Weitzman's Red Carpet Collection: Oscar bound?

Divas already seen on the red carpet wearing Stuart Weitzman’s shoes include: Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) and Julia Stiles (Dexter) and they will not be alone. Oscar hopefuls will clamber to wear Weitzman’s 6-inch, 6 ½-inch and 7-inch platform stilettos. The stand out model is a pair of pointy-toe satin pumps with 40,000 hand-applied Swarovski crystals (available in black or Oscar gold). His glamorous new Red Carpet Collection of over 35 different styles will hit select stores next month.

Stripper's shoe hits man in the face

An Indianapolis man was sitting in the audience of a local strip club when the shoe of a dancer flew through the air and hit him in the face and chipping his teeth. He is now suing the strip club, claiming he suffered "lifelong dental injuries." Although it was the dancer’s shoe, by extension the nightclub, are responsible for the circumstances according to the client’s lawyer. The case could be construed as similar to lawsuits brought against baseball teams over foul balls hitting spectators.

Meet Your Feet

Charlie Chaplin eating his shoe - The Gold Rush (High Quality)

Bata Shoe Museum

The Bata Shoe Museum for the curious

Robot Marathon

Skecher's Shape Up Shoes:Law suit pending

A woman in the US has filed a lawsuit against Skechers' celebrity-endorsed Shape Up shoes, claiming they caused painful stress fractures in her hips. The lady now claims she has surgical pins in both her hips because she wore the trainers for extended periods of time. After five months wear she developed severe pain, and eventually needed surgery. She claims wearing Sketchers Shape Ups for extended periods of time caused stress fractures in both her hips. Further claims have been made the company failed to research the likely effects of the tone up shoes. Sketchers' Shape Ups, is heavily endorsed by Kim Kardashian.

RCG Corporation buck the trend

RCG Corporation owns The Athlete's Foot and Shoe Superstore chains. The corporation have bucked the gloomy retail trend with a 35.1 per cent rise in first-half net profit to $3.9 million. Further RCG says it is on track to report a full-year net profit of between $8.4m and $8.8m, with indications it would deliver at the top end of the range. The Athlete's Foot, has 145 stores across Australia and NZ, and reported a total sales growth of 9.7 per cent to $88.7m for the first half, with like-for-like growth up 6.1 per cent. January has been an exceptionally strong month, with like-for-like sales up 10.7 per cent, this is according to experts due children returning to school. RCG's comfort footwear business, Shoe Superstore also increased total sales by 23 per cent to $2.3m, with like-for-like sales growth of 18 per cent. Its wholesale division, RCG brands, which distributes the Merrell brand of outdoor footwear and apparel, reported sales of $7.7m for first half in its first year of operation. It has also taken on the distribution of two new footwear brands in Australia, Chaco and Cushe. The company is finalising a licence agreement to distribute another brand soon.

New kicks from China:ospop

Canvas jiefang xie (解放鞋) or “liberation shoes” were once the preferred footwear of every construction worker in Shanghai. They were made in a shoe factory in Henan Province. Ben Walters liked what he saw and bought the company renaming them ospop ( “One Small Point of Pride”). The new shoes sell for US$48-73 per pair which is about 20 times the price of the original jiefang xie. As a novelty the shoes come with two sets of laces, one to match the shoes’ canvas and another to match the rubber outsole. The working conditions in the ospop’s factory has improved under Ben Walters and now employees receive overtime pay as well as work in safer environment. The trainers made by ospop pay tribute to “the industrious and optimistic spirit found among people living and working in China and have the character gong (工) or “labor” embroidered on every pair of shoes. Currently the color palette available includes “cement,” “slate” and “brick.” Whilst sales in ospop are rising more recently there has been a fashion demand for retro Chinese footwear brands such as Feiyue and Huili.

Foot Cryosurgery

Subo Attacked By Man With Foot Fetish!

Subo Attacked By Man With Foot Fetish!

Kitchen kicks: Celebrity endorsement

Shoe endorsement by celebrity chefs started with Iron Chef America's Mario Batai, whose signature uniform includes knee-length shorts and orange Crocs. He now has a signature shoe called the Bistro Mario Batali edition. The Batali Crocs are priced at $39.99.

Now Celebrity Chefs, Marcus Samuelsson (Top Chef Masters); Chris Cosentino and Aarón Sanchez (Chefs vs. City ) are collaborating to design their own shoe collection. Samuelsson's style has been described as urbane, sophisticated and "very New York. Chris Cosentino's shoes are sneakers; and Aarón Sanchez's shoes are a reflection of his Latin heritage. The signature series, called Sharkz, will be modeled after the chefs' personal style and designed to cushion tired feet in hot kitchens. The chef-designed series will be priced at $69.95.  According to Footwear Plus, Mozo , the maker of slip-resistant work shoes, is expected to launch the new line from the three chefs this spring.

Chefs' shoes on the catwalk

ChefShoes.com is a top online retailer of culinary footwear. The company were invited to provide footwear for the Isaac Mizrahi's "Poodles & Cakes" fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Show, in New York. The models were dressed in chef-like uniforms sporting several pieces that are currently featured on Chefshoes.com. ChefShoes.com is considered by many to be the most comprehensive collection of kitchen-ready shoes on the internet, ChefShoes.com offers shoes designed for long-lasting comfort, durability and more. The company’s web site showcases footwear featuring elements not found in average street shoes, including reinforced toes, slip resistant soles, and extra comfort footbeds. The site carries footwear from leading manufacturers, such as Birkenstock, Dansko, Klogs, Alpro among others.

ChefShoes.com is operated by The PSNE Group. The PSNE Group also operates BirkenstockCentral.com, GroundedSoles.com and many other web sites. The PSNE Group is regarded as one of the best online retailers of footwear in the US.

The Shoe People

The theme song for The Shoe People was written and sung by Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues.

Shoe People was the brainchild of James ‘Jimmy’ Driscoll. He was fascinated with people’s shoes and how much they said about personality. He began to wonder what stories these shoes could tell about themselves when they were new and had gradually worn out. In association with Peter Elias and illustrator, Rob Lee (Fireman Sam) the shoe people came alive in the 1980s. With the help of newpaper editor Fred Bromwich, more people got to know about the cartoon characters and eventually the Shoe People became an animated television series which was first broadcast on TV-AM in 1987.

When the Shoe Town cobbler cannot mend shoes or their owners fail to pick them up, he stores them in the back room of his shop. Every night when the Shoe Mender locks up the shop, the Shoes come to life.



Jimmy Driscoll eventually sold the company, but not before it was being watched in 62 different countries and had sold 25 million books.

Shoe Tree Remembered

The “Shoe Tree” on Highway 50 was vandalised and the 70-foot cottonwood tree was cut down sometime before New Year's Eve. The rustic landmark had become a favorite stopping place and hundreds of people flung their shoes, boots, sneakers and other footwear onto the tree. This Sunday at 2:30 p.m., local are holding a memorial service. The service will begin with ceremonial songs offered by the Native Americans. People with special meaning shoes are invited to put them in the daughter tree at the site. A plaque will be placed at the site. The “Shoe Tree Conspiracy,” is a group of Northern Nevada and Burning Man artists who believe the tree was not only a landmark but also a work of art created by each individual who added their shoes to the tree, are working to create a permanent tribute to the “Shoe Tree.”

Shoe & Boot Making and Repairing Historic Book Collection on CD: Great resource

The history and evolution of shoemaking is a fascinating story. The Shoe & Boot Making and Repairing Historic Book Collection on CD contains 34 books which outline the history of shoemaking from its earliest days in ancient Egypt to the early 1900s. The collection covers fascinating facts about the manufacture and repair of shoes and boots, evolution of footwear styles through the ages and a variety of early 20th century shoe and boot catalogues showcasing the styles of the era. The CD runs on all Windows and Macintosh computers. (Web browser and Adobe Acrobat Reader are required - available for free download). The book index is organized in an HTML menu that is compatible with all browsers and the books themselves are in PDF format to allow them to be universally accessed. All the books are printable - either individual pages or the entire book.

Sally Bercow exposed !: Bed-sheet-but-no-feet photograph

Sally Bercow, the wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow is not adverse to a bit of controversy. According to newspaper reports,the former libertine was happy to be photographed with nothing but a bed sheet to protect her modesty but drew the line when it came to showing her feet. Mrs Bercow outraged MPs recently with her racy modelling session. The risque photographs do not include her feet au naturelle because the lady does not think they look attractive enough. In a recent London Evening Standard interview she admits, living under Big Ben had spiced up the couple’s sex life. Despite open criticism at her behaviour the lady vows to continue her shameless publicity-seeking - despite the potential negative impact on her husband’s career.

Tutankhamun’s Footwear Studies of Ancient Egyptian Footwear

Among the objects found in Tutankhamun’s tomb was a large collection of shoes and sandals. These are now housed in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo and the Luxor Museum. In a new book by André J.Veldmeijer et al., entitled Tutankhamun’s Footwear Studies of Ancient Egyptian Footwear the 3,300-year-old footwear footwear is analyzed in detail. Several specialists contributed to the volume discussing the different materials (gold, vegetable fibre, birch bark, glass and faience, leather, gemstones) that were used in the footwear. The footwear from the tomb of Yuya and Tjuiu, Tutankhamun’s great-grandparents, is also analysed for comparison.It appears King Tutankhamun had a Kohler disease II . It also appears he had club foot (talipes equino varus) on his left foot. On the second toe of the right foot he had no middle bone, making the toe shorter. The combination of the deformities necessitated he wore modified shoes. Over 80 pieces of footwear of different sizes were buried with the boy king. Some had deteriorated, with only fragments or isolated straps remaining but others survived in decent condition. 81 specimens were studied in detail. Many sandals demonstrate the print of King Tut's foot on the sole. Two pairs of open shoes had the middle part of the sole stuffed for extra comfort. Three pairs had horizontal straps just below the toes; one pair also had semi-circular panels at the shoe's sides. These features are not known in any other footwear, sandal or shoe and the authors believe these additions may have been used to compensate for the foot deformities.

Pregnancy: Hell on heels

Fashion stylist Rachel Zoe likes her high heels and refuses to step down even although she is, seven months pregnant. Some gynaecologist s are alarmed at the number of women wearing high heeled shoes during pregnancy. Due to changes in body shape during pregnancy women are more prone to falls. Woman gain will on average gain between of 20 to 30 pounds during pregnancy which does affect the position of the centre of gravity. Experts suggest wearing lower heels can help support the body.

The late great Ivor Cutler had something to say about socks

Helen Bonham Carter: I have another pair of these at home

Helena Bonham Carter (King’s Speech ) enjoys having fun with fashion. At last month’s Golden Globes she strode the red carpet in mismatched shoes.

Clarks Race for Life Shoes

Clarks Sport is extremely proud to support Race for Life, the UK’s largest, women only 5k fundraising event. This year, Clarks Sport is joining forces with Tesco and Cancer Research UK to help create the biggest and best Race for Life yet! Clarks Sport is extremely proud to be the Official Footwear Partner for Race for Life 2011. Cl;arks will donate 10% of the retail price of their limited edition Race for Life sport shoes to Cancer Research UK.

Champions best foot forward: Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics fans have been thrown a gauntlet to design a customized pair of Adidas sneakers that celebrates the team's championship heritage. From now until May, Celtics fans can design a new Adidas sneaker at the mi adidas custom adidas online store. Monthly winners will receive their design of the sneakers, and "a grand prize winner chosen in May will receive two tickets to a Celtics game along with a meet and greet with centre Kendrick Perkins. To help inspire footwear creativity, the team suggests that would-be designers visit this website about team history. Perhaps if Glasgow Celtic win the Double the same opportunity will fall to the army of ‘Tic fans.

Keep on running

Red Shoes: Never say never

Justin Bieber is the latest fashion doyen of footwear. Seen sporting high tops with the laces loose and the tongue back. he likes yellow, purple and black when strolling the red carpet. However this season and prior to the release of his new movie “Never say never,” fashionable red shoes are a must for the young warbler.

OATs: What's your carbon footprint?

Dutch footwear company, OAT’s have introduced a fully biodegradable sneaker in their Virgin collection. According to the founder and industrial designer Christiaan Maats, OAT’s mission is to connect people with their environment in an imaginative way. The biodegradable kicks are made from soft, breathable canvas and flexible cork soles embedded with seeds.The Virgin collection includes men’s and women’s versions, as well as unisex models in natural hues and classic lines. OAT will debut the Virgin collection in Europe come spring, with a limited 900-piece run.

15 Harmful Things You’re Doing to Your Feet

15 Harmful Things You’re Doing to Your Feet from the Nursing School blog.

Kenneth Cole puts his foot in it on Twitter

Designer Kenneth Cole decided to promote his new collection through the social networking site Twitter. Unfortunately he decided to use the present Cairo uprising as the label to attract Tweeters. Under the “#Cairo,” he wrote: 'Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online.' The tweet was followed by a link to his website and signed 'KC' indicating that the tweet was written by the designer himself, rather than a member of his publicity team. The ill conceived attempt at humour caused so much angst among those following the violent protests in the Egyptian city, the designer has subsequently recanted the tweet and issued an apology, via his facebook.

High Heels Anti-Fashion

Grey Ant in collaboration with Teva have just announced a new spike based sandal . The Grey Ant x Teva Stiletto is a marriage of a Teva sandal with a stiletto heel. Selling for approx $330 (US).

What do you do with Fred Astaire's dancing shoes ?

Michael Feinstein collects memorabilia connected to U.S. popular music and over the years have collected quite a few items including Fred Astaire’s dancing shoes, a signed copy of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” and Frank Sinatra’s cufflinks. Now the collection is housed in the $160 million Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana. The facility will serve as the headquarters of the Michael Feinstein Foundation. He started the organization in 2007 to educate students about the Great American Songbook.

Put on your red shoes

The words as sang by David Bowie have now become a fashion must for the fashionista. The colour red features strongly in the up and coming fashion shows. Not all that surprising maybe but when it is men’s shoes that is rather unusual. Red is the colour of passion, energy, and danger. So being seen in red brogues may have men hot favourites for the ladies. Giorgio Brutini’ red brogues are the ideal companion to the traditional black or blue suit. Pair it with a great patterned red tie. For the more casual dresser Kenneth Cole Reaction Speed Ball Hi Top Sneakers in red and black makes you stand out anywhere you go. For the beach nothing better than a pair of red and black Reef Vision Sandals.

African Footwear Exports

Richard Thomas Stephen Mear's Shoes

Shoes is a song and dance spectacular that takes audiences on a journey from the lows of the croc via the agony and ecstasy of the stiletto, to the highs of the platform boot. Fresh from the pen of Richard Thomas (co-creator of Jerry Springer - The Opera) and the feet of top showbiz choreographer Stephen Mear (Sweet Charity, Mary Poppins), Shoes is a wickedly irreverent and affectionate look at the special power this seemingly innocuous item of clothing holds over many a shoe-addict.

See a behind the scenes video