Leonardo DiCaprio: Who stole my shoes?

Actor, Leonardo DiCaprio was left barefoot after a recent trip to a Japanese temple. While visiting a hilltop shrine in Kyoto the actor was asked by a couple of fans to pose for a picture. Politely refusing them and pointing to a sign prohibiting photography on the premises. The fans waited until he removed his Nike Dunks to enter the temple and proceeded to take them. Leonardo DiCaprio had to leave the place barefoot.

...and Nike takes the lead

Time was adidas had the lion share of soccer sponsorship gloabally and Nike found it difficult to muscle in but now the tide has turned and Nike plus subsiduries seems to be in the lead. Excellent resource for information on football boots can be found at soccerbible.com

Nike: The winged goddess has clipped her wings

During the past three months Nike’s profits have plunged. It has been reported the net income fell 30 percent to $341.4 million, or 70cents per share, for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. Excluding $195 million in restructuring charges, net income increased 3 percent to $485.9 million, or 99 cents per share which is slightly higher than analysts predicted. Cost-cutting began last year, when Nike froze hiring, limited travel and slowed retail expansion. The company also laid off more then 1,750 employees (approx. 5 percent of Nike's global workforce). Apparently orders for the next several months are down sharply compared with last year and Nike executives are reported to realise "a heightened sense of caution" among individual shoppers as being at the root of sluggish U.S. sales. Combined with currency issues these have compounded the company’s poor performance. Nike executives predict a long, slow upswing in the financial year ahead but hope the changes made will help the winged goddess emerge from the recession stronger than ever.

Tribute to MJ from the Philippines

Over 1,500 inmates of the provincial jail in the central Philippine province of Cebu put on a two-hour show in honour of their hero, Michael Jackson. Faced with prison terms of at least 20 years for crimes such as murder, drug trafficking and robbery, inmates find dancing to uplifting music such as Jackson's improves their lifestyle. The prisoners rose to Internet fame a couple of years ago with an exercise regime featuring Thriller. In saffron uniforms and zombie make-up, the prisoners strutted and glided to Thriller, knowing the steps by heart thanks to their monthly dancing exercises. In the recent display they added interpretations of other Jackson hits such as I'll Be There, We Are The World, and Ben, which they choreographed overnight. The spectacle was observed by many tourists.

MJ: The man who could defy gravity

The late Michael Jackson will be remembered for many things and was without doubt the Elvis Presley of his generation. Jackson was a consumate perfomer and perfectionist and worked hard on his stage routines trying always to create more and more spectacles for his fans to enjoy. One particular routine required the singer to appear to defy gravity and lean his body forward beyond its centre of gravity. To achieve this he first had to develop then patent (Patent No 5,255,452) a specially designed pair of shoes in 1993. The shoes had a heel slot which could be detachably engaged with the hitch member through a stage surface which then enabled the foot to slide forward. Have a look at Smooth Criminal

Jason Robillard and Barefoot Chronicles

The Chronicle Seaway Run is 15k (9.3 miles) and Jason Robillard will run again in his barefeet. Jason Robillard keeps a blog and describes his first race on Barefoot Chronicles . Not for the fainthearted.

Rollasoles:Flat shoes at a vending machine near you

Caught in crippling high heels and need a pair of flatties in a rush well worry no longer because thanks to Matt Horan there will be vending machines dispensing foldable flat shoes near you. His heel less pumps are already on sale in Ibiza superclubs, Eden and Space and now Rollasoles will soon be available in Los Angeles and New York. Matt had experience of the dilemma many girls face after a night out then the thought of walking home bare feet because their feet are aching and decided to do something positive about it. No sooner had Rollasoles hit the streets in 2008 then they picked up a following topping 60,000 sales and now the attention of the glitterati. Former footballer and now TV anchorman, Gary Lineker and his newbride are to be have personalised Rollasoles for their wedding guests later this year. Rollasole has also attracted a celebrity following after Perez Hilton, the American gossip blogger, championed the shoes on his website.

New Balance:Made in the USA

New Balance was established in 1938 and remains the sport shoe manufacturer to continue to make their shoes on mainland USA. New Balance has five U.S. manufacturing facilities in Boston and Lawrence, Mass. and Norway, Norridgewock and Skowhegan, Maine as well as one in Flimby, U.K. A quarter of the company's total athletic footwear production is currently made or assembled in the U.S. each year. To promote their product they have commissioned an online documentary and awareness campaign. Catch the 2½-minute documentary produced by Digital Kitchen called New Balance: Made in the USA , which highlights the company's domestic manufacturing history, facilities and footwear products in Skowhegan, Maine. The new campaign includes print, radio and online advertising. New Balance invites consumers to give feedback to win an opportunity to experience Skowhegan shoemaking firsthand. For every entry, New Balance will donate $1 to the non-profit National Center for Craftsmanship (NCC). The NCC is dedicated to the preservation, enhancement and sustainability of quality craftsmanship, from construction and manufacturing to art and handicrafts. The contest will run through the end of July.

Van Halen kicks with attitude

Rock stars do get rather obsessive and it is not unusual for them to copyright some aspect of their persona such as the colour scheme of their guitar. Van Halen’s Eddie Van Halen is no exception and copyrighted the colour scheme of his “Frankenstrat” guitar in 2001. The instrument is red, white with black splatter-stripes. Now he is suing Nike because the sportswear giant has used a similar design on one of their Dunk Lows sneakers. The lawsuit seeks both monetary retribution and “the impoundment and destruction of all footwear.” Nike denies any intention to copy Eddie Van Halen copyrighted colour scheme but by chance Van Halen has just released his own footwear line, EVH Shoes, adorned with his Frankenstrat stripes. Observers have noted the new Van Halen’s sneakers bare a strong resemblance to Converse All-Stars. What do they say about people in glass shoe boxes? Rock on!

Get ready for FIFA World Cup South Africa

New soccer boots from Pro-Direct

New decks on the block

When seasoned long distance runner Sean Sullivan experienced severe foot pain when training for the New York Marathon. He sought out the help of the Boulder Center for Sport Medicine (BCFSM) where Tim Hilden, physical therapist analyzed his stance and running style. As a result Tim was able to recommend various adjustments to the running shoes which eventuated in reduction of Sean’s symptoms. Keen to do the same for other runners Sean started to work with Tim and Dr. Andy Pruitt (director of BCFSM) and formulated both a product and process to make it easy for an athlete to have custom fitted shoes right at the time of purchase. They developed the Somnio (latin. "dream") range of footwear. Frontal plane position of the sub talar joint can be adjusted by the addition of wedges to the medial mid-sole and heel through gaps in the shoe outsole. The Somnio also accommodates soft foot orthoses (foot beds) to further comfort. The team have developed an expert system used to evaluate running styles, anthropometric data such as foot width, length, and arch height etc., and a laser to measure the angle of the leg relative to the foot. For the convenience of the customer this is all done in less than 5 minutes in the shoe shop. The Somnio is now on sale at the Boulder, Littleton and Colorado Springs stores. Despite the company’s claims expert systems are not new and have been around for a decade or so. Like all CAD systems it is a question of ‘rubbish in then rubbish out.’ So success depends on the program writers and in the process there is much number crunching which adversely affects accuracy. The concept of abnormal pronation (three plane motion which occurs at the subtalar joint) as a primary cause of foot pathology is also rather dated and most authorities now accept the problem is multifactorial. Comfortable shoes appropriate for extreme activities are considered beneficial and to that effect the Somnio adds to the existing range of quality sport shoes. In the same vein so too does the collaboration between the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and adidas to develop a new grass court shoe outsole. The culmination of two year research has produced a new outsole for the adidas CC Feather IV Grass shoe which will provide optimal grip without undue wear and tear of the grass. The adidas CC Feather IV Grass shoe was developed specifically with the London 2012 Olympic Games. Traditional grass court footwear digs in to the turf to provide grip which in turn causes extreme court damage. The new outsole on the CC Feather IV Grass features an innovative dimple pattern with fewer, softer and longer spikes. As these spikes are dragged along the surface of the grass they provide unrivalled grip whilst also giving a flat push off area which ensures quick directional change for all players. Former British number one and Wimbledon semi-finalist, Tim Henman and the British Davis Cup squad worked with adidas, the All England Club and the West Yorkshire based Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), to test and develop the shoe, which was worn by Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi at Wimbledon’s recent roof opening. Women’s world number one Dinara Safina and Junior Wimbledon Champion Laura Robson along with Novak Djokovic, Fernando Verdasco, Marat Safin and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are just some of the players who will wear the new outsole during the forthcoming Grand Slam.

Red Devil with all those boots:What to do?

Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) was so proud of his team’s achievement winning the 2006-07 league title he convinced his team mates to donate their football boots to him as a keepsake. The England defender has kept the £3,000 worth of footwear in his mansion but has no idea now what to do with them. He had planned to buy a display cabinet for them and perhaps donate the collection to the club or national football museum.

Under Armour | Football Boots | UA11

Under Armour | Football Boots | UA11

CocoRose London:Comfortable flats on the run

CocoRose London are almond-shaped toe, flatties with just enough toe cleavage to make them sexy. They key feature however is they are foldable flat shoes and according to recent report selling like hotcakes. Who is buying ? Well intelligent travellers keen to be comfortable en route. Flexible footwear makes sense because not only does it give choice it also saves space in the suitcase. Available in a range of popular colours CocoRose foldable flats come folded neatly inside a zipped leather-style purse. This is a discrete size and can easily be popped inside a larger handbag. The lining of the purse also transforms into a larger carry bag into which to pop the heels. The popularity with city commuters has increased of late as the more fashion conscious would prefer to be seen in flatties rather than sneakers. The shoes are available in three sizes: Petite (size 3-4/EU 36-37), Regular (size 5-6/EU 38-39) and Grande (size 7-8/EU 40-41). Prices range from £30-£35, depending on style, and e-gift vouchers are also available.

Dimethyl Fumarate can cause allergy

On careful inspection of your footwear you may find a small sachet contained within. This is a fungicide which manufacturers place inside the shoes to protect against mould during storage, transit and sometimes everyday usage. These sachets often look similar to silica gel which is a non harmful desiccant frequently used in leather products. However some may contain Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF) which is an effective antifungal agent but has been found harmful in contact with skin and cause allergies. DMF has been found to be an allergic sensitiser at low concentration but can produce extensive and pronounced eczema that is difficult to treat. Concentrations as low as one part per million may produce allergic reactions. On 1 May 2009 the European Commission banned products containing "DMF" from being placed on the market. Existing products on the market now have to be either withdrawn or recalled from customers.

Boots for Africa: Charity Match

Akpo Sodje (Sheffield Wednesday) will be joined by four of his brothers: footballers Efe (Bury), Steve (Ashford Town) and Sam (Nigeria and Reading on loan to Leeds United) and former Sheffield Eagles rugby league player Bright plus his cousin Onome (Charlton Athletic ) in a charity match at Hillsborough next month. The six Sodjes will be taking part in a Friends of Africa v Sheffield Allstars on July 26 to raise money for the Sodje Sports Foundation Boots For Africa appeal and Sheffield Children's Hospital. The Sodje Foundation is a charity based in the UK and Africa which helps to provide learning and sporting activities to children, as well as building heath awareness, self esteem and leadership skills. Boots For Africa rely on people donating their used football boots to give impoverished African children the chance to get involved in sports.

Foster Soles :Celebrity Bash

There are over 500,000 children in foster care nationwide and 32,000 children receive child welfare services in Los Angeles County. Foster Soles is an initiative set up by Los Angeles non-profit organisation Hillsides, and launched its first event at the Bar Celona restaurant in Pasadena, gathering autographed celebrity shoes from the likes of Denzel Washington, Carmen Electra, Elton John, Rod Stewart and Nicolas Cage among many others. To add to the night’s festivities, guests wore their funniest or wildest shoes for an additional evening contest judged by John Mahon of Elton John’s Band, Cheryl Farrell of Jeopardy!Clues Crew, and metal sculpturist Bruce Gray. All proceeds from the evening will go to Hilltops, which aims to create safe places, provide support and education and defend the rights of abused children. The auction closed on 9 May and the charity is yet to confirm its earnings.

The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories

"The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories," is an exhibition of shoe-inspired art at the Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton Art Center, Massachusetts. The town used to be a major leader in the world shoe industry. About a century ago, more than 100 factories were running. A small historic display, put together with the help of the Brockton Shoe Museum, anchors "The Perfect Fit." A workman's bench, shoe lasts borrowed from FootJoy Shoe (one of Brockton's last shoe manufacturers), and Brockton boxer Rocky Marciano's fighting shoes pay tribute to the craftsmanship and hard work that went into making shoes in city. Among the other exhibs is "The Pursuit of Happiness," an ensemble of hundreds of tiny origami slippers in brilliant tones by Marguerite Belkin. Judy Haberl's sweet "Baby Opera" has 416 bronzed baby shoes arrayed like a classical choir; they look like little faces with earnest open mouths (a sound element was not in place when I visited). Michael Boroniec's mournful "Message" features a dove, covered in newspaper headlines, perching on a ceramic cast of boots belonging to a soldier friend.

Sk8ers decks

etnies began in 1986 when a French company Rautureau Apple teamed with French skateboarder Alain “Platoon” Montagnet, to launch “Etnics.” The company’s goal was to create high-top sneakers intended for European skateboarders and surfers. The company changed its name from Etnics to Etnies in 1987 and released the first pro model skate shoe, the Natas. etnies was the first skateboarder-owned and operated global action sports footwear and apparel company and slowly built a foundation as a pro skate shoe company. The sponsored numerous skating events and released quality professional skateboarding shoes such as “The Senix,” (1988) which was a performance skate shoe with ankle support, heavy-duty eyelets and enhanced grip. The outsole was constructed with the same rubber used for Indy 500 Goodyear tyres and the shoes set the standard for durability, lasting four times longer than other outsoles on the market. By 1989, Pierre Andre Senizergues began distributing Etnies in the U.S. In 2006 etnies celebrated it’s 20th anniversary during its two decades the company has sponsored many professional action sports athletes. These include: Arto Saari, Ryan Sheckler, Ali Boulala, Ronnie Creager, Eric Jackson, Chris Malloy, Ryan Campbell, Jamie Bestwick and Lee Dainton. This year etnies pay tribute to these pioneers with a collaboration featuring Metal Mulisha graphics on the Fader and Chrome shoes for 2009. The Metal Mulisha consider themselves to be “the most bad-ass moto x team in the world” and were a group of hell raisers that have been at the centre of the freestyle moto x movement. One characteristic about sk8ers was they rejected the sport shoe giants like Nike and adidas. Gradually however these companies saw the commercial potential and began to make reasonable skater decks. Eric Koston announced his new footwear sponsor with Nike SB. Nike released a Eric Koston’s signature shoes which were co-designed with Don Brown in 1997. Others soon followed

Shoe bath tub

The art mosaic factory have a range of gaint shoe shaped bathtubs exquisitely decorated with mosaics. Have a swiz at the Interactive catalogue

Shoegate

In some Arab Countries showing others the sole of your feet is considered a deep insult. A recent photograph of President Obama taking a call in the Oval Office and sitting with his feet resting on the desk and exposing his soles has caused some offence among the Israeli media who reported on the pictures as depicting an insulting posture.

Spoek Mathambo and Nike Air Max: An irresistable combination

South African artist/writer/graphic designer Spoek Mathambo is about to leave his mark on the Nike Air Max.

SPOEK MATHAMBO - GHOST OF BONES from spoek mathambo on Vimeo.

More shoe exhibitions

Soles of Haverhill Shoe-la-bration is a public art project and the son of a Haverhill shoe factory owner, celebrity shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, has donated $5,000 as a silver sponsor of the event. The money will help support the Shoe-la-bration public art installation being organized by the Soles of Haverhill Committee in conjunction with the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce. At least 10 fibreglass shoes, more than 5 feet tall and decorated by various artists, will be unveiled during the city's Independence Day celebration on July 3 at Haverhill Stadium. The Shoe-la-bration will continue throughout the summer, with the shoes displayed downtown through October. At the end of the installation, the shoes will be raffled, with proceeds benefiting local charities and future art projects. Just a reminder if you are in Manila pop into the Yuchengco Museum in Makati City and catch Portraits of Shoes, Stories of Feet (Portraits de Chaussures, Histoires de Pieds ) a travelling exhibit curated by Frenchman Yves Sabourin and brought to Manila by the Alliance Francaise de Manille and the French Embassy. The exhibition is described as a dialogue between the old and modern with museum pieces set alongside works by contemporary artists in the form of drawings, photographs, videos, and installations. The French half of the exhibit, “Portrait of Shoes,” showcases 62 pairs of shoes from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries from the collection of the Romans International Footwear Museum and renowned French fashion houses. This travelling shoe collection is curated by Yves Sabourin, The Pinoy half of the show, “Stepping in Pinoy Style,” is curated by Yuchengco Museum and features traditional Filipino footwear such as the venerable bakya and beaded cochos, some pieces from the Marikina Shoe Museum collection, and models by local designers Lila Almario, Cesar Gaupo, Emi Jorge, Brian Tenorio, Ann Pamintuan, Maco Custodio, Joanna Litton, and Kermit Tesoro. Sculptor Pete Jimenez makes use of scrap iron and turns them into works of art. His ongoing one-man show is called “If the Shoe Fits,” and is currently at the Water Dragon Gallery at Yuchengco Museum in Makati City. The artist combines scrap iron with wooden shoe lasts.

Just Think: Fluoro orange bootlaces

Just Think is a new campaign to help clean up Australian Rules Football and prevent violent behaviour off the field fuelled by alcohol. Players in Geelong and Bellarine league seniors and reserves last Saturday wore the fluoro orange Just Think laces made famous by the Geelong Cats. Football Geelong distributed hundreds of laces to clubs last week and a local newspaper the Geelong Advertiser are also giving away the laces free with DrinkWise printed on them. The intention is other clubs will follow the model. Cats heroes and Just Think campaigners Tom Harley, James Kelly and David Wojcinski devised the lace plan with the hope players would be reminded to Just Think, as they tied up and undid their boots. High profile professional are privy to binge drinking which can lead to violent behaviour and brushes with the law. AFL are keen to clean up the game and clubs like Geelong regularly run courses for their players covering issues such as looking after mates, binge drinking, drug use and drink-driving.

A potted history of designer trainers

People in the 19th century loved trains and when a five working day week became norm, urban families clambered to visit the seaside particularly in the summertime. Working boots were discarded as day trippers wanted to shoes walk through the sand. Sand shoes were lightweight canvas topped rubber soled shoes and thanks to vulcanisation of rubber were cheap, flimsy and usually wore out after a day’s wear. To reinforce the shoe a thin, flat rubber band was wrapped around the shoe and because this looked like a plimsoll line, they were called plimsolls and usually painted white. The significance of the colour was form a distance they could resemble white croquet shoes (made from kangaroo skin) and worn by the well to do. White plimsolls became a fashion icon of the younger working class and promenaders keen to look their best wore them with flannels and a Madras jackets. The simple plimsoll evolved into many other forms including the tennis shoe where sole patterns were added to improve grip; and in the US the high top shoe was worn to protect the ankle in games like basketball and baseball. In the US at the turn oif the 20th century Converse introduced the high top Converse All Stars (or Chucks - named after Chuck Taylor a famous 30s basketball player). During the wars servicemen were issued with canvas topped rubbers for exercise and most took them home as souvenirs. Soon their older kids were wearing them to dance to quick tempo dance music of Swing and Jive. By the end of the thirties an Australian called Adrian Quist was a tennis champion and realized ground traction was the secret to better foot control on grass surfaces. Eventually he convinced the Dunlop Rubber Company to include tread patterns on their tennis shoes and Dunlop Volleys were born. Younger children wore gym shoes when the schools’ curriculum started to include compulsory physical exercise. The appeal of American sneakers was confirmed when James Dean and Elvis Presley were photographed wearing low cut canvas topped rubber soled shoes. Chucks and Keds became a byword for teenage rebellion.

Today the big footwear companies target inner city youth Afro-American, Hispanic and Asians demographics. Promotions rely heavily on “cultural influencers,” like bold colours and logos to appeal to cultural sensitivities in “ethnic pride.” Commodifying ethnicity is a deliberate marketing strategy to attract new and brand loyal consumers among inner city, low socio-economic groups. High priced designer trainers have obvious appeal to street gangs keep expressing their individualism and sartoria. US street gangs like LA Crips and Bloods wear specific designer trainers as part of their uniform. Preferred brands are those worn by popular hip hop gangsters and rap artists. Colours play an important role in gang clothing i.e. blue in Crips’ and red for Bloods. As a result many leading sport shoe companies deliberately court the patronage of popular rappers and some continue to make reference to gang behaviours in their lyrics or videos. Probably the most obvious and up front example is in Michael Jackson's Extended Music Video, “The way you make me feel “. The video starts with the Crip Walk and Michael Jackson is wearing a blue shirt. Some shoe companies have had to distance themselves from affinity with street culture by renaming some of their shoe lines such as adidas did with their 'Hemp" range, which was renamed “Gazelle natural, after public outrage. Also things like ‘stash pockets’ feature less in shoe design. Many high schools and universities have now banned footwear associated with gangs. Subsequent merging of music with fashion has seen leading sneaker companies working in close tandem with well-known graffiti, tattoo and sneaker artists to create an individual aesthetic which attract collectors. The popularity of Retro sneakers (reintroduction of older classic styles) is principally to allow the younger customers the opportunity to own a pair of originals. Another reason for the retro perspective is many of the companies are now reaching critical birthdays which give them ideal opportunity to niche market classics. Corporate take-overs have also seen a crop of retro styles make comebacks as new parent companies are keen to see new life breathed into old established names like Converse (1908) and Reebok. Up until quite recently being smart definitely did not mean being ostentatious but all that changed as more rap royalty become actively involved in shoe retail and design. Run–D.M.C arguably started the pimp shoe movement by immortalised their favourite runners in song “My adidas.” This started a landslide of interest with rappers designing their own footwear range. Hip hop impresario Jay-Z was the first rapper to receive a sneaker deal with a mainstream shoe company. He then went on to set up his own clothing and accessories line. Reggaetón, Daddy Yankee released his signature collection of athletic footwear DY and many others have followed.

The move from competition to freestyle skateboarding in the 90's meant boarder (now called slashers) were no longer restricted to skateboard parks. The popularity of thrashing brought a revolution in clothing which was heavily influenced by hardcore punk and hip hop. Skateboard shoes (decks) was another mutation of canvas topped trainers made by independent companies like Vans, Airwalk and Vision Street Wear. These sold in huge quantities and were bought by young people keen to avoid the shoes sold by sport shoe giants like Nike and adidas. Skateboard attire became a fashion counter culture more in tune with Grunge than Bling- bling.

Experts believe the drive for the sneaker phenomena relates to a mix of popular culture, nostalgia, technology and investment. In the past, high profile sports personalities were used by the major companies to endorse their products but due to recent falls from grace and spurious claims that sport shoes either prevent injuries or improve competitive times have caused the companies to rethink their strategy. Whilst the main bulk of sport shoes are sold for sport a significant market is directed at ath-leisure or fashionable trainers. The shelf life of a trendy trainer is short (3 months) and companies like Nike and adidas are forever introducing new lines. To add incentive companies offer "quick hit" shoes which is a clever marketing ploy and involves the sale of a small number of limited edition shoes as a special offer in selected outlets for a limited period of time only. With minimum advertising these events are hurriedly communicated through networks, websites and SMSs. Sneakerheads range from casual fans of sneaker fashion to those who buy and sell shoes like blue chip investments. The shoes can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars depending on their cachet. Some wear them, and have multiple pairs (in case one gets scuffed); whereas others keep them in their boxes and store in a bank and or display them, unworn. Shoe collectors will often determine what will sell and companies are obliged to follow. There are many web sites (Nicekicks.com and Sneaker Freaker), magazines (Sole Collector), books, songs and even radio shows all dedicated to sneaker culture. The phenomena have caught the media’s attention and now there are several TV documentaries on the subject.

The Shoes of Rochester

This is a community art exhibit and walking tour organised by Art Esprit and starts on Saturday 6th June running through the summer in Rochester. On display are eleven enormous shoe sculptures created by Adam Pearson. The shoes Re made from earth friendly materials and arranged strategically throughout to form a walking tour. Each shoe is decorated and has a poem relating to it. Local artists and writers have collaborated with words and images. The Shoes of Rochester opening features include a shoe fashion show and a signing and installation of the "Vietnam Boot" at City Hall by area veterans. Other "Shoes" events include the unveiling of the "Shoes" planters, and workshops for local youth to paint old shoes to be displayed in local businesses as planters. The creation of a poetic/oral local history by Rochester's Poet Laureate, Andrew Periale, will honour the memory of Rochester's past through the stories of its shoe-mills and shoe-mill workers. From the early 1700s to the mid 1900s, Rochester was a major shoe manufacturing centre. In the beginning making shoes was a slow process and involved manual labour. After 1874 came the invention shoe lasting machine by Jan E. Matzeliger. This revolutionised mass production of inexpensive footwear and New England became the centre of the United States shoe industry. As was the custom local citizens would raise money to build a factory to lure manufacturing and jobs to their town. The first firm to move into the district was the Boston shoe company but the endeavour was unsuccessful. Later a company leased the property and started production of Alaska boots which became very popular. By 1892, East Rochester had two shoe factories both built through the efforts of local citizens. As the decades past more firms were attracted to the area which now had a skilled work force as well as well established satellite industries which supplied the materials. In the early years tanneries supplied leather and woodworkers made lasts. Shoe making remained a vital part of Rochester for much of the 20th century.

Vegan Chic: Elizabeth Olsen

Elizabeth Olsen is a designer and founder of fashion vegan brand OlsenHaus. Olsen’s creations are 100% cruelty-free and use only non-animal materials that are environmentally friendly. She was formerly Creative Director at Tommy Hilfiger, part of the design team at Calvin Klein, Bulga, Nine West, a stylist on campaigns and commercials for Nike, Universal Studios, and IBM. Her inspiration comes from her passion for ethics, animal consciousness, colour, art and design. The Olsenhaus’ range of chic eco footwear appeals globally to one of the widest customer bases. Celebs seen wearing OlsenHaus shoes include: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Persia White and Emily Deschanel.

Overcoming gender discrimination in the rag trade

Recent reports indicate hundreds of thousands of women working in fashion in the UK are being paid less than their male colleagues. Females have been passed over for top jobs and are activel prevented from taking what are considered "male" roles. Now a group of the UKs biggest fashion companies are working to stamp out this gender-based discrimination. For decades, the shoemaker Church & Co, (owned by Prada of Italy) whose classic footwear is favoured by such people as Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, has alledgedly divided the workforce at its Northampton factory into men and women, with women prevented from taking what were thought of as "men's roles", and forced to work at different jobs in a separate part of the building. Church & Co is now working to correct this as part of the Women & Work initiative launched by Skillfast UK, the council for fashion and textiles, which is providing grants to women in fashion to help them learn new techniques. Fashion designers and equalities campaigners complain that, while women account for 52 per cent of the workforce in the fashion and textiles sector, they occupy just 37 per cent of the top jobs, and are paid 15 per cent less than their male colleagues. British women, on average, are paid 17.1 per cent less than their male colleagues, although this varies significantly from industry to industry. Recent research from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission last month revealed that women working in the financial sector earn, on average, a massive 55 per cent less then their male colleagues.

Nine West Vintage America Collection

Nine West Vintage America Collection is about to hit the streets with a range of retro clothing styles in affordable fashion. Nine West are proud to support international shoe charity Soles4Souls. In the forthcoming campaigns, the Vintage America Collection will promote awareness and financial support for the millions of disadvantaged people in need of quality protective footwear. Singer, Miranda Lee Richards will promote the line through sweepstakes, magazine partnerships and Facebook marketing.

What keeps the cold out daily?: Merino lined Ugg Boots

A pair of thermals and ugg boots will go a long way to fighting the cold this winter. A good pair of ugg boots warm the feet quickly and keep them that way which making them ideal to beat the cold and reduce overall heating costs too. Ugg boots have grown in popularity each and every year and recent economic instability has done little to slow their growth. Ugg boots have matured from a celebrity trend in the late 90’s to a winter comfort staple. The best ugg boots are made from Merino wool because of the good insulation properties provided by the strength and tenacity of the fibres. The thick fleecy inner of merino sheepskin ugg boots are constructed from millions of microscopic fibres which give the linings strength and elasticity. According to manufacturers Whooga UGG Boots ounce for ounce, wool is stronger than steel and can withstand being bent over 30,000 times. In addition to strength, merino sheepskin possesses the ability to wick moisture and odour away. Merino sheepskin captures more air in its fibres than traditional sheepskin, the presence of air pockets creates the natural thermostatic qualities that keep feet warm during very chilly days (down to -30C) and cool during warmer days by circulating air. Among sheepskin there is a vast difference in comfort levels. Thicker fibres are scratchy more fragile and offer less insulation whilst the finer grading of fibres of Merino wool give superior comfort and feel. Merino sheepskin is rarely used by ugg boot manufacturers with the vast majority of manufacturers preferring inferior sheepskins or combination with synthetic mixtures to keep the costs down. Whooga UGG Boots hand craft their boots from Merino leather.

Bonus
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New Book: Born to Run

New book exposes the potential folly of wearing sport shoes when going au naturelle is better. Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. The author claims injury rates for runners are on the rise and that everything about running shoes is wrong.

The towering world of Jimmy Choo

Lauren Goldstein Crowe and Sagra Maceira de Rosen have written a revealing unofficial biography on Tamara Mellon’s meteoric rise of rags to riches and background to her celebrity promotions in a new book called The Towering World of Jimmy Choo: A glamorous story of power, profits, and the pursuit of the perfect shoe (Barnes and Noble). Tamara Mellon founded the company Choo in 1996. Jimmy Choo had previously worked in obscurity as a cobbler in the East End of London. Mellon used her celebrity contacts selling Jimmy Choo creations for upward of $800 US per pair and soon established a luxury business with a turnover in the millions. Sadly the bubble burst and Mellon and Choo parted company as Mellon’s business and social life went into in turmoil. In 2007 she sold the Choo company for a reported £185m. This tell all book gives much of the detail.