Mobile phone tour of the Bata Museum

The Bata Shoe Museum has created an exciting and innovative audio tour where visitors are led on a journey through some of the Museum’s most intriguing stories using their own mobile phones. The tour is made possible with the help of leading interpretive audio tour specialist Tour-Mate Systems Canada. Visitors simply dial a number from their mobile phone and listen to information about the specified artifact or exhibit. Each tour stop ranges from one to two minutes. Visitors will also be able to share and comment on the various tour stops and their experience at the Museum by recording their thoughts via voicemail. The Museum’s unique collection houses over 12,500 artifacts and spans 4,500 years of history, from the earliest civilizations on earth to the catwalks of today’s leading designers.

First Lady's favourite dress shoes: Helping Chinese economy

Generally Chinese exports have fallen since late last year as the world financial crisis hit overseas demand for products. The slowdown has led to the closure of thousands of factories, while at least 25 million migrant workers from poor rural areas are now unemployed. Michelle Obama has set the foot fashionista in a buzz wearing Bandolino Berry’s dress shoes. Reoblan Footwear, a manufacturer based in the Sichuan province, China is working overtime to churn out the high-heeled Bandolino Berry for an ever eager set of US consumers where oreders have soared. Last year the manufacturer exported 500k pairs but were giving orders for 200k pairs in March of this year, thanks to the First Lady’s favourite dress shoe.

Portraits de Chaussures-Histories de Pieds: Travelling Exhibition

An exhibition entitled present “Portraits de Chaussures-Histories de Pieds” (Portraits of Shoes-Stories of Feet) opens at the Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza, Makati City tomorrow and runs until June 20. The exhibition is hosted by Alliance Française de Manille, Yuchengco Museum, and the French Embassy in the Philippines. The sponsors are Cultures France, Air France-KLM, Essilor, and Sofitel Philippine Plaza. The exhibit proposes a panoramic view of a completely arbitrary choice revolving around the subject of the shoe and its support, the foot. On display will be 62 pairs of shoes from the 18th to the 21st century from the Romans International Museum Collection and renowned French Fashion Houses Collections. In order to reinforce the dialogue of cultures, Filipino artists and designers will bring their contribution: “Stepping in Pinoy Style,” an exhibit curated by Yuchengco Museum, featuring traditional Filipino footwear such as the venerable bakya and beaded cochos, several pieces from theMarikina Shoe Museum collection and exciting designs by local designers will also be on show.

A special screening of the film Batad, directed by Benji Garcia, where shoes appear as a key symbol of migration and ambition, will be held at Alliance Française Auditorium.

“Portraits de Chaussures–Histoires de Pieds (Portraits of shoes–Stories of feet)” will tour internationally: at the Yuchenco Museum in Manila, from April to June; at the Thailand Creative and Design Center (TDCD) in Bangkok, Thaliand, from July to August; at Sungkok Art Museum in Seoul, Korea, from September to October; at the International Shoe Museum in Romans, France, from December to January; and in 2010 in Russia, Saint-Petersbourg at the Russian Ethnology Museum/ Permanent exhibit at Musee des beaux-arts/Samara at Musee des beaux-arts/Moscow at Tsaritsyno Museum.

Ceramic shoes tell a story

Rowena Hannan is a West Footscray artist who has an exhibition of her works at Deakin University Art Gallery as part of the annual International Women’s Day ‘She Explored’ exhibition. The artist works on ceramic shoes (modelled on the Victorian Era) and her 10-pair collection details famous relationships in history. Dear Georgia features the beginning and ending of letters at the sole of each shoe; and another pair details writer Virginia Woolf’s relationship with husband Leonard and lover Vita Sackville-West. Ms Woolf’s shoes are filled with small porcelain stones in a sad reminder of the stones with which she weighed her coat down before drowning in a river.

Investors: Uggs still have a warm glow

Even a cold wind that blows someone some good according to Deckers Outdoor Corp the net sale of Uggs a has jumped 37.6 % in the first quarter of the year to $134.2 million. This is due to an unexpected increase 66.9 % increase sales over the cold months. Company projections indicate Uggs, will continue to sell well for both second quarter and the remainder of the year.

The Great Running Shoe Debate

Up until middle distance running, sports shoes are designed for normal heel-to-toe walking. The gait cycle changes at middle distance speeds and the heel contact is lost and so running shoes have noe heel. The mechanics of walking and running are complex and involve tri-plane motion at the junction between the end of the leg and the foot. Triplane motion of supination and pronation arises at the sub talr joint which is made up of the talus and the calcaneum bones. The talus is a small bone which can either be part of the foot (independent of the leg) in motion such as dorsiflexion and planttarfelxion of the ankle; or part of the leg (independent of the foot) in inversion and eversion of the foot against the leg. During supination and pronation the talus an calcanium cause movement in three planes which leads to a very complex and co-oridnated set of compensations which can be simply referred to as torque conversion. When these co-oridinated movements are out of sequence then this may lead to repetitive stress injury both at site as well as proximal and distal to the the tri plane joint. Supination of the sub talar joint causes the foot to lock, arch height to increase, and the foot to adapt to the function of a rigid lever ideal for propulsion. When the sub talar joint pronates this unlocks the forefoot, arch drops, and the foot becomes a mobile adapter capable of shock attenuation during weightbearing from heel strike to the propulsive phase and take off. This sequence of events is broght about by the position of the calcaneum as determined by ground reaction forces (GRF). The talus have no muscles inserted into it or originates from it and hence is classified as a gravitational bone. The positon of the talus is determined by the bones which surround it. During heel strike the calcaneum works as a pendulum and depending on its position determines the movement which takes place at the subtalar joint. At heel strikes the calcaneum is inverted and the subtalr joint supinated, GRF cause the heel to evert causing the joint to pronate. Just prior to the propulsion phase when the heel lifts form the ground, the subtalar joint startes to resupinate caused by moments (turning forces) generated from toes contact. The function of all shoes is to support the foot throught these changes and allow ‘normal’ walking to take place. Problems can arise when there is a delay in resupination of the sub talar joint and the mobile foot requires to speedily change positon to lever itself off the ground. This action needs energy which may eventually cause fatique and subsequent the grinding of adjacent bones result in subluxation (partial dislocation) and traumatic osteoarthosis (wear and tear). These chronic changes are associated with aging but can became acute due to accelerated activity such as sport. A preoccupation with sport shoe designers has been to produce shoes which prevent abnormal pronation (excessive rolling movement of the foot). To do this the trend has been to wedge the heel on the inner side (next to the long arch) which physically prevents the full range of pronation motion from occuring at the subtalar joint. Sometimes this is included into the shoe design or a heel tilt can be incorporate into foot orthoses (shoe inlays). Prior to the 70s the arch support inlay was used to support the “collapsing foot.” The main disadvantage of arch supports was GRFs were brought into contact with the midfoot and this caused asymptomatic chronic traumatic arthitis. Many people became dependent upon their shoe inserts not aware their feet were stiffening as a result of wearing them. In the 70s a new theory emerged from podiatrists working in California and was based on an assumption there was a standard gait cycle with a critical change over point from a pronated foot to a rigid lever. This occurred at a point when the foot was about to enter propulsive phase (just after heel lift during stance phase). A criteria for the normal foot was defined at the point in time when the heel (leg) was perpendicular to the ground and the fore foot and heel plains were parallel to the ground. Refered to as the sub talar neural theory the model gave a universal reference position which provided a useful means to define abnormal (out of syncronicity) movements and their sequestra (pathomechanics). Three dimensional motion is complex and advances in gait analysis have subsequently shown the subtalar joint theory to be imprecise. Some attempts were made in the late 70s to include heel wedging into the design of shoes for the football codes but this was unsuccessful. More recently as sport shoe design has seen footwear with independent heel and forefoot sections then the principles of the sub talar neutral hypothetical model have become apparent. A new debate has revolved around a call for a more natural shoe or one which allows the kinetic foot to behave unhindered. Cries for barefoot running has caused a small but significant number of serious athletes to consider their footwear options. Recent reports suggesting the absence of scientific justification for sports shoes has added considerably to the debate. What has further feuled discussion is the presence of designed footwear which gives added spring in marathon and sprinting shoes. Currently this type of footwear is classified as performance enhancing and not able to be worn in professional competitions. The main thrust of the barefoot running debate comes from commercial sectors who would in the interests of breaking records wish to see the new designs accepted.

Reference

Trimble T 2009 The Running Shoe Debate: How Barefoot Runners are Shaping the Shoe Industry Popular Mechanics April.

What to do with one million pairs of Heelys?

The answer is sell them to the Japanese and that is exactly what Heelys, Inc. have done through their exclusive distributor, A.G. Corporation. Japan is one of more than 70 countries around the world where Heelys skate shoes are currently distributed. Later in the year Heelys skate shoes will launch a new product line.

My Kids Feet: New kid on the block for kids kicks

Mover and shaker in children’s shoes this year is My Kids Feet. It is considered to be one of the most ambitious online children's shoe ventures and features nine major brands of children's footwear, with plans to add up to four more by year's end. Currently the company carry styles from several major children’s footwear manufacturers, including Stride Rite, Tsukihoshi , Dinosoles, Robeez, Nickelodeon Slimers, Pediped, Sperry Top-Sider, Umi and Morgan and Milo. As part of My Kids Feet commitment to customer service, they offers free priority mail shipping and free online access to a Certified Fit Specialist via online chat. The man behind My Kids Feet is Alex Curavo and he has previously experience with Stride Rite in Toledo. He is confident My Kids Shoes can differentiate itself from its competitors by specializing exclusively in children’s footwear and providing superior customer support and free shipping to parents seeking quality, fashion-forward footwear for their children. My Kids Feet will soon launch a national television campaign (US) for the back-to-school season in July and will feature on the top children’s networks of Nickelodeon and Discovery Kids among others. My Kids Feet is independently owned and operated by children's footwear retailer KidzFeet. and Alex Curavo has another venture, The Salt Water Sandal Store which was launched in 2008.

Clog exhibition: Bad Karma in HK

The Cheung Kong Center in central Hong Kong which is one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city has declined to hold a Dutch charity exhibition of clogs because of worries the clunky footwear will bring bad luck. Appears the reason is fengshui and according to the tower's management, the wooden footwear show would cause bad luck, because the Cantonese word for shoes is hai and that sounds too similar to the English, sigh. The exhibition has now relocated to another tower in Hong Kong and the proceeds raised by the exhibition will go to help Chinese children.


Interested in history of wooden shoes, then you might like:
de Boer-Olij T 2002 European wooden shoes, their history and diversity Stichting Klompenmuseum. For further information please contact Bertus van den Hof

Heights of Fashion: A History of the Elevated Shoe

Heights of Fashion: A History of the Elevated Shoe by Elizabeth Semmelhack, curator of Toronto's Bata Shoe Museum.
The book chronicles the history of women's (and men's) struggle to appear taller than they actually are. Drawing on historical sources, paintings and prints, this explores how and why shoes or boots with high heels came into common use throughout the last five centuries.

Light at the end of the sock

Apparently when the skin surface is illuminated with relatively low intensity light it can result in improved wound healing and pain reduction. A recently published study outlines the effects of socks made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) incorporating optically active particles (CelliantTM) on chronic foot pain resulting from diabetic neuropathy or other disorders. A double-blind, randomized trial was conducted with 55 subjects (38 men & 17 women). The group had an average age of 59.7 +/- 11.9 years) and subjects were made up of 26 with diabetic neuropathy and 29 with other painful etiologies. Subjects twice completed the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), and SF-36 a week apart (W1+2) before receiving either control (placebo) or CelliantTM socks. The same questionnaires were answered again one and two weeks (W3+4) later. The questionnaires provided nine scores for analyzing pain reduction: one VAS score, two BPI scores, five MPQ scores, and the bodily pain score on the SF-36. Mean W1+2 and W3+4 scores were compared to measure pain reduction. Greater pain reduction was reported by CelliantTM subjects for 8 of the 9 pain questions employed, with a significant (p = 0.043) difference between controls and CelliantTM for McGill question III. In neuropathic subjects, CelliantTM caused more pain reduction in 6 of the 9 questions, but not significantly. In non-neuropathic subjects 8 of 9 questions showed more pain reduction with the CelliantTM socks. The researchers concluded socks with optically modified PET (CelliantTM) appear to have a beneficial impact on chronic foot pain. The mechanism could be related to the effects seen with illumination of tissues with visible and infrared light. Such optically modified fibre is thought to modify the illumination of the skin in the visible and infrared portions of the spectrum, and consequently reduce pain.

Reference
York RM, Gordon IL. 2009 Effect of optically modified polyethylene terephthalate fiber socks on chronic foot pain BMC Complement Altern Med Apr 22;9(1):10.

Viva Barfuss, Vivo Barefoot

At Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire (UK) there is a 1km ‘barfuss’ trail or walking trail for barefooters. The terrain offers a diverse range of surfaces from bark to gravel, pebbles to grass and has been designed to stimulate the soles of the feet. The concept of the barfuss trail was developed in the mid-1800s by a Bavarian priest, Sebastian Kneipp, who urged his parishioners to wade through water and walk barefoot on wet grass as a health-promoting, life-enhancing activity. He believed this boosted the cardiovascular system, regulated blood pressure and strengthened immunity. A recent study found the impact forces on the knees were 12 per cent lower in barefoot walking than when wearing thick-soled walking shoes. The researchers attributed this to greater sensory feedback in barefoot walking which allows the body to activate its protective mechanisms to attenuate shock. The “Vivo Barefoot” is a shoe produced by Galahad Clarke (part of the Clarkes Shoes family) and from above appear conventional footwear but when flipped over reveal a thin, puncture-resistant sole with no heel, no midsole, no arch support. The prototype shoes was developed by a friend, Tim Brennan and produced through, Terra Plana. The first Vivo Barefoot was unveiled in 2003 and had a zip-off sole. The product has proved so popular the company intend to expand into the children and sport’s maket.

Dames and Divas: Collectable shoes

Fab find to be found in Perth, Western Australia and on the net, too. Dames and Divas produces a limited edition of one-off shoes, clutch bags and accessories. These are made from vintage unstitched silk kimonos from Japan. Dames and Divas shoes and accessories are all the more intriguing and collectable because of their provenance. Each piece is one off limited edition, wearable art. Amanda Fox who started the company also has Foxxy Vintage which is well worth a keek.

History (Potted) of shoes

A brief but informed history of shoes posted on the Northampton Borough Coucil website(UK).

A brief but curious history of shoes

Shoes retain a unique importance to human beings which even yet defines complete understanding. From the time hominids started to decorate themselves shoes became more than just protective costume with even the earliest archaeological demonstrating individual embellishment. From antiquity onwards footwear became an important status symbol jealously guarded by the ‘well heeled,’ and through to modern history, protected by Sumptuary Laws to prevent upward mobility. Mythologies and folklore abound with reference to material whose significance hinges on the bond which links feet and sex together and according to Rossi ‘feet are sensual objects which often require to be hidden from unwanted attention.' No surprise to learn the word shoe is Anglo Saxon in origin and means to cover furtively.

Bipedalism describes walking on two feet as opposed to all fours (quadripedal gait). No one can be sure when our ancestors took to all twos but it is postulated to be approximately 7.5 million years ago with evidence of tools and language dating back to 2.6 million year ago. The earliest foot fossils exhibited characteristics of both arboreal and terrestrial existence and the transition from 4 legs to 2 is thought to have been quick likely as a pragmatic solution to environmental change. Hominids needed to move around the new grasslands but still with the ability to climb trees. The absence of forestation meant ground surface temperatures had increased and in order to keep the brain cool, hominids stood up. There is clear skeletal evidence to show blood flow to the brain increased significantly during this time. As bipedalism became the norm adaptation of the foot, knee and hip followed leaving hands free to gather and improved sight to hunt.

Unlike other animals, early humans had a weight bearing heel, an inside arch, and big toe for ground leverage. From Homo Rectus to Homo Sapian (an estimated 2 million years) the brain became more complex as walking on two feet influenced musculature and body shape. Experts believe the form and function of buttocks, bosoms; the legs and thighs, tummies, hips and even genitalia were all influenced by walking on two feet. Sigmund Freud, was convinced upright stance led to the frontal display of both primary and secondary sex organs and argued humans had no need to develop other senses when greatest benefit was gained by perfecting sight. The sensory centre which supplies the feet does lie in close proximity to sensory nerves of the genitalia. Experts believe in some people there may be ‘neural print-through’ which causes their feet to become sexually expressive. So for them tickling the feet would be the same as “tickling their fancy.” Covering bare feet and indeed exposing them seems to have a major social significance as the etymology of the word shoe will testify. In the 19th century when Édouard Manet’s painting of Olympia, a reclining courtesan with her shoe half on was first exhibited in Paris there were riots in the street. A little later when George du Maurier’s best selling gothic novel Trilby, was damatised and the play’s heroine, Trilby O'Ferrall exposed her naked feet on stage, audiences erupted in riot.

The general consensus is shoes started to be worn during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic period or the Old Stone Age (circa 40,000 years ago). If this is true then foot covers would occasionally be used by Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens. This timeline is consistent with development of tools, socialisation, and decoration. Skeletal remains from sites in Russia appear to have foot protection dating to about 27,500 years ago and European rock paintings show animal skins around the foot dating to 15,000 years ago. Finds in North America (10,5000 years ago) include a range of shoes and sandals with fragments of cordage. More recent finds are footprints in a cave site at Grotte de Fontanet (France) which show a shod foot in a moccasin-like covering.

Clothing serves three main purposes: decoration, modesty and protection. Whilst the latter may appear the most logical it is not supported by history (both ancient and modern). Fig leaf mentality may explain why we covered up, but by far the major reason for clothing was decoration. In those early finds each pair of sandals were distinctly different indicating a desire to wear something distinctive, and decorative which might indicate an instinct for individualism. The essential purpose of decoration was to beautify bodily appearance, so as to attract admiring glances from others and fortify self-esteem. Prior to clothing prehistoric people decorated and scarified their skins to protect themselves from imaginary evil spirits. Gradually these magical patterns were incorporated into clothing as talisman with significant social and spiritual meaning. As our ancestors covered up it meant clothing, particular for heads and feet took on new significance. The Displacement of Effect theory suggests hair, hats and shoes became gender specific.
Remarkably shoes remain unchanged since the beginning and shoe finds from antiquity would not be that out of place in the shop window today. Further biomechanical assessment of the wear marks from early shoe finds confirm people’s feet have not changed over millennium. Our hunter and gatherer ancestors obviously admired the strength and courage of animals and wore their hides next to their skins to harness these qualities. Victors always wore mementos of the vanquished which often included testicles. Remnants of this can still be seen in modern shoes such as the tassels on loafers. Shoes also carried lucky tokens either incorporated into the pattern design or a talisman contained within the shoe. Again these can still be seen in today’s shoes with a lucky penny in penny loafers and brogue shoes.

Clothing provides the safest distance to judge a stranger whereas more intimate relationships rely on the finer features and speech. Privileged classes have always celebrated dress as a mark of rank, occupation and wealth. In Roman Times for example the higher the boot strapping worn by the soldier the more senior their military rank. The same demarcation was seen in WWI – where officers wore boots and enlisted men wore shoes. Throughout history a major preoccupation of the nouveaux riche has always been to try to aspire to the same privileges as the wealthy including wearing the same clothes and shoes were not excluded. Indeed there were sumptuary laws to prevent this and this sartorial trait marks our preoccupation with celebrity.

According to Rossi in his toe curlingly, funny book, ‘The Sexlife of the foot and shoe’ there are nine basic shoe styles, and everything else is made up of a combination of these. Chronologically these are: the Moccasin; the Sandal; the Clog; the Boot; the Monk; the Platform; the Mule; the Pump; and the Oxford. By far the most curious aspect of shoe history for me is footwear in both occidental and oriental societies were probably used in safe sex practice during the Middle Ages and in particular during syphilis epidemics.

Promiscuous sex among the privileged classes was prevalent in the Middle Ages and modern scholars now acknowledge Islam formed the basis for European Chivalry and Courtly Love. In the absence of feudal lords and Knights engaged in the Crusades young men of the court were taught to sublimate their desires and channel their energies into socially useful behaviour. European CL flourished in the early 12th century and the high minded ideals of true romance were spread by troubadours who sang openly of love’s joys and heartbreaks. At precisely the same time men started wearing long toed shoes which as each decade passed got longer and longer and longer. Until they were 24” longer than the foot they covered.

Despite Papal disapproval and sumptuary law to prevent lower classes from wearing poulaines (long toed shoes) the fashion continued unabated for four hundred years. Shoes were stuffed with moss and grass and became phallic with hawk bells sewn on the end, to indicate the wearer was interested in sexual frolics. Masturbation was commonly practised as a form of safe sex and two 24” long dildos would not go a miss. Wearing poulaines caused men to adopt a wide based, high stepping gait and this became the norm for fashionable courtiers. The same pattern is seen in tertiary syphilis. Another innovation at the same time was the Court Jester or professional fool. It is postulated the introduction of the jester was an attempt to draw attention away from the madness associated with late stage syphilis in the Royal Family.

Something similar was happening at exactly the same time in China and from the 11th century onwards young girls (and some boys) had their feet bound from age four until 19 years. For over a thousand years this practice became a right of passage and the Lotus foot (3 inches long) was highly prized in a bride. Foot bindings secured a quality marriage and until recently the reason for foot binding has been unclear. However it walking with smaller step lengths increases muscle tone in the pelvic region and ensures tightness of the vulva. Procreation was considered the highest form of worship in the Toasist society of the 11th the century and anything which enhanced the experience was acceptable. In the presence of syphilis the bound foot was likely used in safe sex.

Spring Shoes: Flower Power

Spring is upon us and the fashion motif of the season is flowers. According to Carol Langrall of examiner.com flower motifs are in full bloom from sandals to pumps. Seems the pre-occupation with all things floral started last season with Prada’s floral Art Nouveau inspired high heels. Flowers dominated the cat-walk at the 2009 Paris Fashion Week, including “One is too,” a pair of hand-made fabric flower covered wedges from Bruno Frisoni, the creative director for Roger Vivier. Another designer label with green fingers was Scherer-Gonzalez. The theme of their spring 2009 shoe collection was fresh flowers. See some of the floral interpretations of shoes and boots at this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show.

You might like to “pimp up” your shoes? For inspiration have a swiz at The Botanical Footwear of Dennis Kyte.

Platform Shoes:Heights of fashion exhibition

The Heights of Fashion: Platform Shoes Then and Now is a new exhibition at the Mint Museum of Art , Charlotte, NC. The exhibition showcases more than 60 platform shoes from the 1930s through the present. The popularity of platforms reached its greatest height in the 1970s, when these shoes became associated with a rebellious youth movement that decried societal standards of older generations. From the free-spirited fashions of the 1970s to the trendy footwear of today, platforms have continued their role as fashion statements worn by both sexes.The Heights of Fashion spans more than 100 years of platform shoes. Ranging from the delicate “lotus bud shoes” of 19th century China designed to emphasize women’s tiny bound feet to the chunky Goth platforms of the 1980s, the shoes on exhibit demonstrate how extreme variations on a style developed in response to different cultural philosophies and concepts of beauty. Footwear by Vivienne Westwood, Jimmy Choo and Roger Vivier reveal influential and innovative designs that incorporate modern engineering with vintage inspiration. The Heights of Fashion exhibition will be on display at the Mint Museum of Art through spring 2011. For more information contact Betsy Gantt

Cheap and co friendly:Save the Planet and plant a tree

Payless ShoeSource have launched a new range of affordable, stylish and eco friendly shoes in their new line Zoe&Zac . The entire collection of womens’and girls’ shoes was created to make green fashion accessible and appealing at a price tag under $30 (US). The collection is made from eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton and linen, natural hemp, jute, recycled rubber, and water-based glues. Even the packaging is eco-smart with 100% recycled shoe boxes printed with soy-based inks. The brains behind the idea of model, activist and television host Summer Rayne Oakes and not only does she bring trendy footwear at an affordable price but she also enables people to contribute to a worth while cause. Between 4/13/09 - 5/4/09 Payless will contribute $1 to The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees Campaign for every Zoe&Zac item purchased. A minimum total of $100,000 (US) will be contributed in 2009 from the sales of Zoe&Zac items.

What has shoe throwing come to?

Time was not so long ago shoe throwing was an elite activity but seems any old tom can be up to it now. Reported in Ohio US a 52-year-old exotic dancer was attacked on her first day by a jealous co-worker armed with a stiletto shoe. Unlike former President Bush the victim has scares to show from the incident. Apparently the unprovoked altercation came about when a dancer took her high-heeled shoe and struck a rookie stripper in protest at another girl taking to the pole in times of recession.

Roger Vivier: The Stiletto Heel Man

Nice article on Roger Vivier

When the going gets tough: Reebok gets the boot!

According to market-research firm, SportsOneSource since adidas bought over Reebok in 2006 both brands have lost U.S. market share of athletic shoes. The U.S. market share of retail dollars for 2006 to 2008 indicates a fall of 4.76% for adidas and 2.02% for Reebok. The original intention of the parent company was to take over Reebok and combined, compete with rivals Nike. The market share lost since the merger was picked up by Nike and new footwear competitor Under Armour. Nike grew from a $1.2 billion company to an $18.6 billion empire and remains the leading retailer of sport shoes in the world. adidas were keen to maintain their challenge for supremacy and bought Reebok for $3.8 billion in 2006. Subsequently both mega giants have lost market share in the US. Down turn of economy aside experts are pondering why these events have come to pass. Some believe retailers want to carry less stock and are generally trimming their inventory so there is no longer room for both Reebok and adidas on their shelves. Others believe the niche market for female athletic shoes (which Reebok have catered for) is small by comparison and no longer as profitable and hence have dropped it.

FW09 ObyO: cutting edge attire

Signature Adidas ObyO (Originals by Originals) continues to bring together external designers to express their individuality and diversity through cutting-edge footwear and apparel styles. The second season of FW09 ObyO, is themed “Celebrate Originality” and sees fashion designer Jeremy Scott and manga artist Kazuki Takahashi in creative form with the addition of new boys David Beckham (on loan to A C Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy) and co-owner of Undefeated, James Bond adding their expertise. The apparel range features luxury materials such as cashmere and silk, whereas the footwear builds on iconic adidas products, such as the ZX8000. There is also a stand-alone footwear piece called the JS Snow which is a snow boot featuring a soft and puffy upper. All Kazuki Takahashi’s contributions are branded with Neighbourhood, featuring the word “Zivilcourage.” Highlights in his mini collection for FW09 ObyO are the leopard fur Vulcanized Sneakers. The new gear will be available in select boutiques and fashion doors from August 1st, followed by a second global retail launch in Originals stores on October 1st 2009.

Kim Mailing: Gonyersel gal

Kim Mailing paints sneakers. She now runs Qustom Queen which combines art and fashion to produce one off pieces of 'wearable art. Her “Heat Sensitive Colorchange customs” are award winning and highly sought after object d'art by sneaker freakers from all over the world. Her seminal works was the ‘The Hunter Vs The Hunted’ which is an orange and black tiger print and when exposed to heat changes colour ato white zebra pattern. Learn more at QQ's MySpaceand other places where you can see Kim's works (and but them) include: SoleFood NYC, MILO Shoes & Gallery San Diego, among many others.

Cape Clog: One step at a time

Cape Clogs' One Step at a Time Campaign for Autism Awareness

The Puzzle Piece Clog was designed by Cape Clogs to support autism awareness. Ten percent of sales will go to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. This clog is available in women's sizes 5-11 for $85 (US) and toddler size 8 through children's size 3 for $40 (US).

Children’s shoes – buy wise

Wee feet need freedom to grow and “podgy” feet and “hen toes” are all part of the natural growing process no matter how odd they may appear. The action of rolling into flat feet in infants is perfectly normal and strengthens the long bones of the leg. Concern is often expressed at how flat the arch becomes but this is temporary development which the vast majority of tiny tots grow out of perfectly naturally. Mini adult feet only start to begin to form around the age of seven when the big femurs bones stop de-rotating from their infantile position. If after this stage the child is accident prone and poorly co-ordinated then it is well worth a visit to the general practitioner or paediatrician for advice. It takes approximately 18 years for the bones of a child's foot to fully develop. At birth the foot contains 22 partially developed bones, by school age the number increases until 18, with the formation of the adult foot. The baby foot needs protection in the form of shoes once they start to take their first steps. Tight fitting, baby grows; socks and bootees should be avoided especially in the early growing years. Toddler's feet need special care and attention and shoe size should be checked regularly every three months. Shoe fit is important and most children need a narrow heel with a wider forepart. This requires a special last which is why children’s’ shoes can be costly. Using hand-me down shoes will do no real harm provided no excess wear from the previous owner impedes comfort and the shoes provide protection to the foot. To allow for growth, the shoes should be a little longer than the foot (1.5 – 2.00cm) when standing. Toddler’s feet change shape approximately every three months so buying well fitting cheaper shoes makes economic sense. Keeping shoes for ‘Sunday Best’ is not recommended and if the shoes fit then the child should wear the shoas a soon as they are purchased and not a few weeks later when the foot may have changed shape. Lace up's or strap fastenings help stabilise the foot and improve comfort. Children’s shoes have two main advantages to the growing foot. Protection from hard surfaces and sharp objects and support to the foot and leg during growth spurts. Most people will have one foot smaller than the other so it is important to have the feet fit comfortably into the shoes. Shoes usually come in the same size so it makes sense to have the longest and broadest foot fitted. A good trick is to have the child stand on a piece of paper. Draw round the edge of each foot, with a pen at right angles to the paper. Cut these shapes out and when in the shop slip the paper template into the shoes. If they come out crumpled, then choose a large/broader size. Buy shoes for growth and there should be a clearance between the tips of the longest toes and the end of the shoe should be about 1.5-2.00 cm. Any longer may cause the child to trip, and should be avoided. Always get the child to try the shoes on and encourage them to tip toe to check for heel slippage; test for length by feeling for the longest toe. This should sit well short of the end of the shoe and neither should the little toe protrude into the side of the shoe. Let the child walk up and down wearing both new shoes. Always take those shoes which are comfortable at the first try as there should be no need to ‘break them in.’ Fashion today plays a very important role in younger and younger children although the range for toddler to primary is usually fairly sound. Children with long thin feet often have a problem and may need lacing or straps to keep them on. It would be rather naive to expect young teenagers to wear sensible shoes all the time. Cheap trainers will provide the same protection and at a fraction of the cost. Older children should be encouraged to wear appropriate shoes for the activities they get up to.

Shoebunny: a blog for the well heeled

shoebunny is an extra cool website which covers shoes and celebrity.

Schwarzenegger's fancy shoes

Attention was drawn to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger fancy shoes on a recent visit to California's Central Valley. A local television reporter from KMPH-TV was so taken with the veteran actor’s shoes; she asked him "What's up with your shoes?"

Schwarzenegger has worn cowboy boots on previous visits to the state's agricultural heartland but on this occasion was sporting a pair of eye-catching alligator patterned blue-black shoes stitched in white and tied with contrasting white laces.

"You like them?" the Governor retorted, before adding "I love shoes."

Australian Girl: Doll in thongs

There are a lot of dolls on the market but there’re is only one, Australian Girl TM . Apparently the current crop of popular dolls fall between baby dolls and teenage manikins so once grandmother, Helen Schofield recognised this she and friends set too produce her own brand of Australian Girl TM dolls. Keen to capture Australian culture, they designed a collection of four girl dolls to represent contemporary young Australians. Sporty Amy is a netball (or tennis) player with a range of accessories. Jasmine comes in her cherry pink concert and party dress with dainty button front, mandarin collar and back tie bow. Emily in her Aussie colours with checked shirt and dirt friendly pants is ready for her next outback adventure; but my favourite is Belle who comes ready for the beach with her bright rashy swim suit, cute coordinating floral print cap and tote and her thong sandals. Wait for it, the doll’s feet are made to allow the thongs to fit. Now that must be a first. Australian Girl TM is fully Australian owned and endorses the work of Kids Free 2B Kids and Women’s Forum Australia. Through research and education regarding the sexualisation of children in the media, advertising and clothing industries these organisations promote psychological health and emotional well being of Australia’s children.

Stride Rite: Kid's choice

Sitting well through the current recession are companies which make children's shoes. One such company to show strong sales in the first quarter of the year is Toledo based, Stride Rite. According to the company much of their success has been their ability to meet demand for children-friendly, themed footwear and licensed products. Among the hottest selling items are Robeez brand soft-soled baby shoes featuring Funky Monsters and Baby Aliens. The company’s new line of licensed Nickelodeon shoes, and Stride Rite shoes featuring real SuperBalls in the heels is predicted to sell well.

Walk the Walk: Nice work

“Walk the Walk: Inspiration for Change,” is an exhibition made up of sixth-grade history students in Collins-Riverside Middle School, Northport Alabama. As part of an action research project to discover the meaning of civil rights and those who stood against oppression, US history teacher, Cathy Collins sent her students out to interview someone in their community who has stood up for social change and equality. Once the students found someone, they had their subjects fill out a questionnaire about their experience and what justice and equality means to them. To complete the exercise the interviewee was asked for a pair of their shoes. In the exhibition questionnaires along with the person’s story, written by the student, were placed above each pair of shoes.

What have the foot police to do?: Now it’s the UGG

As if there was not enough to worry in this world.

According to a recent abc report podiatrists are expressing concerns at the wearing of the UGG boots claiming they do not give the foot support and forecasting all manner of nasties to everyone who dares wear them. What a load of toss!
To the very best of my knowledge there is no independent evidence to support shoes of any kind i.e. heels, UGGs, flatties, plastic clogs etc., are detrimental to foot function. Provided the footwear fits and is appropriate to the activity they are put to, then no long term harm is likely. The foot police do at times have a skewed view of the public and certainly see clients with shoe related pathologies but then only people with sore feet go to their podiatrist. The vast majority of people never cross the threshold. So trying to extrapolate their anecdotal experiences to the great unwashed is misleading and unnecessarily alarming (in my humble opinion). Supporting the structure of the foot can become habit forming and lead to dependency on arch supports etc., but thankfully for the majority of bipeds the arch can well support itself in healthy individuals. Foot strain has always been a focal point for medics partly because there is no known cause in at least half the cases and the temptation is there to demonise the footwear. It is an easy cop out. In truth many musculo-skeletal problems of the foot involve repetitive stress injury which is built up over a long period of time and in many cases, sub clinical until a traumatic event. This may include being on your feet for long periods of time which is commonly referred to in foot police speak as “over use.” I suggest much of the contemporary condemnation of shoes like UGGs and flip flops etc., have less to do with a real epidemic in foot strain and more to do with promoting dependency on medical expert opinion and their services. These are hard times we live in.

Footnote
During the Second World War when most GPs in the UK were in the services and overseas, the health of the general population improved.

Hot Cross Buns, Coloured Eggs and the Easter Bunny

The reason we associate Easter with east or sunrise is because the name came from Eostre the Anglo-Saxon goddess of dawn. Easter was the celebration of Spring and the beginning of the growing season.Followers of Eostre sacrificed oxen in her honour and baked buns with horns decorating the top. Small loaves on leavened bread scored with a cross were known to be found in ancient Egyptian tombs. The cross appears to have had no symbolic significance, or at least if it did, it has been lost in time. It was also recorded the time of Easter in ancient Rome coincided with a festival to the worship of Priapus. During this festival people ate phallus shaped bread but the early Christians felt symbolism more associated with Christ would be better and the phallus was replaced with the Cross. This is thought to be a credible origin of today’s pastries. No one can be sure of the origin of the word bun but many believe it comes from the Old French word ‘bugne’, meaning, and “a swelling caused by a blow” The same origins for the word bunion. The word bun made its appearance in the English language about 1370. Hot cross buns were known in the 18th century and referred to in Poor Robin’s Almanac for 1733. The first recorded mention was a street cry common to bakers.

The cry became children’s rhyme
“Hot cross-buns! Hot cross buns!
One a penny, two a penny, hot cross-buns!
If you have no daughters,
Pray give them to your sons!
One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns!

One a penny, two a penny would imply there were two types of bun on sale.

To Pagans the rabbit and hares were symbols of life and fertility because there was a plentiful source of food. During the spring months both became a focal reminder of procreation. By the 1600s the rabbit had become more associated with Easter festivities and was a custom known and practiced in Germany. Until the 18th century the term ‘cony’ (Pronounced cunny) was used to describe adult rabbits, and rabbit was the preferred name for young rabbits. “Cunny” was an Old English colloquialism for female genitalia and so cunny had to become bunny, hence the Easter Bunny. The first edible Easter Bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s and were made of pastry and sugar. The Easter Bunny was introduced to America in the 1700s by the German settlers to Pennsylvania Dutch country. The Easter Bunny or Osterhase (pronounced in the dialect of the region Oschter Haws) was a major figure in the calendar of children and his arrival on the day before Easter would equate to the arrival of Christkindl (Kris Kindle) on Christmas Eve. Many of the old myths were described in the writings of fairy tails which bcame very popular in the 19th century. In legend, the Easter Bunny brought baskets full of coloured eggs to the homes of good children on the night before Easter. The Easter Bunny would either put the baskets in a designated place or hide them somewhere in the house for the children to find when they wake up in the morning. As a variation children started to build nest for the magical birds that laid the eggs. The children used their hats and bonnets and the nest were usually in out of the way places on the farm. Fearing the loss of expensive clothing the frugal parents sought out the nests and filled them with coloured eggs. Somehow the roles were reversed and parents hid the eggs so as the children would take pleasure in finding them. As the custom spread throughout the 18th century the nests became Easter Baskets. There does not appear to be any attempt to infer the rabbits laid the eggs but the symbolic combination of eggs for fertility; and rabbits for procreation were enough. No one can be sure why the eggs had to be coloured but certain colours such as red and green were symbolic of life and growth respectively. Eggs were not eaten during Lent (the fast kept by devotees prior to Easter) so it may be eating brightly coloured eggs may have had some celebratory significance to Catholics. It has also been suggested endulging in egg eating throughout Lent may have been a Protestant preoccupation.

Big Foot in Birmingham ?

British men's feet are growing bigger according to a new survey. It seems the average man's shoe size has gone up a size in the last five years. In 2004 the average man's shoe was a UK size eight but now it is size nine and demand for size 12 shoes have soared, retailers say. Thirty years ago the standard sixze was size seven and 12 was the end of the range. Being better fed means the human frame is generally getting broader and taller and this may explain the phenomenon. Research has shown eating high-density foods such as pizza and processed foods during puberty can stimulate the growth hormone. This not only makes their waist larger, but also other parts of the body including the hands and feet. Some experts are concerned the rise in size may have something to do with the obesity epidemic many Western Countries are facing. In the UK more than 30 per cent of school pupils are now classed as overweight, including 17%, 900,000 classed as obese. Results from the survey have cause giant retailers, Debenhams to rethink their stock policy. The results confirmed the biggest feet could be found in Birmingham with Liverpool, Belfast, Cardiff and London close behind and hence Debenhams will now include size 13 and possibly 14 as standard fitting across all of our ranges. The increase in the human frame is reflected globally and most authorities agree it is to do with being better fed. However anthropometric studies have been prone to bais in the past with sample populations taken from low economic urban dwellers. This has included many malnourished individials and immigrant populations not representative of indigenous groups. Better surveying techniques may suggest aparent changes in physical features which were already there but went unseen.

These shoes are made for.......

Steve Rotheram is the Lord Mayor of Liverpool and very concerned about preventing violence against women. So much so he spearheaded a fundraising walk wearing fashionable high heels to support an anti-domestic violence charity. The event “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” saw Steve Rotheram with seven other men and hordes of women walking down Bold Street to Williamson Square during the fundraiser for the White Ribbon Campaign. According to reports the Councillor was delighted to take part but over joyed to take his shoes off at the end of the event. Just as well he did not enter the annual high heel race in Berlin. One hundred German women braved broken heels ans sprained ankles to complet the 100 meter Stiletto Run. At stake was not just pride but a prize of €10,000 and this year’s winner was Berliner Denise Hanitzsch (24 years old) in 14.7 seconds. The run was sponsored by the women's fashion magazine Glamour and held in connection with Berlin's 2007 "Global Fashions Festival," had only two rules for its reader-contestants: the stiletto heels had to be at least 7 centimeters (2.75 inches) high and no more than 1.5 centimeters (0.6 inches) wide at the tip. The secret of the winner’s success was run with big strides and never let the foot roll back onto the heel. Ms Hanitzsch was proud to declare her intention to spend her winnings on shoes. Stiletto Runs have become popular in many European countries including Netherlands, Belguim, Germany, Sweden, Poland and Russia.





Stiletto Run - video powered by Metacafe



Interesting site
White Ribbon Campaign Website
Walk A Mile In Her Shoes

Good idea ArchPort ™

The stash pocket makes reference to drug culture and secreting chemical substances about clothing or footwear. The concept was turned more innocently to storing valuables like keys, credit cards and folding by a Californian Company. Ideal for travellers, children, surfies and thrashers. ArchPort ™ have a removable hidden compartment (drawer) in the sole of the shoe or thong (flip flop sandal). The comfortable sandals have two compartments with hook and loop closures and snap buttons. The left sandal contains the ArchPort wallet and the right sandal includes a cavity for larger articles such as a cash folding. ArchPort also supply a bottle Tool which is a combination bottle opener and bottle cap used to open and close a ‘coolie.’ Placement of personal items in the sole of the footwear is the least obtrusive and easiest way to carry valuables according to the company. The ArchPort™ fashion athletic shoes have only one compartment with a “snap lock” wallet feature to secure the compartment into the sole. It is positioned in the shank region of the shoe which adds to the shoes’ stability.

Footnote
Travellers need to remember to remove any metallic objects when clearing security systems.

A.R. Shaws ' movie and book out this month

The long awaited movie and book 23: The Street History of a Shoe by A.R. Shaw is about to be released. 23 is an Air Jordan documentary about the social, political, and economic phenomenon from the perspective of people who wear them. Premier in Atlanta on 23rd April.

The future of footwear: Beno Nigg

Beno Nigg on the Future of Footwear

Celebrity Obsessive Compulsive Shoe Collectors

Fergie (aka Stacy Ferguson) owns more than 500 pairs of shoes which include heels, flats and pumps. Stacy is a self confessed collector and hoards thing away in cupboards. The vocalist for the Black Eyed Peas has also started her own line in fashion footwear dubbed "Fergie". The new affordable range was recently launched at the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFaNY) shoe show. Other celebrity shoe collectors include Megan Fox, Kate Hudson and Keira Knightley.

Drugs and the feet – how they can suffer

The following is taken from the Foot Care Column in the The Pavement March 2009 39: 23. and was written by Evelyn Weir, Lecturer in Podiatry, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. I pass this on in good faith.

Your feet are at risk if you use drugs of any kind. Tobacco and alcohol have a huge impact on the leg and foot, but drugs – whether you snort, swallow, smoke or inject them – can seriously damage your feet, and by far the most serious risk to your lower limbs is injecting into the foot area. If you repeatedly use a single vein (‘intravenous’ means ‘into the vein’), it may collapse or harden. Because people find it easier to use two hands to inject a drug (one for the tourniquet to control blood flow; the other to administer the drug), they often use a leg. Feet are particularly easy to reach, as you can turn them to reach the veins around the ankles. Many drug users, particularly women, inject into less visible areas such as the leg and foot so they can cover the telltale signs with clothing and footwear. You can easily see many veins near the surface of the skin, and the larger ones in the foot are easily accessible and visible. On the top of the foot is the dorsal venous arch, the bluish vein snaking across the top of the foot just before the toes. Inside the leg at the ankle, it drains into the long saphenous vein (the longest vein in the body);and, on the outside of the leg, into the short saphenous vein. All of these are of a reasonable diameter and are highly visible in the resting foot, especially when the limb is warm. The foot, therefore, is easy and convenient to access. If you inject drugs intravenously into your foot, immediate complications can include ulceration, swelling, infection and skin breakdown at the sites of injection. Low-grade chronic foot infections are also common. Longer-term complications tend to include a loss of sensation in the foot due to nerve damage following repeated injection. (Damage to the nerves can also make the foot, which has a large number of nerves, oversensitive.) You can also get circulation problems: the toenails may thicken in response; or alternatively may become brittle, with a thinning of the nail plate. The most serious threat to foot health with intravenous drug abuse is the risk of accidental intra-arterial injection when the drug is injected into an artery instead of the vein. This is easy to do by accident – arteries often run close beside veins, and many in the lower limb and foot are near the surface of the skin in places. From the foot, blood travels back to the heart from the smaller veins on the top of the foot, through the bigger veins in the leg, with the veins getting wider they get closer to the heart. Arteries, on the other hand, are wide as they exit the heart, and narrow as they travel towards the foot. Thus, if grainy fluid is injected into the arteries, it will pass into smaller and smaller vessels and may get stuck, causing a blockage. If you inject the drug into a leg or foot artery by mistake, the results can be catastrophic. Common signs and symptoms include a cramping of the whole limb, mottled purplish-red discolouring of the limb, pain and severe swelling. Ultimately, accidental intra-arterial injection can result in the loss of the toes or the limb. So take care of your pair: if you have to use drugs, then do it safely.

Carbon footprint for the planet: Forensic footprint for the clink

The UK's Forensic Science Service (FSS) set up a footprint database in 2007 and access to this database has helped police with new leads in some difficult cases. The national database of shoe imprints allows police to link the scenes of unsolved crimes to suspects, identify when the same person is involoved and eliminate others all at the press of a button. The current database holds detailed information about the shoes of thousands of suspects and about shoe marks found at all crime scenes across the country. Footwear marks are found at around 40% of crime scenes, making them the second most common type of evidence found by the police after DNA. Most are subtle impressions that cannot be seen with the naked eye but forensic experts use UV light to reveal the shoe impression from all manner of surfaces including carpet and bodies. The footprints have unique patterns of wear and scuffing which make it possible to match a mark to an individual shoe, rather like a fingerprint. The Footwear Intelligence Tool is updated daily with new shoe profiles and crime scene marks. Software automatically looks for matches which can later be confirmed by forensic scientists. Now by law arrested suspects who are not charged can have a shoe profile recorded which includes photographing their shoes and making an ink impression of the sole. Footprints at the scene of the crime do not prove guilt but provide tangible information which can then to used with other evidence to secure arrest and final conviction.

Thongs: are not good enough for Delhi but get the thumbs up in Torbay

Australian Athletes at next year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi face a real challenge and for the first time will be without their single and double pluggers. Athletes (all 430) will be advised not to wear open-toed shoes i.e. thongs or sandals, around the city because of the risk illness or infection. The street of Delhi are awash with open sewerage and sadly not paved in gold. An inoculation program is planned and the medical team which will be the largest sent to a Commonwealth Games will be on hand. The games are to be held in October with hot nights and cooler days. Quite a different approach has been reported in Torbay, Devon. Authorities concerned for the safety of high heeled chavs rather the worse for wear for drink have been handing out thongs (flat heeled flip flops) with the 'Know Your Code' alcohol message printed on them. It has been noted by the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary some girls get drunk and are seen carrying their heels as they walk barefoot through the streets. The new initiative is to prevent ladettes’ from falling over their heels and or damaging their feet from glass with riddles pavements after a night of hi-jinx. Previously the Constable Care of Devon have handed out condoms and sexual health advice and order drunken men who urinate in the street to mop up their own mess. The cost of the footwear is estimated at £30,000 and will be paid from the Home Office by Safer Communities Torbay.

Here is the man who knows all about alien implants -Dr. Roger K. Leir

Hungry but always controversial and interesting podiatrist, Dr. Roger K. Leir and expert in Alien Implant Research.

Goex on the green

The unwritten rule in golf is you never cheat and Goex have come up with a winner for all those who love to ruin a long walk with a game of golf. The company announced yesterday (April 1) they would start producing a quality golf shoe with their dry "NET System Technology." Ask any golfer and they will tell you a good pair of golf shoes is worth their weight in gold, even during a recession. The lightweight, hardwearing golf shoes from Goex ($160-200 US) are slightly cheaper than their weight in gold but not by much accroding to their critics. Despite the recession some experts believe consumers might be trading down from expensive golf equipment to good golf shoes. Whilst luxury shoes have dipped in sales athletic shoes have general done better overall. The $17.5 billion U.S. athletic footwear market saw flat sales in '08, sneakers are actually up 6% so far this year, according to SportsOneSource, a research firm. In the United States, the $500 million golf shoe market was up 3% in 2008, and it has risen 1% this year. The feeling abroad is bringing in a new shoe at this time might not be such a ‘handicap’ as it might at first appear. Currently however it is estimated that Nike owns 56% of the market in golf attire in the US and high profile Tiger Woods is about to made a return. Like many other sports, participants tend to become brand loyal and getting them to change footwear in this case might not be so easy. Only time and a game of golf will tell.

A brief history of shoe horns

Shoe horning is an act of coercing or pressuring an individual into a situation which does not leave them much choice in the matter. LIke may other terms relating to footwear they pass into the language and take on a new meaning. All of which begs the question what is a shoe horn and more importantly, where did they come from. Shoe horns (sometimes known as a shoe spoons or shoeing horns) have a mysterious past and no one knows where they originated but they were certainly in daily use by the fifteenth century. Reference to them appears in the literature of the time including a poem entitled "A Shoemaker's Verse Testament" (c.1475-1500). The shoemaker is making plans to leave his possessions to his son, one of which is his shoe horn.




‘He bequeythed to his sone Tome
Hys chaspy and his schoyng horne
With pyrdowy.’



Original shoe horns were probably carved from horn or bone as whittling was common craft among agricultural people in the Middle Ages. Everything then was put to good use but it is rather unclear whether the items were made for the convenience of the family or more likely sold at market. Shoes in the Middle Ages were expensive and ordinary people either went barefoot or wore rough shoes, clogs or homemade boots making the need for a shoe horn minimal. Rich people could afford bespoke footwear and were more likely in need of shoe accessories such as a shoehorn. The fashion for tight shoes worn by the wealthy Elizabethans may have bolstered the market for well crafted shoe horns. By the 16th and early 17th century neat fitting shoes (shoe corsets) were all the rage and the well turned shoe horn was an essential accessory for Dandy and lady of the time. These were made in silver, tortoiseshell, brass, whalebone, wood and ivory among many other materials. As the known world expanded so too did the range of materials used to craft shoe horns. With the expanding colonies the need to pack a sturdy shoe horn was essential kit for the well prepared settler. The fashion for button boots brought with it the need for button hooks. These were handles to help fasten the ornate footwear. Shoe horns and buttonhooks were closely connected and often bought in sets. Many Victorian shoehorns began carrying advertising messages or slogans which were used as promotional gimmicks. Buttonhooks stayed popular up until the First World War but had almost disappeared by the beginning of the Second World War. Shoe horns continued to be made but as the plastic industry took off after the war most were now produced in plastic. The demise of the shoehorn mirrors the rise in popularity of fashionable casual footwear and whilst they are still manufactured they are no longer produced as crafted artefacts. This of course has made old shoe horns them very collectable. The modern shoe horn comes either as a long-handled model to reduce bending and straining or standard size with a built up grip for better handling.

The science of shoe throwing

If 2008 is to be remembered for anything – it will be shoe throwing. Thanks to research we know more about this emerging sport which may be someday an Olympic event.