seemed unaware of any infection control issues. Simple disposable masks were the most frequently worn with only half being changed after each patient further increasing the cross infection risk. The researchers concluded the high levels of Aspergilus contamination is a significant finding in the podiatry group as this fungus is small enough to enter the tissue of the nasal cavity and as a small particle will stay airborne in the room for up to 16 hours. Aspergilus has been shown to cause brain and soft tissue tumours in extreme cases. The high levels of upper respiratory track problems reported in the literature may well be caused by this fungal agent. The non use and use of inappropriate masks by podiatrists is clearly an occupational hazard to their health and well being.

Reference
Tinley PD, Eddy K and Collier P. 2014 Contaminants in human nail dust: an occupational hazard in podiatry? Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 7:15

Barefoot for charity

Richard Hudgins is by day a hair stylist but he has stripped off his shoes and socks and is going barefoot for a full year to raise money for shoeless children. Shoeless since early December, he has nearly made it through a brutal Kentucky winter that featured several days of snow, ice and single-digit temperatures. Hudgins wants to raise $25,000 in donations by year's end and then take the money to Narok, Kenya, where children need uniforms and shoes to go to school. So far he has raised nearly $4,000. If Hudgins reaches his goal, it would buy durable shoes for more than 800 kids. Hudgins said he got the bare feet idea from Toms shoe company after it challenged customers to go a day without shoes. Donors are also sending him boxes of brand new shoes, about 70 so far. Hudgins said he is planning to donate those to kids in Kentucky.



The Kentuicky hair stylist isn't the first person to go barefoot for charity. The Charlotte, N.C.-based nonprofit Samaritan's Feet annually asks coaches, including University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, to shed their footwear to raise awareness and funds for shoeless children around the world.

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Is S&M the new yoga?

Skin tight leather-clad outfits, whips, and chains are all part of what is considered to be the subtle yet pervasive bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism (BDSM) culture. The act of sexually enjoying giving and receiving pain i.e. sadomasochism (S&M). This was once thought to be a pathological practice but is now viewed as some type of meditation. According to a recent study presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in Austin, Texas, the practice of S&M alters blood flow in the brain, which leads to an altered state of consciousness similar to a “runner's high” or yoga. Currently, consensual sexual behaviors like BDSM, are listed as a paraphilia, or unusual sexual fixation, in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). A shift from mental illness to an unusual sexual interest, has promoted researchers to explore what exactly makes partners engage in painful sexual behaviors. According to researchers S&M and other erotic practices may actually have benefits which lead to feelings of peacefulness and living “in the here and now” similar to those felt during a meditative experience. James Amber, graduate student in psychology at Northern Illinois University, conducted a small study to evaluate the effects of S&M. Fourteen participants, both male and female, were recruited for the study to test whether pain from sexual experiences caused blood flow to alter the region of the brain responsible for control and working memory. Researchers randomly assigned participants to either “receiving pain” or “giving pain” by the roll of a dice. In addition, they had to complete a cognitive test called the Strook task, which matches words and colors, and questionnaires before and after the sexual tests to examine their brain function. The findings revealed the “receiving pain” participants performed badly in the brain region known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This area of the brain is associated with directed attention, temporal integration, and working memory. When there is a deficit in a person’s working memory, they have less abstract thinking, access to memory, self-reflective conscious, and cognitive function, which leads to an altered state of consciousness. In S&M, this altered state transcends to one of focus and enjoyment. This feeling is compared to that of a runner’s high due to endorphins i.e. endogenous opioid neurotransmitters that bind to the same receptors bound to drugs like heroin and morphine in the central nervous system, and modulate pain perception. The changes in the central opioid receptor are mainly seen in the prefrontal and limbic/paralimbic pain regions. In other words, this area activated with a runner’s high is also activated during S&M. The researchers of the study say the tranquility felt is due to a high that is caused by the lack of blood flow to the area. Moreover, the participants reported to be less anxious compared to others. In a similar study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers found people who practice BDSM are psychologically healthier than those who are not, scoring higher on certain indicators of mental health. Those that practiced kinky sex were less neurotic, more secure in their relationships, and had better overall well-being. The researchers concluded: “BDSM may be thought of as a recreational leisure, rather than the expression of psychopathological processes.” The S&M push-and-pull effect may help treat anxiety and even allow partners to reach nirvana without pulling out the yoga mat.

Reference
Van Assen ALM M, Wismeijer AJ A. Psychological Characteristics of BDSM Practitioners. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2013.

Wearable Technology Fashion Show NY

At the Tech in Motion produced Wearable Technology Fashion Show in New York recently on display were examples of wearable technology integrated and sewn into apparel in brilliantly colorful and imaginative ways. The show presented 3D printed work, LED clothing, Google Glass, and more in new, unusual and often striking fashion designs. On show was a pair of onyx kicks from ContinuumFashion , a Manhattan-based group that specializes in unique 3D printed shoes.
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Pavegen: Power at your feet

Industrial design engineer Laurence Kemball-Cook designed special floor tiles which convert kinetic energy from footsteps into electricity which can be stored or reused. He set up Pavegen to manufacture his patented floor tiles which convert the kinetic energy from footsteps into electricity. The first application of a Pavegen tile commercially was in 2009 at Bestival where we powered iPhone docking stations with a Pavegen tile dance floor. Pavegen tiles were also used at the 2013 Paris Marathon and at the West Ham tube stop in 2012 to power lights on the way to the Olympic Stadium. Ohter places whare the technology had been used include foot-powered Christmas trees at shopping centres and permanent Pavegen sites at schools,

FeetZ Shoes : 3D Printed Shoes custom made to fit feet

When you have feet that are in-between standard sizes or half sizes, or one foot is slightly different from the other, finding a comfortable pair of shoes can be especially difficult. FeetZ Shoes is using 3D printing technology to create 3D printed shoes custom made to fit customers’ feet. Customers can take three pictures of each foot and send them to FeetZ. Using specialized software, the company turn the pictures into a 3D model. The complete pair of shoes can be available within seven days. FeetZ are available in different styles and colors. Currently, the material available is a rubber-like substance, but FeetZ expects more materials to become available sometime within the next couple of years. FeetZ Shoes plan to start taking custom orders for shoes later this year.