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BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2008 – A need for a pair of shoes provided the catalyst for a donation that benefited an entire Afghan village. Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Thomas Knolmayer helps an Afghan girl try on donated shoes at a humanitarian assistance visit to the Afghan Department of Refugees and Repatriation village. The doctor spearheaded efforts to bring clothes, shoes, coats and blankets to the refugee camp. U.S. Air Force photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Earlier this month, a handful of volunteers and the Kapisa and Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team delivered hundreds of pairs...

If Christian Louboutin is known for his signature red soles, then Sergio Rossi can be considered the king of glitter. His sexy and seductive heels are decorated with sequins, crystals, fur details, metallic trims and jewel stones imbuing the footwear with a stand-out wow look. Plus, these are the Perfect Party Shoes.

FOR AXMINSTER shoe repair man Terry Barker the recession is a load of old cobblers. His business is not only surviving but flourishing - as more people opt to have their shoes repaired rather than splash out on a new pair. Like many people he is getting the boot - but for him each one has a silver lining. Terry's store Shoe Mate, in Silver Street, was set up three years ago and this is his busiest period yet. He said: "I've been getting more shoes and I'm definitely snowed under. But I'm happy, and I'm not complaining. I'm very...

Matt Bernson shoes for Walter and Zac Posen A Shoe Designer to the Stars, Bernson is an American success story, who has led an interesting life with a career path that took him from travel writer to construction to a propitious journey to India, where he developed a fascination for footwear design, culminating in a full fledged line of designer shoes for women and men. And fervent acceptance by trend setting stars such as Gisele Bundchen, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Hudson, Naomi Watts, Gwen Stefani, Courtney Cox, Hills stars Lauren Conrad and Audrina Patridge, Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, Gossip Girl...

Everything seemed perfect when 50-year old Madonna stepped out on the red carpet of her debut ‘Filth and Wisdom’ premiere last night in New York. She was all smiling and happy while posing for the paparazzi. But when people saw heк shoes, actually, they weren’t happy. Madonna was wearing Chanel’s ‘Miami Vice’ shoes with gun heels.

Italian police bust Chinese imports in operation 'Toxic Shoes' Fri Sep 26, 5:59 PM ET Italian police said Friday they had confiscated some 1.7 million counterfeit shoes made with leather containing illegal toxins, most of them from China. Operation "Toxic Shoes" began in May and 21 Chinese and seven Italians are now being prosecuted for selling counterfeit products and threatening public health, a police spokesman told AFP. Shoes containing hexavalent chromium compounds which are illegal in Italy due to their high toxicity and potentially carcinogenic effect were seized in Tuscany, police said.

Victoria Beckham wows the crowd again. This time with her surreal Antonio Berardi leather boots, which have no heels. Vote and tell us, are these boots Hot or Not?

Eva Mendes, Eva Longoria, BeyonceCall it madness or hysteria, but YSL footwear is the celebs biggest favorite. Tribute sandals and pumps are sweeping through every red carpet these days thanks to their chic and uber sexiness. From Jennifer Lopez to Beyonce and Lindsay Lohan, everyone owns a pair.

Clinton war room attack dog James Carville gave a lousy review to the first night of the Democratic National Convention. Except that all the other liberals—and Democratic Party Operatives, like him—liked it, and loved Ted Kennedy, and loved Michelle Obama, and those little girls. But Carville, he was all, no, it sucked. "If this party has a message, it’s done a hell of a job hiding it tonight, I promise you that." Click to see how his choice of footwear explains this bitter response to the first night of the party. See? He is wearing Pumas! You know, like PUMAs....

GARY, Ind. (Post-Tribune) ― A 14-year-old Tolleston boy died Wednesday from a gunshot wound to his head despite efforts by his cousin to intervene in the shooting. Vernon Elkins, of the 1700 block of Arthur Street, was pronounced dead at The Methodist Hospitals in Gary about two hours after he shot himself with a .38-caliber revolver found in the alley near his home, police said. The teen had been shopping with his family, but was unable to get the shoes he wanted for school because the store didn't have them in his size, Detective Cpl. Arturo Azcona said. When he...

Suede shoes are timeless footwear. For Fall 2008, they are making a triumphal return with metals, trim, and even fringe. What can be more glamorous than a pair of slouchy suede booties and ankle boots?

Humans Wore Shoes 40,000 Years Ago, Fossil SuggestsScott Norris for National Geographic NewsJuly 1, 2008 Humans were wearing shoes at least 10,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to a new study. The evidence comes from a 40,000-year-old human fossil with delicate toe bones indicative of habitual shoe-wearing, experts say. A previous study of anatomical changes in toe bone structure had dated the use of shoes to about 30,000 years ago. Now the dainty-toed fossil from China suggests that at least some humans were sporting protective footwear 10,000 years further back, during a time when both modern humans and Neandertals...

The Fashion world is crazy, and don't we know it. Wigs for cats, diamond necklaces for dogs, blingastic jeans, and whoa - heels for babies! The Heelarious company makes one-size shoes for infants in leopard and zebra patterns, black and hot pink patent, and hot pink matte. The tiny stilettos cost from $35 to $39.95. Buy them, and your 6 month baby will rock out to a nirvana of ga-gas and goo-goos.

First Shoes Worn 40,000 Years Ago Maggie Koerth-Baker Special to LiveScience LiveScience.com Thu Jun 5, 9:05 AM ET Humans started wearing shoes about 40,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought, new anthropological research suggests. As any good clothes horse knows, the right outfit speaks volumes about the person wearing it. Now, anthropologists are tapping into that knowledge base, looking for the physical changes caused by wearing shoes to figure out when footwear first became fashionable. Turns out, clothes really do make the man (and the woman), at least when it comes to feet. That's because wearing shoes changes the...

As Mugabe offends the world at the UN food summit, his wife shops for Ferragamo shoes in Rome's luxury boutiques Last updated at 19:30pm on 04.06.08 Her husband's presence at a UN summit of food has sparked an international outcry, but that hasn't diverted Grace Mugabe from indulging in her favourite pastime - shopping for shoes. The 44-year-old was whisked away from the luxury hotel where she, her husband and his entourage are staying to splash out on luxury footwear. Mrs Mugabe has to make the most of her time in Rome, an EU travel ban means she might not...

New York, May 8 : British retailers Selfridges and Harvey Nichols have reported a surge in the sale of heels ever since Gwyneth Paltrow strutted down the red carpet in the highest of heels for her whirlwind ‘Iron Man’ publicity tour. Both the stores have reported a rush of customer interest in the six-inch black Alexander McQueen stilettos that the actress wore to the film's London premiere. Selfridges said that its sales have gone up to 35 percent in the last week, and heels are outselling flats there at a rate of five to one. "Not for the faint hearted,...

Fashion is bringing us pure art, and that includes footwear. Don’t be afraid to make a bold statement, and break the rules by wearing a pair of heels decorated with embroidery, jewels, studs, baubles, petals, bells, crystals and flowers. From surreal Marc Jacobs shoes to blooming Prada’s, this season’s designer heels have a Dali-esque feel about them. To read more

Black, white, red, yellow, and green; sandals, flats, stilettos, and boots… For women, there can never be enough shoes. But does every woman know the shoe essentials, the true classics, which should be in every women’s wardrobe, despite the season and fashion trends? The Fashion Time Magazine editors unveil 5 classic shoes that every woman must call her own.

A new range of children’s shoes mean parents no longer have to rush to the shops every time their little ones’ feet grow - because the shoes can grow with them. Inchworm shoes can extend by one full shoe size so when kids’ feet grow, all parents need to do is simply adjust the shoe to fit. Inchworm shoes are available in child sizes only and cost around £48 They are altered by simply pressing a button on the side of the shoe and pulling the toe out to the required length. Parents know what size they have pulled the...

The Wisconsin Association of FFA, formerly the Future Farmers of America, has collected and shipped 7,000 pairs of shoes to Iraq to help Iraqis in need. The idea for "Operation Stand Solid" came from Sgt. First Class Gary Olson, a Fort Atkinson agricultural teacher who served in Iraq as a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard. During his first deployment to Iraq, Olson found that many Iraqi children lacked shoes. He suggested to state FFA officers the idea of starting a shoe collection program, so the 251 FFA chapters throughout the state started soliciting donations of new and like-new...

Two furniture deliverymen fled a home after a customer produced a gun because they wouldn't take their shoes off, according to police reports. Two employees of Howell's Furniture Gallery were making a delivery to a house in the 5300 of Downs Road last Friday afternoon, the report stated. The homeowner, who was not identified, asked the deliverymen to take off their shoes. They replied removing their shoes was against company policy and pointed out they were wearing protective covers so as not to damage her carpet, the report stated. An argument ensued, which expanded to cover other problems the woman...

Expensive trainers 'a waste of cash' By Stewart Payne Last Updated: 6:31am BST 11/10/2007 Expensive trainers do not give more protection to runners' feet than cheaper ones and are not worth the money, according to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The study will come as unwelcome news to the 1.5 million runners in the UK who deliberate long and hard over their choice of footwear, believing that the more they pay the better protection they will get. Worth their weight in gold? Researchers examined nine commonly available trainers, ranging in price from £40 to £75, and...

It's a safe bet that men were the only people surprised by the report that the average North American woman has 19 pairs of shoes. For women, the only news might have been that the number was that low. A poll of 1,057 women by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found women on average own 19 pairs of shoes while 15 per cent have more than 30 pairs, although they only wear four pairs regularly. The survey also found women would risk injury to squeeze into new slingbacks or stilettos, with 43 per cent of women saying they had...

WASHINGTON - At rail stations and shopping malls around the world, reports are popping up of people, particularly young children, getting their toes caught in escalators. The one common theme seems to be the clunky soft-soled clogs known by the name of the most popular brand, Crocs. One of the nation's largest subway systems — the Washington Metro — has even posted ads warning riders about wearing such shoes on its moving stairways. The ads feature a photo of a crocodile, though they don't mention Crocs by name. Four-year-old Rory McDermott got a Croc-clad foot caught in an escalator last...

(CBS) NEW YORK Walking in high heels just became a lot more comfortable for women. A Philadelphia woman has created the high heel shoe with an adjustable heel. Women love the way high heels make them feel, but at the same time they hate the way high heels make them feel. One woman gladly said, “You look pretty much better in pretty much everything you’re wearing in heels.” Another complained, "I start to get this burn on the ball of my feet after wearing them all night." Women routinely trade in Stilettos for sneakers, choosing comfort over style. Now that...

BAGHDAD — Lt. Col. Robert Colfer, an Army Reservist who teaches history to 9th, 10th and 11th graders at Marblehead High School, of Marblehead, Mass., encouraged his students to get involved in humanitarian aid for children in Iraq. “Last spring I got in touch with some of my students after driving out in sector and seeing a lot of kids without shoes. I thought that a shoe drive would be a good thing,” said the native of Newbury, Mass. “I already knew a lot of kids who were interested in this type of thing. I contacted them and found some...

MIAMI -- Global Positioning System technology is turning up in more and more devices, like watches and cellphones. But a Miami company has used the technology to develop shoes that can be located anywhere in the world. The shoes' developer Sayo Isaac Daniel said people can forget to carry their phones, but they can't leave the house without their shoes. The design allows wearers to press a hidden button to send a distress signal. The Quantum Satellite Technology shoes are planned to hit stores in March at a price of $325 to $350.

Chinese archaeologists discover 2,000-year-old leather shoes Beijing, Sept. 9 (PTI): Six leather shoes, made some 2,000 years ago, have been discovered at a relic site in Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province, taking the Chinese shoe-making industry older by some 1,000 years.The leather shoes, from the Han Dynasty (205 BC-220 AD), are the oldest leather shoes found in China, indicating that the history of China's leather shoe-making is some 1,000 years longer than previously believed, an archaeologist from Gansu Province, He Shuangquan said. The newly found, well-preserved shoes were made for children, aged three to six years old, said He,...

THE SAFEST airline in the world, it is widely agreed, is El Al, Israel's national carrier. [...] But in telling ways, the two experiences remain notably different. For example, passengers in the United States are required to take off their shoes for X-ray screening, while passengers at Ben Gurion are spared that indignity. On the other hand, major American airports generally offer the convenience of curbside check-in, while in Israel baggage and traveler stay together until the security check is completed. Screeners at American airports don't usually engage in conversation with passengers, unless you count their endlessly repeated instructions about...

A pair of motorised roller skates that cancel out a person's steps could let users naturally explore virtual reality landscapes in confined spaces. The "Powered Shoes" were developed by Hiroo Iwata, Hiroshi Tomioka and Hiroaki Yano at the University of Tsukuba in central Japan. The shoes will be demonstrated at the SIGGRAPH 2006 conference on computer graphics and interactive technologies, which takes place in Boston, US, between 30 July and 3 August. Each shoe is mounted on top of a set of three motorised rollers and is connected by cable to a computer on the user's back. This computer controls...

Houston police and the federal Transportation Security Administration disagree over who is responsible for allowing a man with what appeared to be bomb components board an aircraft at Hobby Airport last week. Although the FBI eventually cleared the man of wrongdoing, police officials have transferred the officer involved and are investigating the incident while insisting that the TSA, not police, has the authority to keep a suspicious person from boarding a flight. "Our job is not to be the gatekeepers," police Capt. Dwayne Ready said. "That burden falls squarely on the airline and TSA to make that final decision. "We...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Nike Inc. said on Tuesday that its shoes will now be able to talk to Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod music players about how far anathlete has run with a new wireless system called Nike+iPod. Shares of Nike rose nearly 4 percent. Using a Nike+iPod Sports Kit, expected to retail for about $29, consumers will be able to access distance, time, pace and calories burned on the screen of a nano version of the iPod via a sensor inside the shoes that communicates with the digital music player. The kit will be available in stores within two...

Posted on Tue, May. 02, 2006 For women's feet, bliss is turning to blisters After being coddled by winter footwear, they now must suffer the indignities of warm-weather shoes. By Tanya Barrientos Inquirer Staff Writer Look down. There's a raw human drama taking place right now at shoe level. The annual sacrifice of women's feet. Protected by socks and tights all winter long, coddled by boots and sneakers, the feet of females everywhere have turned tender and weak. Each toe, each heel, each insole has become a pillow of soft pink. So vulnerable. So defenseless. And so unprepared for the...

Top Selling Basketball Shoes Matthew Morgan (Matthew Morgan is a junior at Millersburg Military Institute and an excellent basketball player who dreams of playing for the NBA.) What are the top selling basketball shoes of 2005? When I purchase basketball shoes the first thing I consider is the style. I’m sure that’s true for most people. I tell the sales person, “I need a size 15 in black.” I try the shoes on and if they are comfortable, I usually purchase them. I own at least 20 pairs of basketball shoes so you could say that I’m an expert on...

NEW YORK -- Sylvester Stallone can keep his magazine "Sly" on newsstands despite the complaints of an Internet magazine with the same name that a judge suggested was more of a shoe "fetish" publication. U.S. District Judge Richard Casey said the actor who gained fame as "Rocky" in the 1970s could continue to produce the lifestyle and fitness magazine for middle age men even though it carries the same title as the Internet magazine. "There is a little difference between shoe fetish and Mr. Sylvester Stallone," Casey said at a hearing Tuesday. John Bostany, a lawyer for the Internet magazine...

San Diego-The high-top sneakers cost $215 at a San Diego boutique, but the desighner is giving them away to migrants before they cross to this side of the U.S.-Mexican border. These are no ordinary shoes. A compass and flashlight dangle from one shoelace. The pocket in the tongue is for money or pain relievers. A rough map of the border region is printed on a removable insole. They are red, white and green, the colors of the Mexican flag. On the back ankle, a drawing of Mexico's patron saint of migrants. On this side of the border, the shoes sit...

Police in Britain leak PC guidelines to avoid offending Muslim suspectsZafar Khan, chairman of Luton Council of Faiths (Photo: Luton & Dunstable on Sunday) Police officers in England's Bedfordshire county have been told to take off their shoes and not interrupt anyone praying during raids of Muslim homes, according to leaked guidelines. The 18-point guide, under development before the recent London bombing attacks, says "the Muslim community feels victimized and suspicious of counter terrorist police operations and in the current climate a search at a British Muslim household has the potential to become a critical incident and come under...

    Denies jewels were stolen VIDEO: Fight For Gems IMELDA DEFENDS WEALTH Imelda Marcos, former first lady of the Philippines who was infamous for owning thousands of shoes, is promising a fierce fight against plans to auction her jewellery collections.  The widow of Ferdinand Marcos told Sky News' Asia Correspondent Dominic Waghorn her wealth was honestly earned and her belongings cannot legally be sold.It was her first interview since the Philippine government announced the sell-off.She told Waghorn: "It's not true that this is still stolen money, that it is ill gotten, that it's taken from corruption or taken from the people,...

Dawn Joslin's feet hurt so much last week that she wore sneakers to work for the first time. But there she was at lunchtime, despite corns, bunions and three major foot surgeries, sitting at Lord & Taylor's trying on high-heeled slingbacks. Would they hurt her feet? Yes. Would she wear them anyway? Of course. "I just like the look of them," says the 50-year-old comptroller. "I used to wear the stilettos, but gave those up in my 30s. No doctor has ever told me not to wear heels." Blame Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw and her Manolo Blahnik obsession (and...

The visit marked the unit's first purely humanitarian mission in Iraq, a mission made possible from donations by church groups and family members at Fort Stewart, Ga. TAWAITHA, Iraq, Aug. 11, 2005 — U.S. soldiers assigned to F Company, 26th Forward Support Battalion, brought smiles to Tawaitha children as they distributed hundreds of shoes and toys near a landfill July 23. The community of squatters who live in the landfill, located near the Rasheed Airfield, often suffer foot injuries caused by walking over sharp debris without shoes. The F Company troops, who operate in direct support of 1st Battalion, 9th...

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Adidas-Salomon AG said Wednesday that it will buy shoemaker Reebok International Ltd. in a $3.8 billion deal, giving the company about 20 percent of the U.S. market and putting it in a position to better challenge leader Nike Inc. Under the terms of the deal, Adidas, which has its North American headquarters in Portland, Ore., will pay $59 for all of Reebok's outstanding shares, a premium of 34 percent. The deal is subject to regulatory approval in the United States and Europe as well as by shareholders. Both companies said the transaction could close during the...

Whose Shoes? Reader Curtis Wayne offers this counterpart to the New York Times' lame account of two abandoned Marine uniforms at a dry-cleaning shop, which we noted Monday:I happened to be inspecting the former Downtown Athletic Club, just south of Ground Zero, early this past spring, as a part of my work in which I analyze prospective real estate projects on behalf of construction lenders. The club is to be converted into apartments, and the building was in the process of being emptied before interior demolition commenced. In the men's squash locker room lay dozens upon dozens of abandoned athletic...

EU-China Trade Problems Risk Spreading By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer Wed Jun 8, 7:36 AM ET BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union's trade dispute with China risks spreading from textiles to footwear after the EU released data Wednesday showing Chinese shoe imports had surged since the end of quotas at the start of the year. Responding to concerns of European shoemakers, the European Commission said imports of leather shoes and textile slippers had soared nearly eight-fold in the first four months of 2005, pushing down prices on European markets by 28 percent. "The European Commission has noted the concerns...

I'm thinking of purchasing a pair of combat boots - I want something durable, comfortable, and suitable for extended walking. I'm in Texas, so heat is a greater environmental challenge than cold. In this instance, price is not a concern. Quality, durability, and functionality are critical. Altama seems to have some good products; Magnum has some strong advocates. Corcoran has some proponents - one model is here Danner has an interesting model here So, as I asked earlier...what is your favorite? Which would you never use? And why? Quite possibly I'm not aware of the best brands or models, so...

Have we gone as far as we can go? Latest from Italy and Japan.....

NEW YORK (Wireless Flash) – You can learn a lot about a woman by looking at her shoes – really. In fact, a New York-based shoe expert has created a new system of personality classification based entirely on the style of shoe a woman prefers. The sort-of “shoe astrology” concocted by Meghan Cleary shows that flip-flop wearers are energetic, outdoorsy types who love the water, while clog gals are mellow yet hard- working. If you love sneakers, you’re a real hipster who knows the coolest music and is always dashing around town, while high-heel sandal wearers are ultra-feminine types who...

Vt. Boy's Sneakers Named Smelliest in U.S. By LISA RATHKE Associated Press Writer There wasn't much left of the sneakers Noah Nielsen entered into the contest Tuesday, but it was the stench that earned him the top prize.

LONDON, March 3 (UPI) : A survey of British women has found more than four in 10 have shoes they have never worn, with an estimated value of $1.2 billion, The Scotsman reports. The value was based on the average cost of $115 per pair in the study on wasteful consumption commissioned by the power company Npower. In the past, fine footwear indicated a woman was under the care of a wealthy man, although today, most women purchase their own shoes, and have helped drive the annual footwear market in Britain to $9.5 billion. Helen Bateman, an Edinburgh shoe designer,...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, March 4, 2005) --Operation Happy Feet brought smiles to children of Sadr City as Soldiers of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry distributed sneakers at Marakah al-Taf Elementary School Feb. 28. Working in conjunction with Civil Affairs, Soldiers purchased 500 pairs of shoes from a local vendor to give out at the northeastern Baghdad school, according to Capt. Timothy Terese, B Co. commander. “We go around to lots of schools in the area, basically every day, to make sure they have the proper equipment to function,” said 1st Lt. Jason Rocks, B Co. fire support...

Theory: Iceman Oetzi Wore High-Tech Shoes By Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News Feb. 23, 2005 — Ötzi, the copper ax-wielding iceman found frozen in the Alps where he had trekked over 5,300 years ago, wore high-tech snowshoes, according to a closer look at artifacts found with his remains. If the new theory holds, Ötzi's footwear would become the world's first known snowshoes, and in a landslide victory. The current likely record-holders are not even actual shoes, but rather carvings of what look to be snowshoes found within Iron Age petroglyphs that date to approximately 500 B.C. Ötzi's Moccasin? The Shoe from...