Big Boot on show:Red Wing Shoe Co

If you were in Red Wing, Minnesota on Tuesday you might have seen the world's biggest boot being trailed through the streets. It stands 16-foot high boot is 20 feet long and 7 feet wide and was made by the Red Wing Shoe Co. The giant boot was in transit to Red Wing’s new shoe factory. The boot was created in 2005 to celebrate the company's 100 anniversary and was on tour across North America before going into storage. Now its permanent home will be the new Red Wing Shoe store and museum. Also on display from 3rd August will be original Shoe advertisements created by Norman Rockwell. Now that I would like to see.

Shoefolk: The caring cobblers

Since 2001 London-based Folk has produced unpretentious, everyday menswear made form sustainable resources. In 2004 they opened a branch catering for men's shoes called Shofolk. Shoes are made from vegetable tanned leathers in Portugal and the Autumn/Winter collection for 2009 can be seen at their website.

Functional Footwear: A wobble board by any other name

Functional footwear is the new buzz term for shoes which purport to exercise the body. Exercise footwear has quite a history starting with the Earth shoe and exercise sandal in the 60s. More recently however the MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) trainer and FitFlops have enjoyed significant sales. Now Reebok have joined the ranks with the EasyTones. The manufacturers’ claims of efficacious effects from wearing the balance (wobble) board type shoes have caused several scientists around the globe to scurry to their laboratories to look for evidence shoes (alone) can exercise the body. The majority of the scientific evidence available is however based on small trials and almost exclusively self-funded by the companies involved. This should make consumers very wary. The few independent studies have shown little benefit leaving critics sceptical and concerned functional footwear may lead to injury in some people. So consumers should exercise caution. The popularity of Earth Shoes dwindled after many people found only temporary benefit wearing a negative heel and people wearing Exercise sandals usually had to endure long ‘break in’ periods before they eventually found the flats comfortable.

New range of trainers

Have a swizz at Zani.co.uk

Nike+:Part of the data driven generation

After a run you can sync your iPod to the Nike+ Web site and get a visual representation of your workout. The length of the single green line shows the distance travelled and the peaks and valleys reflect speed. The Nike+ has become a life line (no pun intended) to legions of people hoping to improve their health and fitness as well as lower their blood pressure. Nike has attracted the largest community of runners ever assembled with more than 1.2 million runners who have collectively tracked more than 130 million miles and burned more than 13 billion calories. Some new demographic details have been revealed such as people in the US during the winter months run more often than those in Europe and Africa, but for shorter distances. The average duration of a run worldwide is 35 minutes, and the most popular Nike+ Powersong is "Pump It" by the Black Eyed Peas.

Stud Release Techology: More research needed?

Craig Johnston (former Middlesborough and Liverpool) co-inventor of the Predator has joined a growing band of critics to voice concern at the apparent lack of research in stud release technology. Each season more stud related injuries are reported and many involve cleats. Johnston considers a significant number of injuries are caused by poor stud release leaving players feet vulnerable to injury. Johnston claims the new studs are too long for many of the well maintained pitches and because they do not disengage quickly needless injuries result. Ligament tears and stress fractures have noticeably increased with the introduction of boot cleats.

Silly Walks: The Eagle has landed

“That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." These are the famous words of "moonwalker" Neil Armstrong (20/07/69).

Meanwhile back on Earth walking is not as natural it appears and is a learned activity which has more to do with social conventions than anything else. Human skeletons take about seven years for the femurs (the ham bones) to derotate from their infantile position. During this time toddlers and wee folk walk funny. Hen toed or pigeon toes are two major concerns communicated by adults at the sight of their offspring rolling in on their arches. All perfectly natural and for very sound mechanical reasons but because they do not deport themselves with the aplomb of an adult gymnast, then parents convince themselves their children are destined for fallen arches and hammer toes. Not so. The very young child will use the nature range of their joint motion to set up spiral forces through the long bones of the body. This helps the bones develop strength and resistance to stresses which are evident when the adult mass is added. No sooner do we have the semblance of an adult skeleton (about the age of 11) , then on comes adolescence and who hasn’t been there or seen the devastating effects of the teenage slump as the kids truck “ much to the consternation of adults” to look cool. The range is too large to event begin to describe but no matter what style it is not likely to be welcome on the catwalk. By the time we catch up for real time to ourselves the years of walking against gravity have taken their tool and the older we become more changes to our walking patterns become evident. So we start to shuffle through necessity and not by choice.

The first recorded footsteps are dated as afar back as 3.5 million years ago and surprise, surprise the footprints on the moon would be no different. In that time the species has not really changed much when it comes to walking but the style of walking has been effected with shoe fashion. Certain types of women in the Mediterranean civilizations wore elevated sandals, sometimes called clap, claps, because of the noise they made. Depending on the heel elevation this was seen to cause teenage women a sway provocatively from side to side making their eyes roll. Wobbling to the delight of males was scorned by the elders of the towns and respectable girls were strongly dissuaded with warnings of foreboding. The fashion glitterati of the Middle Ages adapted a puppet like walk with a very high steeping gait. The royal thunderbirds wore ridiculously long shoes, sometime 24” longer than their feet. Amazing as it may seem long toed shoes for men last five hundred years before the fashion became passé. The duckbill shoe which replaced it was 12” across the ball with individual compartments for each toe. The podiatrists delight meant real men, waddled. By the Higher Middle Ages men took to wearing funnel shaped boots. Unfortunately boot makers had not quite perfected the techniques to close the leg of the boot and left them gapping so as to catch every drop of rain. The resultant wet feet caused men to walk bow legged for about one hundred years. The swagger was later adopted by Hollywood heroes like John Wayne. By the seventeenth century macho men minced, caused by their tight fitting Oxford shoes. Men wore high heel shoes made to pinch the feet of the Macaronis. To draw attention to themselves they had metal taps attached to their heels and soles and scuffed noisily on the cobbled streets. Rich men wore bejeweled shoes richly decorated with bows, buckles and roses. Fine leather riding boots were the preferred fashion of the more respectable Beau Brummell and John Bull. Many early immigrants to Australia wore their London fashionable boots on embarking much to the amusement of the locals who realized all too well the inappropriateness of the fashion footwear was to the Australian climate. The same embarkees could be seen weeks later in bare feet. Fashions changed, literally overnight once it was made clear to all aristocracy would loose their heads and from the time of the French Revolution, men’s shoe fashion became ultra conservative. By the time of the American Civil War soldiers were issued with left and right boots which were so unpopular the Confederates often choose to fight barefoot. Cheapskate supplies provided serving men with cardboard boots which disintegrated after the first soaking. The term ‘getting down to brass tacks” related to the protruding tacks in the boot which irritated the soldiers feet. All officers were issued with a file to get down to brass tacks. By the time the west was one the Wellington boot was redesigned to suit the rigors of the horse soldier, so majestic on horseback but reduced to a waddling wreck on all twos. Seems little had changed from the days of old when knights were neutered on two feet. What made the eventual difference was how the men of the west were depicted in the developing cinema of Hollywood. Never one to understate they took the Napoleonic boot (shorter) and added intricate leather designs and came up with what was know as the cowboy boot With absolutely no historical association with drovers of yesteryear the new rodeo crew swaggered around again as if they had rickets. As for the ladies well with the introduction of the stiletto, Marilyn Monroe had the presence of mind to have one heel slightly shorter than the other which gave her a sexy limp (Trendelenberg’s gait). Pert bottom and a walk to die for. So I suppose we could say on the Anniversary of the Apollo Mission is “one small step for man has made a world of a difference.”

Ranking Shoes: New Theatre

In antiquity the higher the sandal strapping worn on the leg represented the higher rank of the soldier. In modern times this distinction has been replaced with coded insignia. However if you visit the theatre staff at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA you might see something similar. Staffs feel when kitted out head to toe in surgical scrubs it is difficult to tell at a glance who’s who. Keen to express their personalities individuals have taken to wear colourful hats and shoes such as Crocs, Dunlop Volleys and Birkenstocks. Now provided the choice of footwear meets occupational health and safety guidelines, doctors and nurses can shod to choice. Shoes must be non slip washable and within infection protocols. Colour however is a matter of personal choice.

Crocs : Night of the long knives

Seems everyone on Wall Street is anticipating the demise of Crocs. Despite it meteoric rise in sales the innovative plastic clog has never met with approval of the savvy fashionista (the fools!). Apparently comfort and ease does not cut it when awkward looks and gawdy colours offend. According to recent reports Crocs may become a victim of the recession as too much inventory and not enough sales to cover the expenses of keeping the business open may take its toll. The company has until the end of September to clear its debt. I for one hope Crocs do survive but just in case I have put a couple of pairs aside. One, to replace my current pair if and when they ever wear out; and the second pair as an investment. Collectable Crocs could be blue chip in the future.

Delcam CRISPIN: New shoe design software

3 D cinema may be all the rage at your local cinema but now thanks to clever software shoes designers can use the same approach to create their new ranges. New shoe design software is available from Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Assited Manufacture (CAM) software specialists, Delcam CRISPIN. The company have just released version 2.8 of its ShoeDesign software for upper design. The main change is a revised user interface, which makes the software easier to learn, and simpler and more intuitive to use. ShoeDesign uses photo-realistic images instead of physical samples. The free Delcam CRISPIN 3D viewer, allows 3D designs to be communicated to clients worldwide for their comments. Adjustments to the design can be made within minutes then. According to the manufacturers when physical samples are required ShoeDesign can also produce prototypes for design and marketing reviews. The cost saving ShoeDesign minimizes the possibility of problems arising at the manufacturing stage. The software allows the user to draw style lines directly on the last; apply colours, textures, padding and material thicknesses to the various elements; and then add features like stitching, eyelets and laces, or accessories such as buckles and trims. The wide range of material textures, accessories and features supplied within ShoeDesign allows different design concepts to be created and evaluated quickly. ShoeDesign is fully integrated with other software within the Delcam CRISPIN range.

The Heights of Fashion: Platform Shoes Then and Now

“The Heights of Fashion: Platform Shoes Then and Now” is an exhibition which highlights examples of platform shoes, sandals and boots from the 1930s till present time. The exhibition is currently at the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina. On view are high fashion platform shoes by couture designers like Vivienne Westwood, Jimmy Choo, Ruthie Davis and Roger Vivier, whose innovative designs incorporated modern engineering with vintage inspiration. Salvatore Ferragamo, who elevated the platform shoes from casual beachwear to high fashion in the 1930s was the first to introduce the wedge heel. Fetish platform shoes with thick soles and very high heels appeared as early as 1920s and continue to hold an important place in the fashion market. Also at the Mint Museum of Art is the “The Art of Affluence: Haute Couture and Luxury Fashions 1947 – 2007” an ode to classic designers such as Chanel, De la Renta, Dior, Givenchy, Saint Lauren and Valentino. The cherry on the cake is Elton John’s haute couture ensemble by Versace.

Famous Footwear:Big Push

Brown Shoe Co. Inc. has launched the first nationwide branding, advertising and social media campaign for its Famous Footwear retail stores. The campaign includes the first-ever national cable television advertising campaign and radio spots in 47 major cities. The campaign’s social and digital media component includes a new Web site, online banner ads, a Facebook page, YouTube channel, Twitter handle (@Famous_Footwear) and viral video. New videos are planned, including a soon-to-be released (August 3rd) digital short, and will be available at www.MakeTodayUnexpected.com. St. Louis-based Brown Shoe Co. Inc. owns and markets shoes under the Naturalizer, LifeStride, Connie, Buster Brown and other brands; and operates the Famous Footwear and Naturalizer retail stores. The company operates a design studio and showroom in Manhattan, N.Y., and global offices in China, Italy and Brazil. The company has about 13,000 employees worldwide.

Watch out there's a shoobie about

A shoobie is a term used in South Jersey and Santa Monica, California to describe a tourist who visits the seashore for a brief period of time, primarily to use the beach during the summer months. Shoobie is used in resort towns along the southern Jersey Shore, between the areas of Long Beach Island and Cape May. The term "shoobie" originated in the 1920s and it allegedly derives from the habit among tourists of bringing everything they needed in a shoe box. Items can include a towel, suntan lotion, and food. The term "shoobie" may also derive from the fact that tourists are more likely to wear their shoes on the beach. Homeowners (whether year-round or seasonal) often walk to the beach barefoot or remove their shoes immediately upon reaching the sand. A similar term is "Benny," which is mostly used in the resort towns of the northern Jersey Shore.

Vegan Shoes:Faux Fatal ?

The market for vegan and animal friendly footwear is growing. Advances in synthetic production in recent years make it almost impossible to tell faux from real. Synthetic shoes no longer look, cheap and nasty and are available in all popular styles. Time was synthetic shoes were blamed for causing sweaty feet and skin irritations. Now all that has changed and the shoe conscious welcome the faux alternative. Perhaps the penny has yet to drop but the biproducts of the synthetic industries does cause environmental challenges which may somewhat ironically destroy the planet and all living organisms.

All Day MJs comfort or what?

The new All Day basketball model by Jordan Brand (to be released early in 2010) will break from the classic Nike Air Jordan design. Still a feature will be the air bubble but positioned instead near the ball of the foot rather than in the heel. The All Day shoe sports a sleek silhouette with a high cut and includes an extended ankle strap and an eyelet ring. Pressure cannot pass through gas and the function of the air bubble is to reduce peak pressure over the ball of the foot. Its repositioning may be more indicative of the demographic likely to wear the new shoes – none sporty types.

The horrors of cracked skin, skinny toes and Oprah’s bunions

Summer is a time to cringe if you find the sight of cracked skin, misshapen toes, mangled nails and bunions a turn off. Skimpy shoes, flats and gladiator sandals ensure feet au naturel are on view. Not only are the feet of ordinary folks exposed so too are the feet of the fashionista. Victoria Beckham has a well-known bunion problem; Sarah Jessica Parker's feet feature regularly in tabloid gossip columns because they are misshapen with protruding veins; Paris Hilton's toes look like they could do with a good meal, and there is no shortage of comment threads in internet chatrooms dedicated to the most pressing question of our time: 'What is up with Oprah's feet?'

Travelling Shoe Exhibition in Thailand

"Portraits of Shoes - Stories of Feet" is on the move again and at the Thailand Creative and Design Centre (TCDC) at the Emporium. It features more than 100 pairs of the world's finest footwear from the last four centuries. On loan from the International Museum of Shoes in Romans the exhibition examines the role of shoes as art objects, functional tools, commercial products and cultural artefacts.

iMade for Skate

"Made for Skate" is about to be released as an iPhone application. The iMade for Skate allows viewers a drill-down look at skate shoes.The application costs $1.99 (US).

Foot Fungus: Laser my toes

Apparently an estimated 35 million people in the U.S. suffer from toenail fungus, which causes embarrassing deformation and discoloration of the nails. Onychomycosis (nail fungus) is a contagious infection and spreads easily with the slightest contact. A new laser treatment purports to be is safe, painless and is done in a single 30-40 minute office visit. There are no side effects and patients can expect to see healthy nails within 8 - 10 months. Clinicians anticipate between 80-88% effective treatment which compares well with alternatives. Oral medications (65 percent effective) require three months of treatment and carry a serious risk of liver damage. More traditional topical care modes have a 25 % success rate. Fungus has no resistance to laser light and the PinPointe FootLaser beam harmlessly passes through the nail and skin on the toe but kills the fungus embedded within the nail.

Cankles and muscle toning

According to those in the know "cankles," is a disproportionate amount of weight between the lower leg and the ankle. Used to be called ankle oedema and is routinely caused by fluid retention. Gentle and regular exercise can help distribute the fluids and people are being encouraged as part of a ‘health life change’ to exercise more. Finding time to go to the gym and work out can be difficult and expensive so many companies are attempting to solve the problem with new products including Fitness U Wear weighted wristbands and ankle bands to build up strength. Reebok have also developed a new sneaker which according to the manufacturer promises up to 28 percent more toning in the legs of its wearers. The shoe's technology involves air pockets strategically built into the back of the shoe to cause mild instability. Conscious balancing with each step helps actively exercise and tone up the leg musculature according to the experts.

The King is dead, long live his shoes

Definitely the unseen surprise of the season but looks like patent leather loafers will become the shoe style to be seen around in. The reason is obvious with the demise of the King of Pop everyone wants to pay homage. Kate Moss was seen with a pair in recent days, and the Repetto shop in Paris says their Jackson jazz shoe has been flying off the shelves. Jackson jazz shoe is a pared-down patent leather loafer that comes in ebony or ivory. White socks are optional.

Mystery of the metatarsals revealed: Best seller

Apparently the Number 1 book on Amazon Best Sellers list for medical\allied health professions\podiatry for the second time this years is a book entitled Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot. The run away success (excuse the pun) was written by Dr. Burton S. Schuler, a foot specialist of Panama City, Florida. He details the works of Dudley J Morton and a condition known as Morton's Toe. Just why this book has become so popular remains unclear but the works of Morton and his interest in the first metatarsal were well documented. The basic premise was if the medial component of the foot was unstable (first metatarsal) then painful symptoms would result. Morton's theory fell into abeyance when it was later discovered the unstable nature of the forefoot was due to poor rearfoot/leg co-ordination.



The book is distributed by the Cardinal Publishing Group of Indianapolis,, and is available at all major book outlets, and on line at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com and other bookstores.

Tsikioshi: Shoes with the Tea Factor

Fashion favourite among the gliteratti just now are shoes from Japan. Tsukihoshi is one of Japans's oldest footwear companies. They produce quality footwear and work in tandem with orthopaedic and pediatric advisors to design shoes appropriate for growing feet. The flexible and lightweight shoes are available in a range of attractive styles and reasonable prices. Tsukoshi shoes are machine washable and have extract of green tea within which according to the manufacturers deoderises and gives the inside of the shoe an antibacterial action.

ASICS launch 80s retro: Hells Bells

There is no reason why shoes should be mirror images after all feet aren’t. The convention has for many hundreds of years has been to wear the same shape and coloured shoes. The concept of a right and left fitting is however comparatively new and was introduced half a century after the American Civil War. The reason was when the soldiers were issued with left and right fittings they complained bitterly so much so the idea was shelved for half a century. Now we have right and left same coloured shoes. Back in the Middle Ages when men wore tights the fashion was to sport different colours for each leg, the vogue briefly returned in the Swinging Sixties with Pop Art but never really caught on. Some sneakerheads in the 80s did colour mix but most have been content to mix and match colour laces instead. ASICS have just released a new collection of 80s retro kicks called the Bread & Butter x Asics GT Lyte II “Salmon & Butter” Pack.
The Salmon colourway represents Japan, the land of origin of the sneaker brand, and the Butter colourway represents Germany, the location and home of Bread & Butter. The “BBBerlin” logo has been stitched into the heel area of each sneaker. Whilst the shoes are not meant to be worn mismatched the Salmon (Japan) and Butter (B&B) definitely leaves the potential to do so.

Bandals® change

Bandals® Footwear is a new skid on the block and purports to be an interchangeable shoe which gives the wearer the option to create a comfortable customized shoe. Combining band options to Bandals’ bases gives several fashion options.

Luxury sneakers:Sell-out hype?

Kanye West's luxury sneakers for Louis Vuitton are available and sold out. The release of the shoe line's was initially planned to coincide with the Paris Fashion Week in January but was inexplicably delayed The new shoes made their debut in the stores on July 1 and instantly sold out. Not that surprising really since there would be a limited run available to ensure a complete shelf clearing. The shoes retail upwards of $800 (US).

Soccer Boots: The game is on

As a lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa footwear companies will be introducing their new lines of football boots. In a highly competitive industry there are few secrets shared but looking across the current range of available boots remarkably there seems little to separate them other than price. Personally I believe the football shoe has been developed as far as it can with only novelty left to appeal to consumers. Concave, a minnow in the market, are about to introduce a new line which they insist will give players at all levels the ability to increase their ball striking skills. Patented technology on the top of the boot gives players 30% better control and 15% more power, according to an accredited university study. The secret is the upper conforms to the convex shape of the ball which effectively increases the sweat spot by as much as four times compared to traditional football boots. Concave boots have a shank balance stabilizer (SBS) to give support and reinforcement to the mid-foot and help control balance between the rear and fore-front. The presence of the SBS may reduce the risk of stress injuries to the metatarsals. To support the concave upper the shoes and protect the foot there is a flexible MetaGuard layer made of Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomers (TPU). This might prevent stomping injury. Concave make most of their soccer boots available in a variety of outsole configurations, including soft ground, firm ground, hard ground with blades, and a traditional rounded mold. Meanwhile over at Nike their keenly anticipated Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly met with teething problems when reports were received the boots ripped in situ. Nike recalled the boots from general sale and set to finding out how the boot design could be improved. Now a version that is less tight lasted will be available on general sale from 1st August and will retail at a cool £224.99 ( $367 US).

Oldest Basketball Shoes

The oldest pair of basketball sneakers manufactured by the Colchester Rubber Company was discovered recently by Gary Pifer. The vintage clothing dealer paid 50 cents for them at an estate sale in Vista, California. The Colchester Rubber Co. was located in Colchester, Connecticut and was in business from 1888 to 1893. The find pre-dates the 1917 Converse All-Stars which were previously thought to be the first basketball boots.

Fergie: Shod the world

Fergie (Black Eyed Peas) is determined to make a shoe range affordable for her fans. The Black Eyed Peas singer has teamed up with Brown Shoe to create fashionable footwear at reasonable prices. The pop diva designed her shoe range for her fans and remembered her frustration when growing up and not being able to afford Vogue clothing. She intends to wear her own brand of high shoes but admits to already owning over 500 pairs of shoes.

Shoe museum’s future uncertain

The future of Brockton’s Shoe Museum collection remains uncertain. A plan to gift the 1,000 shoe collection at Stonehill College to Stonehill College in Easton for care and protection was rejected at the recent annual meeting. The Board of trustees voted against the move at this time.

A touchy tennis crew

Why do professional tennis players always ask for three balls and bounce the ball the same number of times before serving? Because there are very superstitious. Like nearly all sportpersons tennis players are keen to gain the edge over their opponent, certainly not offend the spirits, and prepared to observing repetative behaviours, no matter who is watching them. Winners will almost always try to repeat behaviours no matter how bazaar so as not put the hex on their performance. Apparently when Goran Ivanisevic won an important match he would repeat everything he did the previous day, such as eating the same food at the same restaurant, talking to the same people and watching the same TV programmes. Serena Williams is also a follower of deviation and has publically blamed her poor performances on not following her usual rituals such as tying her shoelaces and not bringing her shower sandals to the court.

Copper : the new silver bullet

Copper acts as a natural inhibitor to bacterial growth. Copper ions, either alone or as complexes, have been used for centuries to disinfect fluids, solids and tissues. Copper is used widely as an algaecide in water purification, agricultural pesticides, fungicide, nematocide, molluscicide, and as an anti-bacterial and anti-fouling agent. Copper also has potent antiviral activity. According to experts the copper toxicity to micro-organisms, including to viruses, may occur through the displacement of essential metals from their native binding sites, from interference with oxidative phosphorylation and osmotic balance, and from alterations in the conformational structure of nucleic acids, membranes and proteins. By contrast human tissue has extremely low sensitivity to copper. Exposure to copper is thought to damage several key components of microbes (bacteria, viruses and fungi are all microbes), including to their membranes, proteins and genetic materials. The microbes are more susceptible to the detrimental effects of the copper ions when duplicating or reproducing. Bacteria and fungi have developed some mechanisms to tolerate excess copper. However, constant exposure to the copper concentrations causes toxicity and resistance to copper is low. Human skin is not sensitive to copper and the risk of adverse reactions due to dermal exposure to copper is thought to be extremely low. Companies are now beginning to produce copper impregnated goods such as blankets and socks and these are called ‘performance‘ products and are regularly used in the health care industry. One of the best selling products of Cupron Inc. are socks made from fibres "impregnated" with copper oxide and used as a prevention of athlete’s foot. The company hope to produce textiles containing tiny copper particles to help in the healing of diabetic ulcers. Diabetics frequently suffer from skin pathologies, especially in their feet. Co-moribund peripheral vascular disease and neuropathy exacerbate the capacity of these individuals to cope with infections, minor cuts and wounds, which often leading to hard to treat and chronic ulcers. The scientific community remains skeptical but there are studies ongoing. So it is a case of watch this space!

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