This week a spacecraft carrying three earthlings launched out of Kazakhstan bound for the International Space Station. While doing their daily workouts on the space station’s ARED (Advanced Resistive Exercise Device), a couple of the spacemen will be wearing these sensor-laden sandals made by Xsens called Force shoes.
These sensors will transmit measurements of ground reaction force and load bearing data as the feet torque and twist during ARED workouts. NASA researchers will use the info to further study exercise strategy designed to reduce the loss of bone and muscle strength that travellers experience during long space flights.
I can’t see any buckles or buttons, so I assume the straps must be velcro. What must it be like to pull velcro in space? Presumably, in the name of science, the space station crew gets a pass from the fashion police to wear socks with sandals
Tan Chippewa BootsWhat about the Fila “four-fingers” shoes? I got a pair for 11$ at Kohl’s, I’ll let you know.Airport Shoe Hospital: No insurance needed (-;Custom New Balance Brannock measuring device spotted at Merrill’s Shoe Center in Brockton, MassachusettsMerrills Shoe Center on Belmont Street in Brockton, Massachusetts- not to be confused with the Merrell footwear company.Rich Feet Chinatown NYCMy Finn Comfort insoles drying after a good cleaning with soap and waterShwings shoe wings spotted at Bob’s StoresShoelaces that supposedly, you’ll never need to tieGot as much extra use out of these hotel slippers as possible…bye
Designer Satsuki Ohata was inspired by cheese dip to create a new concept in minimalist footwear that may perfectly match your foot by “dipping” it in liquified polyvinyl chloride.
Images from Satsuki.co
These have been created around a foot mold, but Satsuki hopes to develop a dip & dry kit so we can safely make our own Fondue Slippers at home. Something like this:
And then:
Images from Satsuki.co
Footwear Industries of Tennessee Inc. (FIT USA) just opened a brand new footwear manufacturing plant in Jefferson City, TN. The 40,000 square foot facility will be making a line of men’s work and hunting boots, complete with soles fabricated on location by a state-of-the-art direct-injection molding machine.
FIT USA plant images from WATE.COM
Inventor/videomaker Colin Furze is bringing X-Men powers to life in his Lincolnshire garage. Weeks after he had the net going nuts over some convincing Wolverine claws, he’s back with a D.I.Y. version of Magneto’sboots that enable standing on a (metal) ceiling.
Don’t try this or the PVC dip thing at home without expert supervision! Have a nice weekend.
The brand with the three stripes is releasing an app this summer that’ll let users get custom photographs printed on a pair of Adidas ZX Flux sneakers.
Customization is getting crazy with the MiAdidas photo print app coming this summer for Android and iOS
I doubt the brand with the swoosh will ever release high-top golf spikes like the ones pictured below. More likely the image serves as a symbolic reminder that Jordan did enter the golf space this year. The brand’s first sponsored pro Keegan Bradley has been Instagramming a few pics of actual sneakerish golf shoes with the familiar jumpman logo on them.
The Motley Fool does report this week that Adidas’s market position is weakening compared to Nike’s due in part to performance in the golf category. As Nike’s Jordan takes more steps on the course, Adidas swings its putter with the less buzzy TaylorMade brand.
Heartland Footwear, Inc. manufactures rubber-based industrial boots right here in the USA. Over the years, they’ve provided go-to protective footwear for those in the food processing industry, and any job that involves oily, chemical environments. This season they escape the workplace with a new line of women and children’s waterproof boots that will stylishly protect casual wearers from dreaded rainstorm wetfoot.
Waterproof and made in the U.S.A.
Another brand known more for work footwear, Wolverine’s Cat (Caterpillar), unveiled their own sporty spring/summer boot line at a fashion show in Grand Rapids Thursday. This pic below has me thumbing through the imaginary rulebook to see if work boots without socks is okay. Since there is no proof that he may be wearing no-show socks, we must withhold judgement at this time.
Four Parsons The New School For Design students are each pitching an idea for a new mens’ shoe to Allen Edmonds and the world via a social media contest this month. I vote for this entry by Michelle Brown, which would feature a combination of both cow and salmon leathers to create a dress boot with a nod to Alaskan heritage.
Brand Eddie Bauer plans to compete for your outdoorsy shoe bucks this summer by offering their own line of outdoorsy trainers. ReebokwentGundam style. Nike did some Kevin Durant MVPs. Crocs hired a new president, but is still looking for a CEO if any readers are interested.
Strong opinions continued to pour out in the press about the recent Vibram FiveFingers legal settlement. The debate about wearing toe-shoes has somewhat evolved into a tiered discussion, with the requisite edgy fringes, and even a piece by the Onion to put a smiley bow on the story.
I’ve had my eye on the Soft Star Shoe company for some time now. They handcraft footwear in the USA at their workshop in Corvallis, Oregon. Save for some extra special vegetable-tanned leather imported from Germany, all of Soft Star’s leathers are sourced from the USA. The workshop is 100% powered by wind and solar energy, and employs about every eco-friendly practice in the book to maintain a minimal carbon footprint. It’s clear that the company has fun creating and promoting their products. When they asked if I’d like to put my feet in a pair of their new Portlander shoes to write about for Popdiatry, I threw on a Hillsboro Hops baseball cap that my cousin from Portland gave me, and quickly replied “Yes”.
Right out of the box, the Portlanders reminded me of svelte, hella-durable versions of the inexpensive Karate booties I used to buy at the martial arts supply store in Chinatown for wearing around my apartment(s).
The northeastern United States (my home turf) was subsumed by a strong winter for the past six months or so. My feet have been laced up in boots for a majority of that time. The Soft Stars arrived in the mail about the same week temperatures started to rise above 60°, and memory of winter’s hangover had subsided.
Sturdily sewn to a Vibram Geo sole
I would rather wear jeans with no underwear than shoes with no socks. Things get sweaty, particles invade, footwear gets dogged- I am firmly planted on team sockwear. Of course there are no rules; Soft Star says it’s OK to wear the Portlanders with or without socks. Even though I was wearing shorts in 70° weather, I put on some high, thin stockings, which led my photographer to start calling me Babe Ruth.
The design of the shoe is very timeless, with a tasteful green tag on the inside of the tongue branding the company’s logo and size. Thin pieces of leather are added to the inner tongue and heel peripherals to facilitate comfy-ness, along with a little padding piece in each heel.
One thing that struck me oddly has nothing to do with the construction of the shoes, but rather the sizing chart Soft Star uses. SS clearly states that the shoes run small. I am a size 11. They gave me 12s, and they were still quite tight in the toe. Perhaps it’s a Pacific Northwest thing?
I do dig the shoes. After months of sporting heavy-duty winter warriors, it was refreshing to slide on something more relaxed and minimal, while keeping the high quality effects of kicks I normally wear (gorgeous leather, masterful hand-stitching, great shape). I think they’d be excellent for packing while travelling. With the minimal construction, they are easily flattenable, as to conveniently slide into a suitcase or backpack. You can certainly pull off casual, and even business-casual in them. The zero-drop contruction with butter leather uppers have the propensity to shape around your foot and become your best two friends. I concur that the brand delivers on their promise of making quality, functional and fun shoes. You’re sure to get a lot of good looks while wearing them. Thanks Elves.
I own a pair of Vibram FiveFingers Classics that I bought myself four years ago.
I’m not a runner; I don’t wear these in the club, or to work. Living in NYC, I’m very fortunate to have a concrete backyard where I like to wear my Vibrams. Jumping rope, playing handball, doing push ups and stretches- all make me feel like more of a ninja with these on. Last week, as a result of a class action lawsuit settlement, Vibram proposed to pay out as much as $94 to anyone who bought some FiveFingers as far back as 2009. The plaintiffs say that Vibram made unsubstantiated claims that wearing FiveFingers could strengthen muscles and prevent injury. Writer James Fallows typed an excellent defense of Vibram in a recent piece. “If people actually bought these shoes for promised health benefits, then perhaps it’s fair for them to get their $94-per-pair back.” He’s not claiming a refund and neither am I. Vibram denies any wrongdoing. The proposed settlement is simply to avoid a prolonged legal battle. The company has better things to do- like make outsoles for just about every shoe company on the planet. Just like James, I have no business affiliation with Vibram beyond me buying them. I can’t help thinking someone wearing FiveFingers in an inappropriate social setting led to the suit. Perhaps a couple wore matching FiveFingers to a Met Gala, or a wedding reception in Massachusetts where some legal eagles were in attendance. Lawyer A looked at lawyer B and said “let’s make ’em pay”. Over the years I watched with interest as Vibram released more and more maximal versions of their minimalist shoes, but I continue to prefer the no-frills Classics. This legal settlement does nothing to change my view of toe shoes or Vibram. I’m sorry for those people you see wearing them at the airport/coffeeshop.
Speaking of health claims..
In the parallel universe of high-heels, magician David Copperfield’s fiance Chloe Gosselin is launching her own line of footwear later this year. The line is made in Italy from leather and “exotic skins”. At this time, there is no evidence that wearing some Chloes can decrease injuries and strengthen muscles, but Popdiatry recommends that you avoid running (fast) in them. Though be advised that the $850- $1600 price points may cause premature erosion to your savings account balance.
Ssssssssssssss Image from Chloe Gosselin
A research team at the MIT Media Labpublished a paper about a new exoskeleton boot project. Similar to how an electric bike helps you effortlessly pedal up hills, these exoskeletal boots may assist soldiers carrying heavy packs, or civilians carrying beer kegs to neighborhood parties through the use of sensors and motors that mechanically aid existing leg movements. According to the Lab’s Hugh Herr:“This is the first exoskeleton that actually augments human walking and significantly reduces metabolic cost.”
Exoskeletal prototypical boots being tested. Image: http://www.businessinsider.com
Puma linked with Alexander McQueen to create one hundred pairs of super-special (not-for-sale) soccer cleats to be given out to select associates of collaborating parties in recognition of Soccer’s World Cup in Brazil this summer.
There is still no word on the status of the stolen signed Usain Bolt Pumas which were lifted last month from an industrial estate in Croydon. The running star took to social media with an appeal to the perpetrator.
With all these health claims and lawsuits flying around, I would like to stress that Popdiatry.com is not a substitute for medical advice or medical attention. If you are experiencing foot problems of any kind, please feel free to read Popdiatry.com for information and entertainment while you are in the waiting room of a real doctor or podiatrist. Thanks.
Under the JMZ train that runs along Broadway like a zipper attaching the Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhoods of Brooklyn New York, an old NYC favorite has popped back up to continue doing what they’ve expertly done for years.
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled footwear yearning to breathe free
The same footwear stretchers, buffing equipment, and years of experience that the fellas commanded on St. Mark’s Place has been transplanted to 1083 Broadway in Brooklyn, NY as part of the Brandhunters consignment store complex. Think of East Village Shoe Repair as a hospital for your beloved kicks. Barring complete obliteration- there isn’t much that can stop EVSR from bringing your footwear back from near death. Resoling, re-lacing, regluing, reattaching, re-whatever it takes to get your favorite kickers back on the path- using top notch equipment from yesteryear- these guys can find a way if there is one. You might have another couple years left in those oxfords..
Last weekend this 700-balloon sculpture of a running shoe created by Ryan Oelrich was displayed during the annual Bloomsday race and trade show in Spokane, Washington.
Image: http://downtownspokane.kxly.com
What about a running sneaker in a toaster oven?
Heating the soles off for inspiration
Golden Harper, founder of running shoe company Altra, came up with the idea for his specialty line of trainers after doing modifications to existing running shoes. He would heat sneakers in a toaster oven to melt the glues in order to pull the chunky soles off to create minimalist prototypes. These became the precursors to Altra, which employs a thin, flat sole that is equally thick from toe to heel. In 2014, Altras can be found in over 700 running shoe stores nationwide.
Footwear brand Skechers added two-time Olympian distance runner Kara Goucher to their sponsored roster.
Feel free to start a rumor that you are interested in buying Rockport. Rockport’s parent company Adidas, is reportedly looking to sell off the dressy brand that it acquired when it bought Reebok back in ’05.
Danner Boots opened their first store outside their home state of Oregon in Renton, Washington. It will stock a huge collection of Danners, including many models which are made in the USA.
Here at Popdiatry, we advocate seeking out the ultimate in footwear comfort. This often means being cognizant of your foot’s width, which often leads to buying wider footwear. It tickled my pinky toes to learn that there is a mini-chain of shoe shops in Washington state called Wide Shoes Only. Read the article about them here.
Lina Ahn, owner of Wide Shoes Only, poses with some size 18 New Balances. Image from Heraldnet.com
These sensors will transmit measurements of ground reaction force and load bearing data as the feet torque and twist during ARED workouts. NASA researchers will use the info to further study exercise strategy designed to reduce the loss of bone and muscle strength that travellers experience during long space flights.
I can’t see any buckles or buttons, so I assume the straps must be velcro. What must it be like to pull velcro in space? Presumably, in the name of science, the space station crew gets a pass from the fashion police to wear socks with sandals
