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Feet, footwear, manufacturing, podiatry, sneakers, Welcome

Popdiatribe: Everything’s Berry

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BerrycompliantTrainers
Berry compliant  950v2s Instagram.com/NewBalnce

Last Friday, while you were thinking about dinner and I was working sound at a theater in Manhattan (wear-testing a pair of Injinji toe socks*), the United States Department of Defense made a move toward ensuring that service members are outfitted head to toe with gear made in the USA. The Berry Amendment was introduced 73 years ago to promote the purchase of certain U.S. goods. Over the years, exceptions were made when it came to military training sneakers. Boots were an issue item, but most service members wore their choice of trainers. These New Balances pictured are made in Maine using soles, uppers, textile parts, and straps sourced from Massachusetts- plus laces made in Rhode Island- making it a Berry Amendment compliant product. This NB 950v2 athletic shoe is being tested by the military and may soon become available to recruits via their vouchers. U.S. Congressional reps Niki Tsongas (D-Mass), and Mike Michaud (D- Maine) were instrumental in pressuring the D.O.D. to get it right with Berry. Michaud is a bigger New Balance head than you, and even sports made-in-USA blue and yellow New Balances while campaigning for Governor. Wolverine Worldwide, who already provides Berry-compliant boots through their Bates brand, and New Balance are currently the only American companies capable of producing competitive sneakers in the US. Now that Pentagon officials have made this announcement, other brands may consider rekindling their domestic production in order to compete for these military voucher bucks.

I never heard of the evil stepsister procedure until reading Laren Stover’s piece in the New York Times. “Make them fit, Please!” is something women have been saying to foot doctors in regards to outrageously impractical high-heeled footwear. Elective cosmetic foot surgery is a thing, and there are procedures ready to treat high heel foot, hitchhikers toe, toebesity and other man-made ailments that are keeping sufferers from comfortably wearing Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, and Christian Louboutin products. Get a load of the comments after the article as well. 

Voting is now open for the 5th annual Vans Custom Culture Art Competition. Vans, who dropped some Star Wars gear this week, sends blank white shoes to 2000 high schools across the country so art classes can battle for design supremacy (and resources for their art programs).

Wellesley High School's entry
Wellesley High School says this

Click here to check all the custom Vans designs

Did you know VIbram has a line of FiveFingers for golfers?

V-Classic LR: Not your dad's golf shoes
      V-Classic LR: Not your dad’s golf shoes

* I went my first day wearing some Injinji toe-socks under some New Balance walking shoes. I was moving around all day with them and like that they allow some splay.

 

footwear, manufacturing, sneakers

Popdiatribe: Mad Marchness

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No sooner did I press “publish” on my post about fraying-pant-leg-condition a few weeks ago, then I discovered these Atlas boots from shoe company Artola:

Frayed pant legs no more
Frayed pant legs no more

Their design incorporates a molded leather heel piece that keeps sagging pant legs from scraping the ground. Thumbtack guy take note.

Not long after Tony Wroten’s Nike Jordan sneaker fell apart during an NBA game last week, rumours hit the net that the Jordan brand itself may discontinue in 2015. “There is absolutely no truth to this rumor…” according to Michael Jordan’s Business Manager Estee Portnoy (via smokingsection.net). What’s unclear is if MJ personally called Wroten’s agent to apologize for the sneaker blowout. NBC Sports says that didn’t happen.

Pharrell Williams hooked up with Adidas, New Balance dropped some Golf shneakers, Terra Nova was awarded a contract from the Canadian government to manufacture boots for Canadian armed forces at the company’s factory in Harbour Grace. Here in the US, American footwear manufacturing is lobbying congress over the Berry amendment, which roughly states that the Department Of Defense is required to give preference to domestically produced, manufactured or homegrown products, especially foods, clothing, fabrics and certain metals. An exemption to that amendment includes athletic shoes, which aren’t considered military-issued uniform pieces. Soldiers are wearing their own Nikes, Adidas, and other kicks not made in the U.S.A. while training. Wolverine, New Balance, Danner and Lacrosse have all come forth with compliant products that are 100% made in the U.S.A. and are relying on a growing expectation that U.S. service members should be equipped in U.S.-made gear. Read details in the International Business Times.