Combat Boots: The New In

             At times, fashion can be kind of crazy. Sometimes the ugliest things can make the best trends, and you wonder where people come up with the things they wear?! One new trend that might have some asking themselves: “Why would she wear those?” are the new COMBAT BOOTS.

            For many older generations, individuals are probably floored to see young women walking around with combat boots on their feet, simply because they are a very manly boot. However, in the name of fashion, women can almost get away with sporting any style these days. Being different is what it is all about now.

            The new combat boots are usually a short boot, slightly above the ankle, with lacing up the front, and a short heel (about one to one and a half inches in height). You will usually only see these boots in colors of brown and black; however, you can find them in other colors, too. The thing about these boots and fashion is that people have been pairing them with almost any outfit, from casual to work, to even formal wear; although most individuals pair these with casual wear.

            While wearing these boots casually, individuals unlace them slightly so that the tongue of the boot, and also the sides of the boot, can hang over to give them a “rough” look. While wearing these boots formally, some would pair these boots with tights and a skirt or dress, and have the boot laced all the way up for a more “sleek” and “put-together” look. It is very interesting to see something that most people would classify as “grungy” and turn it into a fashion statement.

            In this image below, there are many different examples of the combat boot. Both styles that I have mentioned above as being "rough" with the slides flapping over, and also the more "put-together" look with the boot completely laced up.

(This image was received from http://www.secondcitystyle.typepad.com/)

Damaging Your Feet: The Risks of Beauty

Building on my previous blog, I will be discussing what serious damage different shoes can cause to your feet. Also, from an article that I have read, titled “On Your Feet,” by January W. Payne, as also mentioned in my previous blog, it is a well known fact that women have a much harder time finding shoes that fit compared to men. This is because of the fact that men’s shoes are available in a larger variety of widths.

Women, on the other hand, are not given many options when it comes to widths of the shoe. Women are viewed to have petite feet, which are slender in shape; therefore, you do not see very many designer brands offering their shoes in different widths for women. However, this has seemed to bring about quite a few health problems for women.

·         “That risk can include bunions, stress fractures, joint pain in the ball of the foot, Morton’s neuroma, ‘pump bumps’ (enlargement of the bony area on the back of heel), corns and calluses, hammertoe, toenail problems and tight heel cords (shortening or tightening the Achilles tendon)” (quoted by January W. Payne).

Not all of these problems are due to the fact that women’s shoes are not offered in a larger variety of widths, although it is a major contributing factor. But also, a lot of these problems can be caused from women not buying the right size shoe, or simply from purchasing a shoe just for fashion, rather than comfort.

Shoes Made For Fashion Rather Than Comfort

            Back in the day, when the first “shoe” (it wasn’t really a “shoe,” it was more like grass and rawhide wrapped around one’s foot) was ever created, as mentioned in an earlier post, the shoe’s intention was to protect an individual’s foot from hard surfaces because there was a lot of walking, due to cars not being invented at that time. However, the point is that shoes aren’t really made for protection or even comfort anymore. Most people pick out a great pair of shoes by the way they look, or their appearance.

            As the spring and summer months approach, shoes such as flats, sandals, flip flops, wedges, and high heels fill women’s closets. One of the more popular shoes right now are the platform pumps. These pumps have heels that are about 5.5 to 6 inches tall with a 1 inch platform. OUCH! Below is a picture of these 5.5 inch heels.

(You can purchase these heels at http://www.makemechic.com/ for only $20.14).

·         These sky high heels not only place a great amount of stress on an individual’s feet, but also on their ankles, knees, and backs.

·         According to January W. Payne, a Staff Writer for the Washington Post, 3.5 billion dollars is spent annually in the United States as the cost of women’s foot surgeries.

This is quite a high price to pay for fashion, and discomfort. Women all over the world buy shoes in order to fulfill their need to complete an outfit. Do they know what these shoes are doing to their feet? If they did, would they still be buying the shoes?

The First Sneaker

According to www.factmonster.com, in 1892, the U.S. Rubber Company created a rubber sneaker with a canvas top; these were the first sneakers ever. The very first sneakers were called “Keds.” Before these sneakers were created, the only shoes that were comparable were called the “plimsolls,” but they did not even have a designed right or left foot.

·      They came to be called “sneakers” because they were so very quiet, an individual could sneak up on a person while wearing them (factmonster.com).

It is very interesting that the very first sneaker was named “Keds,” and also that they have managed to still be around in existence today. Keds seemed to be a big hit when I was in grade school, which was from about 1994 to about 1999. Back in the day, I only remember seeing Keds in plain colors, and they were very reasonably priced.

Today, it is amazing to me that Keds have been able to make their way around yet again. From being the first sneaker ever created, to still being in existence, all the while being popular is remarkable. They are now a fashion statement, but they have made some changes, however, to the original “Keds.” The Keds now are available in almost any color you can think of, plus designs. I actually just bought myself a pair of Keds the other day, for quite a bit more than I remember paying for them in 1995. However, they are a very simple, casual shoe, and they go great with just about everything.

I received my pair of grey/green Keds from karmaloop.com for $35.00

The New Riding Boots

            Riding boots were a creation that was originally intended for horse riding. The boots were designed with a high leg, almost extending to the knee. The purpose of this “high leg” was to prevent the leathers of the saddle from rubbing against the leg or pinching the leg of the rider (Wikipedia). The strong toe was created to protect the foot of the rider while walking on the ground. There is also a about a one inch heel on the boot, and this is intended to avert the riders foot from sliding through the stirrup.
            Today, the riding boot is viewed and known as something completely different. They are viewed as a fashion statement now. They are extremely popular among mostly women, and of all ages. Because skinny jeans are so popular, the look of the riding boot adds a lot to a woman’s outfit. However, they are not the completely same as the actual riding boots, of which were created for the purpose of horse riding. The “fashion riding boots” are now created with usually less than an inch of a heel, and this is because they are not created for horse riding, therefore one does not need to worry about its foot slipping through the stirrup, these boots are made for fashion.
            Today, you can find riding boots in almost any department store, or shoe store, of course, and they can range anywhere from twenty dollars to a couple hundred dollars.

(Facts on riding boots were taken from Wikipedia).

Kim Kardashian for Shape-Ups

             A lot of individual’s base their style, and sometimes their entire wardrobe on what they see celebrities wearing. Of course, your average, middle-class, individual isn’t able to afford to buy the clothes or sport the exact fashions that the celebs are wearing. However, when there is a celebrity promoting a brand, and it is a well-known, and popular, celebrity, this definitely does have a greater impact on whether or not the individual’s will go out and buy the product.

            For example, as I have mentioned Shape-Ups in my January 19, 2011 blog post, they are not the most “attractive” style of shoe. Your average individual would not go out and purchase these shoes in the name of fashion. Also, especially, with the comparable (to the purpose of the shoe) Reebok Easytone and Runtone, these shoes are not at the top of the list. Yet, it seems that when you add a spokes person, whom is a celebrity, it starts to turn things around for the brand.

            With celebrity Kim Kardashian, one of the most popular “it” girls, Shape-Ups saw a major increase in sales, giving them the number two spot for footwear brand, according to Andrew Hampp in his article, “How Skechers Shaped Up Into No. 2 Footwear Brand.” The commercial for this brand, presenting Kim Kardashian promoting Skechers, was aired during the Super Bowl, and caught the attention of very many viewers and clearly envious fans. The commercial showed a very “sexy” image of Kim in work-out gear, sporting the Shape-Ups. Clearly, the idea was for individual’s to see how great Kim’s body looked and credit her fitness to the Skecher Shape-Ups. Well, apparently it worked! After the commercial, the brand realized a 30% increase in sales. This just goes to show that individual’s base a lot of their style and fashion on what the celebrities are wearing.

Easytone vs. Runtone

In the previous blog, the Skecher Shape-Ups were discussed and they were being compared to the Reebok Easy Tones as being more fashionable, while, in all reality, basically accomplishing the same goal, which is to tone the lower body without having to work out, all that you have to do, really, is walk around in the shoes. How could exercising possibly become easier than this?

In this blog, I will be comparing the Reebok Easy Tones to the Reebok Run Tones; from the titles, you can probably figure out what they have both been originally created for and intended to be used for.

First of all, both of the shoes contain a balance ball technology; however, the Easy Tones contain a larger ball because they are a walking shoe, and because of this, the imbalance is greater in order to make sure that the lower body is put to work. On the other side of things, the Run Tones contain smaller balance balls, but a greater number of them. These balls are spread out evenly throughout the shoe to make sure that there is no great imbalance while running. Still, with the balance ball technology, the Run Tones still create enough instability to cause the legs to work harder while running.

Basically, the Easy Tones are only for walking, the imbalance is too great for running or jogging, the imbalance could cause injury if these were attempted while wearing these shoes.

Research and Information for this blog was received from Reebok.com

Shoes that CHANGE your Appearance

As mentioned in my previous blog, shoes can alter one’s appearance. Not only can shoes alter one’s appearance through creating a visual that makes you “appear” to look different, but they can do so by actually changing an individual’s figure.

The first shoe that was created to help an individual get into shape was the “Shape-Up,” by Skecher (picture below, retrieved from Google Images). These shoes were created in order for individual’s to lose weight without actually having to work out. Not only do these shoes help an individual to lose weight, but they also help tone the muscles of the lower body with every step one takes. The way that these shoes work is that there is a deliberate disproportion to the shoe, an imbalance in the middle of the sole of the shoe; this imbalance causes the muscles of the lower body to tighten with each step an individual wearing the shoe takes.

Although these shoes are very unique, helpful in weight loss and toning, and are offered in many different styles, some would argue that these shoes are not very attractive or are not their idea of an everyday tennis shoe. Well, in this case, Reebok thought to create a shoe, with the same purpose, but a more stylish version: The Reebok Easy Tones. These shoes have been reported to build your body in 12 different ways. However, their main focus is toning the bottom! In the picture shown below, retrieved from Google Images, it is easy to see that these shoes are a more “toned-down” (play on words) version of the Skecher Shape-Up; these shoes are a better idea of an individual’s everyday tennis shoe, which offers great style while getting your body into shape!

Altering Your Appearance With Shoes...

            In my earlier post, I mentioned that shoes have the power to change your appearance. Well, I’ve come up with a few helpful tips, in which shoes can alter your appearance.

Let’s talk about Legs!

·    In order to make your legs look longer, you should buy NUDE or CREAM shoes. Nude and cream shoes can actually trick the human eye into not recognizing where the shoes begin and where the leg ends. Also, in order to gain a longer looking leg, an individual should avoid shoes with straps around the ankles: these make legs appear shorter than they actually are!

The most obvious appearance change that your shoes can have an effect on is your height.

·    This is a much easier change for women than it is for men. Women can wear heels to increase their height, and there are many different types of heels that women can pick from: they can gain anywhere from a half an inch to 6 or even 7 inches in height!

Making your feet appear smaller.

·    Not only will heels increase a women’s height, but they also create the visual of making the foot appear smaller than it actually is. Chunky heels and wedges achieve this goal much better than stilettos.

·    Round toe shoes rather than pointy-toed shoes allow for this smaller appearance. This is because the pointy toe actually extends beyond where the actual foot ends.

·    It is a well known fact that black clothes make individuals look thinner; therefore, dark colored shoes have the same effect on your feet!

Removing Stains from Winter Boots/Shoes

In this winter weather, it is most aggravating to buy a new pair of boots, having to walk places in the snow (and sometimes not even the snow, just slush and left-over salt), and then having your boots and/or shoes left with salt residue (that nasty, ugly white ring around the outside of your shoes). I seem to have this problem all the time because of walking back and forth to class. I always try to clean it with just hot water and a wash cloth, but lately it is just not cutting it. Therefore, I’ve done a little researching and I’ve found an excellent way to clean off those boots, so you can continue wearing them through any weather, and they will look just as good as when you purchased them.

Items you will need:

·         Mild dish detergent such as Dawn

·         Cold water

·         Soft Cloth

·         Clean soft toothbrush or Nubuck brush (designed for suede)

Steps to remove the stain:

1. Before you begin, spot test your boots in a hidden area (this is in order to make sure that this process will not remove the color from your boots).
2. Mix a small amount of dish detergent in cold water. You don’t want too much soap or it, too, will leave a residue on your suede.
3. Dip the soft cloth in the soap and water solution and pat or blot the stains on the boots. Scrubbing may remove color, so do so at your own risk.
4. Allow to dry naturally. If spots remain, repeat as needed.
5. Once the stain is gone and the boot is dry, use the brush to gently lift the nap of the suede to restore the original appearance.

These steps were received from www.howtocleanstuff.net.

The Invention of Shoes

First, I’ll start off with a little background on shoes and how they were first originated. According to shoeinfonet.com, the very first shoe was created in order to protect an individual’s foot from walking on the hard ground, rocks, etc. No one can actually be completely sure as to what the date was in which the first shoe was created, however, there were many references to shoes throughout the Bible.

The very first shoe was a plain piece of grass or rawhide which was strapped to the foot. Throughout this website, it mentions that sandals were first created and designed in Egypt; in warm countries, sandals are still the most commonly worn type of footwear. This is simply because they provide protection for the bottom of the foot from hard or uneven surfaces, and they also let the foot breathe by allowing air to flow through because the top of the foot is not completely covered.

In other countries, such as Japan, the type of sandal that individual’s were wearing set a status symbol. These distinctions between the sandals could be maintained through creating a different shape of sandal, or incorporating different symbols and colors into the design.

At the beginning of shoe creation, shoes were made with simple hand tools, by individuals. However, the United States were able to invent the first successful machinery for shoe making. This was called the Rolling Machine, which worked by pounding sole leather.

(Information received from shoeinfonet.com, which referenced the United Shoe Machinery Corporation)

Colors for Fall/Winter 2010-2011

According to Refinery 29, The Fall/Winter Color Trends are looking like this…

1) Camel

2) Rich Purple

3) Modern Metallic

4) Mixed Olives

5) Pale Blue

6) Bright Red

            These colors were all a “go” for the Fall 2010 season, and also for the Winter 2010 season. The cool camel colors are very bland and settling, yet they make such a fashion statement. The camel is a color you can wear to work, or just going casual. Now the rich purple on the other hand, although you could get away with wearing the color to work with a pair of nice dress pants and an overcoat, this color would be great for going out on the town. The modern metallic consists mostly of silver, gold, and soft copper shades, these colors give an individual more of an edge, perfect for going out. The mixed olives offer more of the “military” look. These colors are associated with the dark olives and brown shades. The mixed olive colors offer more of a casual look, although they could work great for wearing to work or to go out, most of the “military” jackets designed in olive tones are more of a casual look. The pale blue is really in for the winter season because it offers a “cool-icey” tone for the winter season, not something that one would imagine. The bright red colors are totally in style for the winter season, the color just pops and can make anyone stand out. This color would most likely be worn out; however you could definitely make it work for a casual look or even for work.

Information received from: http://www.refinery29.com/fall-2010-top-color-trends.php

The Jump Off..

This is the first blog post, and I thought that I would take a second to describe a little bit about this blog. Also, I will be adding a link to my website (which will be coming soon), and there you will be able to find Articles about different topics on shoes, different products, and a lot of other cool stuff.

Anyways, back to my blog, it’s titled “shoecrazyy,” this in itself basically describes everything. But for those who can’t read between the lines, I’ll break it down a little further. Throughout this blog, and the following blogs to come, I will be delivering interesting facts about SHOES, and footwear in general! I’m hoping that viewers will gain some valuable insight, some helpful tips, and possibly some knowledge that can help everyone out with their everyday fashions.

I think that this is a great topic, because first of all, everyone wears shoes, and secondly, who doesn't love them!? There is a lot more to shoes other than the fact that they protect your feet when walking around outside, or they keep your feet warm in the winter. I sometimes believe that shoes have magical powers! This may sound crazy, but some believe it to be true; shoes can alter an individual’s height, shape, and overall appearance! I always feel my best when I get ready for the day, and I can top off my outfit with an awesome pair of shoes. When you look great, you feel great. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to help everyone out with looking great, and from there on out, you can feel that much better about yourself!