Latest in Shoes - Shoes in the News 2012

Imelda R. Marcos, born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Romualdez on July 2, 1929, a Filipino politician and wife of 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, will go down in history for her extravagance embodied in her collection of 2700 pairs of shoes.

We spend a great deal of time and money on our feet and shoes. Throughout history and across the world people have decorated their feet with shoes, patterns, tattoos and foot, toe and ankle jewellery. Shoes also play a part in every culture, and feature in stories, legends, films, dance, drama and art. Who doesn't know the story of Cinderella or The Red Shoes?

Unfortunately our life style and age begin to tell on our feet and I'm afraid to say that very often we get the feet we deserve, so in this article I thought it would be interesting to trace the footsteps of the shoe in the news throughout 2011, and we'll be looking at the good, the bad and the ugly!

• "Wearing cushioned running shoes may have changed the way in which many of us run, new research suggests." Quotation from article By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News. We have long accepted that running shoes are essential to reduce trauma, despite the fact that many successful runners compete barefoot, the most famous possibly, is the South African-born athlete Zola Budd. An interesting article which asks the question - are running shoes really better for us than running barefoot as nature intended.

• Toning Shoes Can toning shoes really change your shape? Or are they just a fad? This question was asked by By Alexia Severson / aseverson@lcsun-news.com. of Silver City Sun News A rather sceptical look at the toning shoe industry. It seems to be absolutely true that these shoes are popular and the industry is expanding, but there seems to be little research into the efficacy of these products. I, for one, would like to see evidence that these shoes are not detrimental to the feet and back, as they seem to work by destabilising the foot.
• Malaysia is promoting shoes to attract tourists KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama. Malaysia National News Industry) -- Malaysia is now promoting shoes and art as new tourist products, following the success of two international festivals held last year, said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. Central to this idea is Malaysian shoe designer Datuk Jimmy Choo, and the International Shoe Festival attracted 450,000 visitors. Yep - people like shoes!
• Shoes the Musical: "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." Quotation from Sadlers Wells The show features over 250 pairs by everyone from Georgina Goodman, Salvatore Ferragamo, to Finsk and L.K. Bennett; this is a veritable feast for the shoe addict.
  
  Songs include 'A brief history of shoes'. Hear more in the interview with Richard Thomas, (who explains what an 'extreme heel' is), and shoe designer Emma Hope on Womans Hour, BBC Radio 4

• Can you walk and wear high heels? How to wear high heeled shoes and walk at the same time, Huffingdon Post, by Leora Tanenbaum Author, "Bad Shoes and The Women Who Love Them". In this article Leora points out the dangers of wearing high platform shoes and points you in the right direction for choosing stable shoes, safe for walking on snow and ice.
• Lower heel making a come-back? If the answer to the above question is 'no', then this news item might come as a relief. February 16th an article on TVNZ commenting on designer's autumn and winter collections, promised that more sensible shoes would make an appearance this year. Apparently the teetering, stick-like high heels are going to be superseded by lower, stacked, chunky heels, wedges, booties and colored socks. Charlotte Ronson produced wedged booties, stacked heels and combat boots to compliment an outdoor look. Amazingly, the designers conceded that this move towards shoes that people (and by this I mean Women!) can walk in is because women are 'seeking comfort'. (How dare they?)
• Ankle boots are big! Marketwire announces, and suggests that Sarenza is the place to go to get the boots. (MarketWire February 17th)
• Sarenza arrives in Spain Spanish women will be able to buy fabulous Sarenza shoes in Spain very soon. (Marketwire February 21). It appears that Spain has its own hot shoe brands, El Naturalista and Camper Shoes, and Spanish designers already work for Sarenza and the company is especially hopeful that it's Art Footwear line will do well (I've had a peek and these shoes seem to be a million miles from what I'd call art footwear! - more frumpy and prosaic than art). Spain seems to be coming up in the world.
• Heart and sole! Shoe company teams up with charity! HealthyFeetStore.com, an online store that sells surprisingly attractively designed orthopedic shoe and foot care products, has begun a partnership with the charity Give Your Sole to collect lightly used but still wearable athletic shoes and hand them out to local rescue missions and now HealthyFeetStore.com’s administrative office is accepting donations of all types of shoes for those less fortunate up until April 30, 2011.
  What's in it for you? Each donor will be rewarded with a coupon code for 10% off their next purchase on HealthyFeetStore.com’s online store.

Please bring shoes to:
HealthyFeetStore.com Administrative Office
7965 Dunbrook Road
Suite C
San Diego, CA 92126

Nice idea! And think of all that stuff not going into landfill sites etc - waste not want not!

• Oscar Stars Come to Kodak a Day Early According to ABC news and author Sandy Cohen writing in LOS ANGELES February 26, 2011 And we are given details of the shoes that the stars were wearing. I'm happy to tell you, though, that they mostly seemed to have arrived wearing sensible shoes! Check out the swanky footwear sported by Hilary Swank and a whole host of stars including Kathryn Bigelow, Oprah Winfrey, Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Hudson, Helen Mirren, Anne Hathaway, Justin Timberlake, Sandra Bullock, Javier Bardem, Mila Kunis, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr., Hugh Jackman and Reese Witherspoon
• Anika To Wear $500,000 Shoes at Oscar Ceremony Starpulse.com reports that Anika Noni Rose, star of Dreamgirls, will wear the Diamond Dream Shoe, a silver stiletto, studded with 1,420 individual brilliant cut Kwiat diamonds, set in platinum circles and valued at $500,000. In the past Weitzman has used Regina King and actress Laura Harring to model his unique shoe designs.

• Shoes with 2011, Shoes with Rivets. Christian Louboutin blue shoes covered with rivets continue to catch the eye!
• Throw out those old shoes! How to tell it's time to throw out your shoes Worn shoe can exaggerate the biomechanical faults you already have - in other words, if you walk bady, you wear out your shoes irregularly and this makes the problem even worse. The ensuing loss of support can lead to all sorts of complaints; shin splints, Achilles tendinitis, knee pain and plantar fasciitis, a common form of heel pain. change your shoes regularly and visit your podiatrist who will be able to make inserts to wear in your shoes to overcome your walking problems.
• If on the other hand, you have perfectly good shoes that you simply don't want - don't throw them away, give them to charity. In Atlanta, the local group Caring For Others collected and distributed 3000 pairs of shoes and socks on the 5th March for the No Bare Soles event.
• Paris Fashion Week 2 - 9 March 2011can be relied on for a whole host of fabulous shoes. Have a look at this slideshow for an extravaganza of shoes. (NYMag.com, 3/11/11)
• End of toning shoes? As sales of toning shoes fall, the question is, 'is this the beginning of the end?' By Andrew Bond March 28 2011
  

• New shoes for soldiers Indo Asian News Service | IANS – Tue, Apr 12, 2011 The Indian army's 1.13 million troops will soon get pairs of high quality combat boots and comfortable sports shoes for physical training, replacing the vintage ones, (vintage combat boot sound great!). Physical training shoes and combat boots are going to be of a better quality and be designed to the latest specification to meet the requirement of the soldiers who operate in different types of weather and terrain.

• Flat shoes are back in style Having recently acquired a bunion, I'd say this was excellent news. Women, say no to foot torture! Take care of your feet and they'll take care of you. The detailed and embellished ballet flats, sandals and peep-toes have been elevated to become a serious alternative to the high heels that cause ugly corns, callouses and back problems. Rejoice!

• The Royal Wedding April 29th! Catherine Middleton steps out in hand-made shoes by the team at Alexander McQueen, and the baby bridesmaids looked sweet in shoes designed and made by Devon-based Rainbow Club. Who didn't see the Royal Wedding? Catch up with the fashions in the Royal Blog

• Toe a new line: barefoot shoes Los Angelese Times By Hilary MacGregor, Special to the Los Angeles Times May 9, 2011

  Vibram, Fila, Merrell and New Balance are selling the minimalist footwear, some with toe sleeves this spring. The trend began among hard-core runners but now all manner of  people are buying the minimalist shoes to hike, walk, lift weights, cross-train and water their lawns.

  The footwear are said to promote stronger muscles and better posture however, the fun element is exploited in the distinctive FiveFingers shoes. Shoes with toes was the dream child of Vibram, an Italian company best known for making high-performance rubber soles for hiking boots. The patented design was introduced in 2006 and marketed for kayaking and sailing. But the shoes became a hit among barefoot runners.

When I was young I loved shoes. As a child I lay in bed, delighting in the pretty new shoes under the bed. This love only got worse as I grew up. I combed the City of York, my home town, for gorgeous, designer shoes, sandals and boots.

My interest in design and shoes became even more acute when I went to Art School where image was ever important. So what is my relationship to shoes now? Well, my husband was a podiatrist, and I spent enough time looking at pictures of what these shoes do to your feet to mend my wicked ways.

Now I live in rural France and spend much of my time in wellingtons. I look less for lovely shoes than shoes that love my feet. Why don't you join us here? I run painting holidays, a B & B and self-catering holidays in the tiny hamlet of Videix, Limousin, S W France.