Thursday, September 6, 2012

Buy Beautiful Shoes to Stay Married?

Roland Mouret Dishes Up Marriage Advice: Buy More Beautiful Shoes!


Forget come-hither lingerie and romantic escapes for two--as far as designer Roland Mouret is concerned, the secret to keeping the spark alive in your marriage is to buy more shoes. Yeah, we thought you'd be on board with that one...


0828robert-clergerie-roland-mouret_fa.jpg

He's the new(ish) creative director at shoe label Robert Clergerie, and he says his work is absolutely essential to wedded bliss, unlike the classically French suggestion that taking a lover is the best thing for a marriage. "Take it from me," he tells the Telegraph, "beautiful shoes are better for your marriage than any lover."

He goes on to explain in more detail: "Shoes can be part of the sensuality and the sexuality of a woman. Not only this, they can allow a woman to inhabit different identities - and even help her to adopt a different character, should she desire it. Because shoes can change you. First, the shape, height and positioning of the heel affects the foot and then, upwards, it subtly repositions the rest of the body too; legs, hips, breasts - everything. This is the physical. And then there is the look of the shoe, the design. This affects the woman who wears the shoe, and sometimes the man who sees it too."

And if you're still not sold, he has this to say: "Because the best shoes can improve your life and your love without complicating it - and they should never disappoint you. Which is better than a lover, non?"
Oui, indeed! Consider this official sanction to splurge on a fabulous pair of new fall shoes, ladies...and let us help you get started!
- 10 cute pairs of wear-to-work heels
- Cole Haan's colorful new fall shoe range
- The hottest stems from Nicholas Kirkwood's latest collection
- The 30 hottest heels, flats, and boots for fall
Photo: Robert Clergerie

My Thoughts

Beautiful shoes to stay married?  That's new to me, I think, even if I'm such an afficionado of beautiful shoes.

But, I won't disagree that beautiful shoes can define a woman.  This is not a professional observation.  Just some conclusions from  a lover of beautiful shoes.  Beautiful flat shoes make a woman look comfortable with herself.  Beautiful heeled shoes clearly shows a sexy, glamorous identity.  Beautiful open-toed flats make us a look at a woman as carefree and relaxed.  Pumps?  Well, don't they look very professional.

And a woman with countless beautiful shoes, how would we describe them?

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Why Do We Love Beautiful Shoes?

Hello lover: Women and their shoes

Here's another sound of money: The clickety clack of a pair of Christian Louboutins walking down a hallway. Just one pair of that red-soled gorgeousness will set you back close to a grand. For shoes.

But you know what, plenty of women spend a lot of time and money on shoes. Rachelle Bergstein took note of that and wrote the new book "Women from the Ankle Down: The Story of Shoes and How They Define Us." She studied why women prize shoes so much and are willing to shell out of the big bucks for them. There are obvious reasons like they're beautiful, but Bergstein found some other more complex reasons.

"They have come to represent all of these really subtle, but improtant social cues, like status, like economic mobility, like independence, like power, like strength," Bergstein said. "And these thigns are such a potent brew that they contribute to making shoes so popular to this day."

Up until the 20th century, shoes made to last were limited to the very wealthy. But with new technologies and industrialization, shoes were more easily produced, driving costs down and increasing the variety of styles available. No longer are there just one or two styles in fashion during a season; there are now at least 20 different styles trending at any given time.

But why are they so expensive? Take a listen to the interview the Bergstein above to learn the answer and more about the history of shoes and women.

My Thoughts

I've asked myself that questions thousand of times and I still don't have the answer - why do I love beautiful shoes?  Why would I scrimp on something else but not beautiful shoes?  Why is my closet always bursting with beautiful shoes?  Why can't I throw beautiful shoes away?  Give them away, maybe.  But never to throw away unless they cannot be repaired.

I find it senseless, especially now that I'm working from home.  My beautiful shoes very rarely get the chance to be taken out of their resting place.  And when I do go out, there are too many to choose from, most of them look new.

Maybe I should look for beautiful shoes that would go well with pajamas.  This way I can still wear my beautiful shoes to work.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Beautiful Shoes for a Simple Outfit



The Coolest Shoes to Dress Up a Simple Outfit

Posted by nicolebalch on May 25th, 2012 at 11:51 pm 
 
GlitterLeatherFlats The Coolest Shoes to Dress Up a Simple Outfit
 
A little glitter goes a long way, and in this case, it goes a long way toward making me want these shoes. I like the orange peep-toes, but the yellow version with its slightly different shape is equally cool.

Which do you prefer? I could see either pair as the quirky exclamation point to an otherwise plain outfit. Shoes like these look fantastic with a white tee with skinny jeans, or a simple skirt. Both shoes are available from Pixie Market for $193 each.

• Nicole Balch is the founder of Making it Lovely, a design blog about living a stylish life and transforming the so-so. Catch up with all of Nicole’s posts here on Babble, and follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, or Facebook.

MY THOUGHTS

My oh my!  Those are really cute, beautiful shoes.  I agree that they are both cool.  But there's nothing cool about the price.  On the other hand, if you love beautiful shoes, price is no issue.  Or is it?

 

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Why Do You Have So Many Beautiful Shoes


19 May, 2012 03:00 AM
 
LIGHTS, mirrors, skinny models - the thought of buying clothes can be a self-esteem nightmare.
Now, researchers have found women who have less confidence in their appearance are more likely to buy accessories such as shoes and handbags than clothes.

The study of nearly 290 New Zealanders found women who felt more insecure after looking at pictures of skinny models owned more handbags than their confident counterparts.

The study also examined the shoe ownership of nearly 1000 US women and found those who said looking at pictures of models made them feel insecure tended to own more shoes. But when it came to clothing, researchers found no links between confidence and purchases.

The study leader, Jessica Boyce, said accessories could be a way of women boosting self-image without drawing attention to their bodies. "When media body ideals threaten self-image, women may attempt to self-affirm via accessorising body parts not directly connected to their core body image," she wrote in the journal Body Image.

"If this is correct, then the popularity of the shoe and handbag industries may partly be an indicator of women's body image struggles."

MY THOUGHTS

I never thought about it - but is this true?  Do I really love beautiful shoes because I feel insecure?  I admit that I sometimes go out to buy beautiful shoes because I wanted to feel better.  But to buy beautiful shoes to make me feel secure, that's a little too much, I think.

I love having a variety of beautiful shoes because I want to always have a pair of footwear that would go with the clothes I'm wearing, something appropriate for the event.  Naturally, this means I need to have beautiful shoes in different styles and colors.


On the other hand, why do I want to that?

Oh, never mind.  I don't want to spend too much time thinking about this.  I just love beautiful shoes.  Period.









Someone told me, she buys lots of beautiful shoes when she's feeling insecure about herself.  I didn't agree with her.  Nor did I agree.

I thought, I needed to think about this.  And I have.

The first question I asked myself was - Why Do I Love Beautiful Shoes?


Saturday, May 5, 2012

designing your own beautiful shoes

I found this article "Design Your Own Shoes on Line" by Suzanne Kantra of Techlicious.com.  What shoe buff will be able to resist? 

Just like the author, I know how it feels to spend hours and hours looking for the perfect pair of beautiful shoes.  Hundreds of times, I have wished for  a certain kind of heel to a certain kind of color, a certain kind of color to a certain kind of style.  Frustrating - not just for me but for the salesperson who's trying to make a living by convincing me that this particular pair is just the right pair of beautiful shoes. 

I'm sure one, if not all, of those sales persons wanted to tell me - "why don't you just design your own?".  Well,  why not?  And the worldwide web has caught up.

I checked on milkandhoneyshoes.com.  Wow!  You get to choose your style, material, color, piping, embellishments and, of course, your size.  The price of the beautiful shoes you are creating  is there for you to see as you go along.  I had a grand time simply designing my beautiful flat shoes.

The Shoe Design Studio is another great site for us lovers of beautiful shoes.  This site's a little bit more complicated.  You also get to choose the style, materials and colors but you need to click on the shoe part first. 

On the other hand, Shoes of Prey is too simple for me.  Or maybe I just couldn't find my way around the site.  What I liked about this site is I can design my beautiful shoes with a friend.  How cool is that?

Oh well, I just bought myself 4 pairs of shoes a barely a month ago.  I've just about spent my budget for beautiful shoes.  Next time I shop though, I won't go to the mall.  I think I'll give Milk and Honey a try.  How's that?

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Beautiful Shoes and Knee Osteoarthritis

Heels Stack the Deck Against Knee Joints
Published February 17, 2012 
 
 If you’re attached to high heels the way your husband is to ESPN, think twice: Studies show that your towering stature may come at the expense of joint health. Which shoes best lower your risk of suffering from knee osteoarthritis? And if you already suffer from arthritis, which footwear is right for you? Read on (your knees will thank you)...

Sure we love our Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks, but are those leg-flattering heels and high wedges increasing our risk of knee osteoarthritis – or ruining joint health?

Unfortunately, yes.

Women’s shoes “have a substantial impact on the load on knee joints, particularly when we walk," says Najia Shakoor, M.D., a rheumatologist at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center.

That’s because joint loading is a key factor in the development of knee osteoarthritis, she says.

How? Researchers at the University of Virginia found back in 1998 that wearing heels alters the normal function of the ankle and makes the quadricep muscles work harder. 
 
 By compensating, we load the knee joints in ways that could lead to degenerative changes in the kneecap and medial (inner) knee, areas where osteoarthritis usually lurks.

So what’s the right footwear if you have knee osteoarthritis? Read on for practical tips from arthritis experts.

1. Don’t wear heels.Heeled shoes are a no-no, whether they’re 4-inch stilettos or stacked 1-1/2 inch sandals. Whatever their height, they cause the same harmful alterations of knee torques, according to a 2001 University of Virginia study of wide-heeled and narrow-heeled shoes.

Even moderate high heels can contribute to the development or progression of knee osteoarthritis, according to the researchers.

“Overall, you can’t wear a heel and not increase loads on your joints,” Shakoor says. “They may increase your pain and the progression of arthritis – so you shouldn't keep wearing heels if you have osteoarthritis.'

2. …Or at least limit your use of high heels.There are occasions when practical shoes just won’t cut it, and you need a high-heeled stunner to complete the look. 
 
 “I usually tell my patients to save their heels for formal functions and limited periods of time,” Shakoor says.

It's OK to wear them for a few hours – to a wedding, date night or other special evening – once in awhile, she adds.

3. Avoid the narrow toe box.
A narrow toe box, which scrunches toes together, can cause big problems, not in terms of knee osteoarthritis, but with toes later in life, says David Felson, M.D., a rheumatologist and professor of medicine and public health (epidemiology) at Boston University School of Medicine, and principal investigator of the Framingham Osteoarthritis Study.

The risk is hallux valgus, in which the big toe suddenly bends to the side a bit.

“That's a function of shoes with a narrow toe box, some of which are high heels,” Felson says.

4. Wear flexible footwear.
Flat, flexible footwear, such as flip-flops or sneakers, significantly reduces the load on knee joints compared with stiff shoes that provide foot support, according to a 2010 study by Shakoor published online in the journal Arthritis Care & Research
 
 The study examined the gait of 31 patients with symptoms of osteoarthritis in the Rush Motion Analysis Lab while they walked barefoot and in four popular shoe types: Dansko clogs, Brooks Addiction stability shoes, which are prescribed for foot comfort and stability; Puma H-Street shoes, a flat athletic shoe with flexible soles; and flip-flops.

Researchers found loads on knee joints were up to 15% greater when wearing clogs and stability shoes than with flat walking shoes, flip-flops or no shoes.

One explanation: Shoes with stiff soles make us artificially stomp when we walk as opposed to the flexible movement when we go barefoot, Shakoor says.

“I tell patients to try a flat, flexible shoe and see what it does for their arthritis,” she says.

When choosing a shoe, hold it in your hand and see if it bends, she suggests.

“If it’s really stiff and doesn’t allow you to move it, then you’re not going to get that barefoot movement of your foot,” Shakoor adds. 
 
 Still, she says, not everyone will be comfortable making a change from a big bulky shoe with support to a flimsy, flat, flexible shoe.

“Our feet may not like it,” Shakoor says. “You may have to work it in gradually.”

“If we’re used to wearing a big bulky supportive shoe and now we’re wearing a flimsy, flat, flexible shoe, our feet may not like it," she says, adding you can let your feet be the guide, starting with an hour or two a day and working your way up.

Plus, Shakoor says she wouldn't recommend flip-flops as practical wear, because their loose fit could contribute to falls.

5. Go barefoot more often.
Traditional doctors and rheumatologists once recommended that patients wear supportive, cushioned shoes, Shakoor says.

“The idea was these shoes would provide some shock absorption and be better for your joints overall,” she says.

Now doctors are finding that barefoot is best. Studies at Rush University have found that walking barefoot is associated with lower knee loads than walking in conventional footwear, Shakoor says. 
 
So you may want to try going barefoot, at least around the house. For the brave, Vibram makes its popular FiveFingers men's shoe glove for women now too. It cushions and separates each toe and has a rubber sole to protect feet from rough terrain like asphalt. It hasn't been studied for joint wear and tear.

The Rush lab has created its own shoe that mimics the natural flexibility of going barefoot so that the lab can study it more – and see if wearing such a shoe can lead to delayed progression of knee osteoarthritis over time. (The shoe is not yet being commercially produced, though a manufacturer has shown interest).

“Amazingly, we don’t really have much information to guide us,” Shakoor says. “We’ve been going based on common sense and what feels comfortable.”

"We're in very early research stages of finding the right shoe for long-term wear.”

6. Try wedged inserts.
Many doctors suggest wedged orthotic shoe inserts to relieve pressure on knee joints for patients with osteoarthritis. But do they work?  

A 2009 study by University of Melbourne researchers looked at “Advances of Insoles and Shoes for Knee Osteoarthritis,” and found that lateral wedge insoles appear to reduce load on the knee, in people with medial (inner) knee osteoarthritis (the most common type of OA). The insoles do not appear to slow progression, however.

The Australian researchers gave clinical recommendations on the basis of current research: that the wedge should be the full length of the foot, not just the heel; should tilt around 5°; should be worn for 5-10 hours a day; and should only be worn in fitted shoes with a flat heel.

Inserts appear to work best in younger patients with less severe knee osteoarthritis who aren’t obese, the researchers said.

7. Try an ‘unstable’ shoe.
You’ve probably seen ads for “unbalanced” shoes. They're designed to mimic barefoot movement, tricking your foot into feeling like it's walking on sand or grass and not a hard surface. Brands include MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology), Reebok Easy Tone and Nike Free. Do these help relieve pain on knee joints? 
 
 Canadian researchers tested the effectiveness of the MBT shoe in reducing knee pain in people with osteoarthritis (among other things) and found they “can reduce pain in subjects with moderate knee osteoarthritis.”

Specifically, the study said pain was reduced after three weeks and remained after 12 weeks. But a caveat – the study also looked at a regular New Balance walking shoe and found similar results in terms of pain reduction.

8. Go with a cheap flat shoe.
A Brazilian study published this past May in the journal Gait & Posture looked at whether inexpensive, flexible and off-the-shelf footwear would decrease joint loading in women ages 60-70 with knee osteoarthritis. They tested 45 women and compared Moleca flat shoes with modern heeled shoes and walking barefoot.

The conclusion: The cheap footwear reduced joint loading the same as going barefoot, while still providing external foot protection – in other words, an improvement.

For more information, visit our Osteoarthritis Health Center.
 
My Thoughts
 
How sensible can that be?  Beautiful shoes that are flat and cheap.  However, I think I find it sensible now because I've taken to wearing down.  It has become, for me, an issue of comfort.  And now, it seems it's an issue of health, too.
 
When I was younger the only beautiful shoes for me were stilettos.   Now I look forward, with dread, to those special occasions where flats seem to be out of place.  But then, why not?
 

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Beautiful Nike Shoes and Jeremy Lin

Nike introduces a Jeremy Lin-themed Hyperfuse, just in time for All-Star weekend

Published: Friday, February 24, 2012, 7:00 PM     Updated: Friday, February 24, 2012, 7:01 PM
 
 
Nike has created a shoe for Jeremy Lin for him to wear starting tonight playing in the Rising Stars Challenge consisting of rookies and second-year players in Orlando.

The Oregon-based company sent out a notice this evening announcing the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse Low iD basketball shoe created for Lin, the New York Knicks point guard who emerged from near oblivion this weekend to fame.

The $130 shoe won't be available at off-the-shelf retail, but can be created and purchased at the NikeID.com website. Consumers can replicate the exact customization options of Lin's shoe.

In so doing, the company will avoid the possibility of an ugly riot like the one that broke out Thursday in Orlando as people scuffled in line to buy a $220, limited edition basketball shoe.

Nike iD is the design process that allows customization of several existing Nike products.

With this announcement, Nike answers the question of whether Lin will have his own signature shoe. And the answer, at least at this time, is no.

Signature shoes for Nike basketball players are limited to LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. For Nike's Jordan Brand, Carmelo Martinez, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade have signature shoes.

Nike chief executive Mark Parker and other company executives talked earlier this week in New York about Lin's rise to stardom. At that time, Parker told The Oregonian that a Nike-affiliated trip was planned to Taiwan and China, though details have not been completed.

-- Allan Brettman; twitter.com/abrettman 
 
My Thoughts
 
I wonder -why not?  Why not his own signature beautiful shoes?  Is it to early?  Not enough following yet? Need more scores?  More assists?

I'd better stop here.  I don't want to voice out the other possible reasons that come to mind.