Pay more weight less: Speed boots

This season’s lightest football boots are produced by two German brands, Puma (150g) and Adidas (164g) , one American brand in Nike (210g), and the British brand, Umbro M(236g). Fashion for speed boots started with the adiZero boot (adidas) but when Puma developed lightweight footwear for sprinter, Usain Bolt (Jamaica) they transferred the same technology to soccer slippers. The Puma v1.10 Lightning SL is the lightest football boot ever made.
Currently the top seller is the Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly II ($427 US). These boots are heavily promoted and endorsed by many of the Nike sponsored players including: Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Robinho, Nani, Arshavin, Robin Van Persie, Zlatan Ibrahimovic , Theo Walcott , Gabriel Agbonlahor <.a>, Aaron Lennon ,and Adam Johnson .
Next on the price scale is the Puma v1.10 SL lightning (@ $288 US). These are the lightest shoes and have the classic Puma which are most suited to speed players like Samuel Eto’o who currently endorses them.
Adidas F50 adiZero (@ $194 US) are generally thought to be the perfect combination of affordability and weight. These lightweight boots feature state of the art technology (according to the manufacturers) but one well reported flaw is brittle studs which break easily. Players who are paid to wear Adidas F50 adiZero include: Lionel Messi, David Villa, Diego Forlan, Goran Pandev, Arjen Robben, Lukas Podolski, Samir Nasri , Salomon Kalou, Shunsukie Nakamura, Steven Pienaar, and Jermain Defoe.
The Umbro GT (@ $132 US) is bargain basement for speed shoes but at a fraction of the cost of the most expensive soccer slipper many more are likely to join Darren Bent, who currently plays in Umbro GTs.

Another severed foot is washed up

Another human foot has been washed ashore on Whidbey Island's east coast. This makes it the eighth since 2008. The latest gruesome find was washed up on the beach near a Greenbank boat launch. Forensic experts believe the foot is likely to have been in the water for less than two months. From its size it is currently surmised to have belonged to a woman or a child. A DNA profile is pending. Previous foot remains were shod but this latest macabre flotsam was a foot reportedly with no skin and only muscle and tendon remained. A coroner matched a pair of dismembered female feet that shed up on the shores of British Columbia. The right foot was discovered on Canada's West coast, and the left foot was discovered six months later. Both were encased in New Balance running shoes.

Letter to Santa: All I want for Christmas is a vuvuzela

Dear Santa

The vuvuzela is much cheaper than bagpipes and makes equally as much din. So in my stocking this year I want a vuvuzela. One with all the customised decals would be best. If I am really a good boy and eat my crusts I would like remote controlled football boots (read soccer for football Santa since you are American and drink Coca Cola). The kit comes with a ball, 2 boots, a couple of nets and remote controls. Each boot has an electric motor with 4 hidden wheels which allow them to move: forwards, backwards, to the left and right. Each boot transmits a different frequency which allows them to be remote controlled. The boots are colour coded in red or blue with orange. I want to amaze my friends with trick back-heel shots and expert scoring skill. Eventually I can join a team and play Thunderboots Remote controlled football in competition with others. If there are no remote controlled football boots left then can I please have R/C Robot Soccer . The set contains a mini soccer field, one soccer ball and two miniature soccer playing remote control robots. These are fitted with four wheels and move just like the boots.

Thank you in anticipation, and who is you most favourite player by the way? Mine is Jim Baxter.

PS
Santa can you please include 10 AA batteries, because they do not come with the kit.

PPS I am over three years of age.

Bless my sole.

Recently the Pope took delivery of two new pairs of handmade shoes from his cobbler, Adriano Stefanelli . It was reported the shoemaker also sent a pair to the Russian Orthodox Patriarch in the spirit of Christian unity. Adriano Stefanelli, has been the cobbler to the Vatican since he saw John Paul II suffering in 2003. He made four pairs which John Paul II wore. Since then he produced shoes and slippers for Pope Benedict XVI in each of the five years of his pontificate. He also made some hiking shoes for the summer Pope Benedict XVI spent in northern Italy in 2008. Stefanelli takes about a month to make a pair of shoes using the traditional hand craft methods. So popular are his shoes with the clergy he now supplies various church leaders with shoes.

Vivienne Westwood Shoes: An Exhibition 1973-2010

Selfridges is opening an exhibition this week dedicated to Vivienne Westwood's shoes. The Vivienne Westwood Shoes: An Exhibition 1973-2010 consists of nearly 200 shoes including Naomi Campbell’s Super Elevated Gillie shoes, will be housed at Ultra Lounge, (Lower Ground Floor), Selridges, London and will open on 26th August and run until 22nd September.

Barefoot Vibram FiveFingers shoes: What's all the fuss?

Last weekend there was a spike of hits to foot talk. A 600 % increase in the average 100 hits per day. Closer inspection revealed netizens were after info on foot gloves. These are Barefoot Vibram FiveFingers shoes which have been around since 2006. Robert Fliri is an industrial designer and avid mountaineer he had an idea and approached the Vibram company to produce an ultra lightweight shoe, suitable for hill climbing. Together they came up with a novel design which includes separate pockets for each of the five toes. These retail between $75 to $125 US. Last year Barefoot Vibram FiveFingers shoes caught wider attention when some glitterati wore them on the red carpet. Since then they have sold like hot cakes. CNN recently reported the manufacturer now struggles to meet the market demand. In the last year the Vibram company has tripled the size of its Boston warehouse. Their revenue this year soared to a mighty $50 million US, which is a far cry from the paltry $430,000 the company declared in 2006. The appeal for Barefoot Vibram FiveFingers shoes has extended to China which has the US company worried for now counterfeit FiveFingers are being sold in a cheaper price. The Vibram company is currently working with authorities to end these illegal channels and protect their brand.

Back to why there is such a great interest in them last weekend.

Seems Barefoot Vibram FiveFingers shoes have become highly collectable and males are snapping them up as a blue chip investment.

Fairground Luck: Rocker edge gear for vegans

Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) and former beau, producer/musician JP Jones have teamed up to launch an eco-friendly fashion line. Their new leather-free fashion line is called Fairground Luck and features vegan only and planet friendly gear. The new range includes t-shirts, skinny jeans, jackets, handbags, cowboy boots and other types of footwear. The rocker edge gear will be available from the autumn.

Nike: On the ball

A new season of the Premier League has just kicked off with yet another new football. Nike are the official ball supplier to the Premier League and have been since the 2001/01 season. The new Nike Total 90 Tracer PL Football was developed over two years to develop using Nike’s Geo Technology (sic. whatever that is?) to make the match ball rounder and more balanced. Not to be outdone by adidas World Cup ball , Jubulani , which met with overall disdain, the Nike match ball seems to have been generally accepted with no major problems reported. The almost perfect sphere of the new ball has been created by the clever panel geometry which places hexagons and pentagons precisely together. This is thought by the manufacturers to produce a "360-Degree Sweet Spot." The almost perfect shape is retained by cross-linked nitrogen- expanded foam with polyester support fabric to enhance structure and stability. The evenly distributed pressure across the round ball always responds in the same way when hit. The perfect symmetry allows the ball to fly faster, farther, and be hit more accurately. The ball is encased in a compressed polyethylene layer which helps store energy at impact before releasing it at launch. The black asymmetrical band encircling the ball generates a more powerful visual signal as it rotates, providing a quicker read on ball location, spin rate, speed and trajectory from any angle. The ball’s colourway help fans pick up ball movement as well as promote the Premier League brand on television. Before a new ball can be accepted they must go through vigorous tests outlined as a FIFA requirement. This includes wind-tunnel tests for aerodynamic performance, testing with athletes at the Nike Science & Research Lab (NSRL), and finally, elite athlete testing on the training pitches of multiple Premier League clubs.The Nike Total 90 Tracer PL Football match ball was tested for more than two years in Nike research labs. The new ball will be used not only in the English Premier League but also in the Italian Serie A, and the Primera Division in Spain.

Rock shoes on show: Canadian National Exhibition

At the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in 2010 there will be an exhibition of the history of rock and roll. The exhibition will include items from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and from the Hard Rock Café collection. However on display too will be a collection of shoes worn by pop luminaries such as Jimi Hendrix, Madonna, Rod Stewart , Eminem, and Barbra Streisand. The collection belongs to Toronto podiatrist, Dr. Hartley Miltchin. The footman owns over 350 pairs of shoes once worn by celebrities and sports figures, including Chubby Checker's custom black-and-white checkered boots which he wore on American Bandstand; and John Lennon, the Jackson 5, Elvis Presley, the Spice Girls, Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne as well as a pair of Shaq O'Neal's size 23 Reeboks.

Unstitched Utilities : Cool kicks

Unstitched Utilities was set up by Jack Steinweis, Kevin Crowley, and Mark Kane. Using recycled Tyvek (flashspun high-density polyethylene fibres) the upper material is water repellant, porous and hard to tear which makes it perfect for sport shoes. Available in a crinkled look the shoes are tan, white and gray. The “Unpressed” collection includes high top basketball shoes called “Next Day Mid” and low top (converse) basketball shoes called “Next Day Low”. The company also produce Magma shoes styled along the lines of old hockey boots. Unstitched Utilities will donate a percentage of the profits from the Unpressed collection to help environmental causes worldwide making its line of casual shoes some of the most environmentally friendly shoes you can buy.

Shoes : Stop that!

From the days of antiquity, the right to wear shoes was a privilege only afforded to the free and affluent. Whilst there were several attempts to limit excesses, the dress code for footwear was simple, rich people wore them and ordinary people went without. Colour and styling, including the height of shoes, became the discernible means of class distinction and this was reflected in many cultures. The need to preserve class distinction coupled with clerical conscience would seem to have been the two main motivations for sumptuary laws governing shoes. Whilst the fashion for long toed shoes lasted four hundred years they were not always in vogue. The restriction in length of shoes was at first to discriminate "the haves" from "the have nots", then to quell the reappearance of the worship of the phallus. Shoe fashion did change and by all accounts pretty rapidly at the beginning of the 15 century. Many experts believe this had nothing to do with legislation but more to do with the news of a high profile assassination. Alarm was raised when the victim could not escape his attackers because he was wearing long toed shoes. Others believe it may have been due to the birth of the heir apparent to the Spanish thrown who had polydactylism (extra toes). The risks following surgical removal of the extra toe would have presented with many complications and it was much easier to change the fashion to broad toed shoes. Credible reasons perhaps but unlikely to explain the quick transition from long toed shoes to broad shoes (Bear’ Paws). An all together more credible explanation would be the presence of disease which would necessitate accommodating painful feet. History records a great syphilis epidemic spread throughout Europe after the return of Christopher Columbus from the New World in 1493. One of the outcomes of tertiary syphilis is Charcot feet. This is a very painful condition and feet ulcerate due to undue pressure. The presence of syphilis in the courts of Europe and sequestrate would be a more satisfactory explanation for the swift change in shoe style. Bears' Paws were fashionable with the affluent and in the spirit of zeitgeist celebrated the Cult of the Virgin Mary with reference to the female genitalia in the form of delicate slashing of the upper. Eventually Queen Mary (1516 - 1558), keen to comply with the wishes of the Catholic Church banned broad toed shoes from England and her dominions. The platform shoe, popular with the women from Venice and Florence were eventually legislated against because of the number of accidents reported by ladies falling over. It is thought the term ‘miscarriage’ refers to the fall from the chopines and not specifically pelvic complications. During the Victorian era high heels became closely associated with sado-masochistic eroticism. This was promulgated in no short measure by the introduction of still photography, then cinematography. The high heeled shoe became the symbol of a Jezebel. During the last century attempts were made at times of national emergency to control heel height through rationing. Rather than reduce interest in heeled shoes this is likely to have been the reason for their continued popularity. Despite the absence of official sumptuary law to curtail the heights of the shoe, subsequent to the introduction of the stiletto heel, free access to privately owned public spaces has been restricted by dress codes. Just to keep a balance the same dress codes apply to thing wearers and barefoot persons.

Shoeing (Throwing shoes): All the fashion

Shoe throwing (or shoeing) has become a trend in protest. Since former US president George W Bush was pelted in Iraq in December 2008, shoe protests have been reported in New Delhi in 2009 (P Chidambaram; Union Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of India.); and in the UK, with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari. Others to fend off a shoeing include: Gordana Čomić, the Vice President of the National Assembly of Serbia;Clifford D. May the president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies ;Lal Krishna Advani , the former president of ; and Indian politicians Naveen Jindal and B. S. Yeddyurappa . At the beginning of this year , a shoe was thrown at Israel Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish . The shoe hit President Beinish in the face and she sustained minor injuries. The latest high profile shoe protest occurred during the Independence Day function at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, when a suspended policeman threw a shoe at Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah.

Podiatrists save feet: New Study

Foot amputation or hospitalization resulting from foot ulcers in diabetes patients can be prevented or delayed with timely intervention by podiatrists. This is the findings from a recent research commissioned by the American Podiatric Medical Association. Researchers a retrospective study and examined records from the Thomson Reuters MarketScan Research Databases from 2005 to 2008 for 28,796 non-Medicare and 35,721 Medicare patients with diabetes. They compared amputation and hospitalization risks for subjects who saw podiatrists at least once before their diagnosis of a foot ulcer and patients who didn't see podiatrists. The findings revealed non-Medicare patients with a foot ulcer who had podiatric care had a 15 percent lower risk of amputation and a 17 percent lower risk of hospitalization than those who did not receive podiatric care. Medicare patients with a foot ulcer who had podiatric care had an 18 percent lower risk of amputation, a 23 percent lower risk of major amputation, and a 9 percent lower risk of hospitalization than those who did not see a podiatrist. Costs were lower in the cohort receiving podiatric care. For patients aged 18 to 64, each dollar spent on podiatric care resulted in a $27 to $51 savings, while in the 65 and older age group, the savings were $9 to $13.The authors believe care by podiatrists prior to the first evidence of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes prevents or delays lower extremity amputations and hospitalizations. The researchers concluded more use of podiatry services in the care of at risk groups like diabetics could result in substantial health care cost savings.
In Australia, all registered diabetics can access up to 5 free consultations per year with non medical specialists (including podiatrists) through the Enhanced Primary Care program .

Astronaut's Boots: Moon Litter

"That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind" (the "a" was apparently lost in transmission due to static). Apparently Neil Armstrong's boots (size 9 1⁄2 medium) are still on the moon. There are not alone because there are another nine pairs of boots worn during the Apollo missions abandoned on the surface of the moon. Apollo astronauts collected moon rocks and because of the fine balance of weight had to jettison their footwear. There is no oxygen on the moon so the metal buckles and snaps will not rust but the silicone soles and synthetic fabrics that made up the boots will probably have off-gassed and degraded. Should anyone in the future try to retrieve them, there is every chance the shoes would turn to powder if touched.

Bridal superstions:The Bride's Ritual Guide

New book The Bride's Ritual Guide: Look Inside to Find Yourself   from  Cornelia Powell . Available at amazon.com

Why do we fall: Falls. Foot Care and Footwear

Ageing brings change to the way we walk. We begin to slow down spending more time with both feet on the ground. There is a marked increase in body sway which promotes instability. The angle of toe clearance gets smaller and the lower angle of the foot at take off, the easier it is to catch unseen objects. These changes are made more obvious with arthritis or painful knees, hips, neck and spine. Balance problems and blood pressure also add considerably to the safety of walking as does failing eyesight and sore feet. Men slip and ladies trip. Less frequently misplaced steps such as standing in a hole, legs giving way, or loss of balance can also cause falls. Inattentiveness or not taking time are also contributory factors. Experts believe most falls in the lederly are preventable and the more care you take the less likely you will have a fall.
One in four people aged 60 plus will have a fall in the year. One fall can be the beginning of a falls career and the associated injuries are a leading cause of hospitalisation in older people. Men slip and women trip. Anyone can fall but those living with long term conditions such as heart conditions, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, high/low blood pressure, depression and dementia do have an increase the risk of falling. Sore feet can also lead to unsteadiness, poor posture and imbalance. Things which contribute include: muscle or joint stiffness, poor vision, pain and lack of energy and or concentration. Inattentiveness or not taking time is also contributory factors. Consequently most falls are preventable and the more care you take the less likely you will have a fall.

Prevention includes maintaining a healthy lifestyle, keeping physically fit, being mentally alert as well as being involved in a social network. Most falls are caused by personal issues such as life style; physical and mental state; and environmental hazards. Reduce falls risk by staying mobile and improve movement in joints. Be active and strengthen muscles. Improve walking patterns and balance and monitor your medications. Physical activity helps maintain leg and hip strength and ankle flexibility. It also improves bone strength and slows osteoporosis. Regular exercise increases cardiovascular stamina, assists joint movement and stability as well as improve balance, co-ordination and walking patterns. Increased energy levels helps maintains a healthy weight and improve sleep patterns. Putting together 30 minutes per day is enough. If you have a medical condition chat to your doctor first.

The best kinds of activity are those which use all parts of the body like walking, swimming and dancing. So too is active gardening, housekeeping and walking the dog. There are many walking groups like Walk there today  to find thirty. Activites which focus on balance include: tai chi, yoga, pilates; and for strength training and fitness try aerobics or acqua-aerobics.

Sore Feet
Many people accept sore feet come with age but that is not always true. A high percentage of first time fallers have foot problems. The vast majority are women and many recurrent fallers are more likely to suffer foot problems. A routine vist to the podiatrist can put paid to more recurring foot ailments.

Monitor your medications and eyesight
Make a list and know what medication you are prescribed form your doctor and what they are for. All medicines have side effects and sometimes these can affect balance. Talk to your GP or pharmacist if you experience:
• Drowsieness
• Dizzieness
• Light headedness
• Unsteadyness
• Blurred or double vision
• Difficulty thinking clearly

Have your medicines reviewed regularly and check for any interactions with no prescribed drugs you may be taking .

Eat healthy
• Eat a wide variety of nutritious foods
• Drink alcohol in moderation

Stop smoking

Poor balance accounts for upt to 25% of falls among elderly people. . Factors that can effect balance include:

• Loss of muscle strength
• Reduced joint mobility and stability
• The side effects of some medicines
• Ear problems
• Sudden movements particularly rising quickly (postural hypertension)
• Post hip and knee replacement

Footwear
According to Menz, Morris and Lord (2009) footwear characteristics were not significantly associated with falls either inside or outside the home. They found falls were associated more with going barefoot or wearing socks only indoors. Menant et al (2008) found elevated heels of 4.5 cm height did significantly impair balance in older people. The potential benefits of wearing shoes with a hard sole or a high heel-collar on balance in older people warrant further research in ambulatory tasks. Based on findings of a systematic literature review, older people should wear shoes with low heels and firm slip-resistant soles both inside and outside the home. Further findings suggest older adults are slower terminating gait rapidly than their younger counterparts and that footwear is likely to influence whole-body stability during challenging postural tasks on wet surfaces.


Whilst the characteristics of shoes have been shown to influence balance in older people, the relationship between footwear and slips, trips and falls is still  unclear. According Menant et al (2008) the relationship between changes to the somatosensory feedback from foot and ankle combined with modifying frictional conditions at the shoe/floor interface many be related. To date however no one is sure which shoe features are beneficial or detrimental to balance in older people. Always wear well fitting shoes which is appropriate to the activity.
According to Chari et al (2009) athletic and canvas shoes (sneakers) were the styles of footwear least associated with falls in older adults during everyday activities. Going barefoot or in stocking feet was associated with sharply increased risks .Bare feet might provide better slip resistance than socks or stocking feet but previous studies have associated barefoot mobilisation with increased falls in the elderly.


Common hazards inside include:
• Slippery floors
• Clutter or obstacles on the floor
• Loose mats or scatter floors
• Different floor surfaces

Hazard outside are:
• Uneven paths
• Clutter
• Poorly lit areas
• Wet surfaces

What to do if you fall

• Don’t panic
• Check for serious injury
• Get up slowly and safely
• If seriously injured call for help / ambulance

Further Reading
Chari S, Haines T, Varghese P and Economidis A. (2009) Are non-slip socks really 'non-slip'? An analysis of slip resistance BMC Geriatrics 2009, 9:39doi:10.1186/1471-2318-9-39.
Koepsell TD, Wolf ME, Buchner DM, Kukull WA, LaCroix AZ, Tencer AF, Frankenfeld CL, Tautvydas M, Larson EB. Footwear style and risk of falls in older adults.
Menz H.B., Morris M.E., & Lord S. R. (2009) Footwear Characteristics and Risk of Indoor and Outdoor Falls in Older People Gerontology.
Menant JC, Steele JR, Menz HB, Munro BJ, & Lord SR. (2008) Effects of Footwear Features on Balance and Stepping in Older People. Gerontology. 2008 Feb 4 [Epub ahead of print]
bMenant JC, Steele JR, Menz HB, Munro BJ, Lord SR. Optimizing footwear for older people at risk of falls. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2008;45(8):1167-82.
cMenant JC, Steele JR, Menz HB, Munro BJ, Lord SR. (2009) Rapid gait termination: Effects of age, walking surfaces and footwear characteristics.Gait Posture. 2009 Apr 7. [Epub ahead of print]
Tencer AF, Koepsell TD, Wolf ME, Frankenfeld CL, Buchner DM, Kukull WA, LaCroix AZ, Larson EB, Tautvydas M. Biomechanical properties of shoes and risk of falls in older adults.

Dr Footsie Promo

Miss Kilmansegg and Her Precious Leg : A cautionary tale

Thomas Hood (1799 – 1845) was a Scottish humorist and poet. Although born in London he lived and worked in Dundee for many years contributing humorous and poetical articles to the provincial newspapers and magazines. As an engraver he illustrated many of his own humours and fancies with quaint devices. After he became a sub-editor (of sorts) at the London Magazine he mixed with the literary society of the time. Best known as a humorist, his serious poetry was almost entirely ignored. He had a keen sense of humour and edited the lightly satirical Comic Annual, (dating from 1830) for many years. Hood was master of the pun and sensitive to the social deprevation which surrounded him. He put this talent to good use with the poem "Song of the Shirt." (1843). The lament told of a poor London seamstress who sold shirts belonging to her employer to feed her child. It became a popular song and was later dramatised by Mark Lemon (founding editor of Punch and the Field ) as The Sempstress. Hood’s poem was inspiration to many social activists in defense of laboring women, living in abject poverty despite their constant industriousness. Hood also wrote humorously on other contemporary issues including grave robbing and selling of corpses to anatomists.




Don’t go to weep upon my grave,

And think that there I be.

They haven’t left an atom there

Of my anatomie


Recently another poem by Thomas Hood, "Miss Kilmansegg and Her Precious Leg" (first published in 1840 in the 'New Monthly Magazine'), was dramatized for the BBC by Martin Wade. The famous poem is a timeless satire about the corrupting power of money. Miss Kilmansegg is the daughter of a rich banker and when she loses a leg after an accident, she insists in having a prosthesis made of gold. Now the talk of the town the amputee becomes pray to a scheming, ruthless cad who marries her and squanders her fortune. However once the money goes the bounder does something dastardly with the unfortunate girls golden leg.

Bernard Bresslaw and You need feet

Dancing Shoes: The George Best Story

Dancing Shoes: The George Best Story is a new musical about George Best and was written and produced by Martin Lynch and (Sarah) Marie Jones (Stones in His Pockets). Music and songs are composed by Pat Gribben (The Adventures and Starjets) and JJ Gilmour (The Silencers) . The lead role is taken by Aidan O'Neill, who has an uncanny resemblance to the famous Belfast boy and international football player. George was one of the most skilful players ever, with magic feet and hence the title of the show, Dancing Shoes. Throughout his carteer he enjoyed a champagne life style off the park but eventually succumbed to chronic alcoholism. The show had its opening at the Grand Opera House in Belfast and the first performance was met with a standing ovation. The hope is the musical will eventually have a run at London’s West End.




Not from the show but here is a tribute from Don Fardon