Designer Shoes

Posts Tagged ‘shoes’

A study into the shoe-buying habits of 2000 British women has discovered that 10% own more than 30 pairs of shoes and the ‘average’ woman owns 17 pairs! Although these figures seem quite high, they are actually lower than the results of a similar study into 1000 women released in December, which concluded that the average women has 19 pairs of shoes and that 17% owned more than 30 pairs. Perhaps it’s the recession that is to blame, but it seems we’re all wounded and bleeding shoes!

Fascinatingly, the average amount of money to spend on a pair of shoes was around £34. I must admit I was expecting more, but there must be enough sales of cheap footwear to bring down the sky-high prices that many people pay for their designer shoes.

70% of people questioned said they’d bought shoes that they have never worn, which is more understandable when compared to the 50% who said they had bought shoes on impulse. A surprisingly high 30% of women said they’d bought shoes just because they liked the colour, whilst a mere 16% said they had bought some shoes specially for a date seems a little low to me…I think some people we being coy…

INSA, a UK artist, has created some of the most bizarre shoes we’ve ever seen, as part of a new exhibit at the Tate Modern – a collection of responses to Chris Ofili’s The Holy Virgin Mary. What was controvertial about Ofili’s piece – that the Virgin Mary was made from elephant dung – is also what makes INSA’s shoes mentionable…they too are partly made of elephant dung. Read the rest of this entry »

Published today, official research into the recession has revealed that shoes were one of the biggest things to be cut from family spending during the 2008 period of economic decline. According to the Office for National Statistics, spending on shoes and clothes in 2008 was the lowest since 2001, despite the fact that average household spending actually rose by £12 per week from 2007.

Although it could well be that the recession is causing people to cut back on their spending on ‘luxury’ items like designer shoes, it has also been suggested that the recession has been accompanied by huge discount at clothes and shoes shops, as well as massive price reductions in products like designer shoes. This implies that it is not necessarily the case that people are buying less shoes – but possibly that it’s costing people less to buy them. If the area I’m living in is a reliable source of evidence, I’m going to assume the latter is true! I, for one, haven’t cut down on my shoe-buying at all – it’s the last thing I’d give up! As for sales, I can’t remember the last time I haven’t been able to find one to suit my needs.

In case you’re interested; people in Wales spent the least on shoes in 2008, followed by Scotland, then England and finally Northern Ireland, who spent the most.

Although there are many strange and wonderful shoes out there, some really challenge the notion of what it is to be a shoe. My recent posts about crazy designer shoes have, as many crazy things will do, made me challenge my very concept of shoes – here are my musings.

Most definitions of the word ‘shoe’ involve the words “covering” or “protecting”; “a protective covering for the foot, originally designed for comfort and durability, but more recently also for decoration” was along the lines of my own definition. However, many hyper-fashionable trends and individual pairs of shoes are now challenging that very definition; many shoes are now uncomfortable, don’t cover the foot at all and are actually more dangerous than not wearing any shoes at all! The question is, are these still ‘shoes’? If so, then our previous definition must be wrong and need altering – but to what? If these new objects are not shoes, then what are they?

Although many people would consider the first pair of shoes in Return of the Crazy Designer Shoes to be ridiculous, I think most would agree that they are, nevertheless, shoes of some kind. Yet all they are is a kind of metal cage around the foot, so this raises interesting questions; just how little material can still constitute a shoe? Which parts of an object must remain intact in order for the object to still be a shoe? Also, at what point does an object become a sock?

To illustrate my point and get you thinking, I ask you to consider this picture. Is this object a shoe? If so, what is it about the object that makes it a shoe? If not, what is it failing to do that a shoe would do and what changes would have to be made in order for it to be a shoe?

When is a shoe not a shoe?

We have more seasonal shoes today at the Designer Shoe blog – this time for the guys! Consider these cool Christmas offerings from Adidas, for example; Christmas themed Stan Smith 2 or Superstar 2 shoes, in red and green! Although clearly Christmassy, there’s no doubt these shoes will look the part all year round and, because they’re Adidas, they’ll still be wearable when summertime bring games in the park!

If Adidas isn’t really your style, perhaps consider these tartan-style Converse All-Stars instead. A classic shoe with a seasonal spin, these manage to be festive, but without any striking Christmas clichés – a cool and understand style.

Of course, it’s not just the adults that can join in the Christmas fun; if the little man in your life wants a piece of the spirit, there are a range of seasonal children’s shoes for them as well! These adorable blue trainers, for example, will keep his feet nice and warm while advertising his love for Christmas and, more importantly at that age, Santa!

Christmas is nearly here and at the Designer Shoe Blog, this can only mean one thing; Christmas Shoe Time! This is essentially an excuse for the team to whizz around the internet, finding seasonal footwear that we’re sure somebody in your family would love to receive. Even if you’re not thinking of buying designer shoes for Christmas, there are normally some cool shoes to see anyway! Let’s get started with some shoes with the ladies:

For the girlfriend, wife, mum, sisters and grannys in your life, consider these stylish, comfortable and super-seasonal Christmas slippers! I know slippers for Christmas seems unoriginal but, let’s be honest, when else do people buy slippers? By the time last year’s Christmas slippers have be worn to tatters, it’s normally summertime and there’s little need for slippers. Then, before you know it it’s nearly Christmas again so nobody buys new ones for themselves, just in case somebody buys them for them for a present!

If you think slippers aren’t what the classy lady in your life is after this holiday, perhaps consider buying her some stylish seasonal heels for the Christmas Cocktail party. Although I’d advise against bright red heels with a cartoon Santa (not cool), some like these might make a suave addition to any Christmas outfit…

Last time we bought you news that a recent survey of 1000 women found that many more of them could remember their first pair of designer shoes than could remember the name of the person they first kissed. Today we bring you some more facts and figures about women and shoes from the same survey – enjoy!

Of the 1000 women questioned, although 1 in 6 had more than 30 pairs of shoes, the average woman owned a mere 19 pairs. Of these 19 pairs of shoes, only 4 are worn regularly and about the same number have only been worn once. 4 pairs of shoes is also the average number of pairs of shoes that these women purchase every year; a new pair every 3 months or 12 weeks.

Shoe Collection from shoelala.ca

1 in 3 of the 1000 women admitted to having trouble finding enough room to store all their shoes, though 1 in 7 have found room to hide a new pair of shoes from their partner. Sixty percent of the women questioned said they regretted purchasing at least one pair of shoes.

…none admitted that buying shoes had ever caused money problems…

When 1000 women were questioned about their feelings towards their footwear, it transpired that over 92% of them could remember the first pair of shoes they ever bought with their own money. As incredible as this fact is on its own, it’s even more shocking when compared to the fact that only 60% of them could remember the name of the first person they ever kissed!

Would it be insane to draw the conclusion that, for these 1000 women, designer shoes (or maybe fashion) is actually more important than love life? Of course it would be. However, equally interesting as this memory test is the fact that, while only 15% of these women admitted to feeling sorry at dumping a boyfriend, a massive 96% of them said they regretting having to throw away a pair of shoes! So, while it may be hard to draw conclusions from such a bizarre array of evidence, there can now be little doubt as to the importance of shoes to many women. It’s not just something they do to frustrate men; they really do love shoes – perhaps more than they love other people.

After the revelation that David Beckham has asthma, I thought the Beckhams had had their fair share of ill health recently. However, in a somewhat ironic turn of events, Victoria Beckham – whose new venture into the world of designer shoes we reported not long ago – has been told she needs to have an operation on her feet, to repair the damage that years of wearing stiletto heels has caused. In true die-hard Beckham fashion, however, Victoria is attempting to avoid the surgery to remove her bunions by doing daily exercise and bathing her feet in ice! Goodness knows whether this will help, but 10 points for trying!

As sorry as I am tempted to feel for Mrs. Beckham, I think perhaps we should consider the lifestyle she leads. According to spies (with not much going on in their lives), Vicky B has close to 1000 pairs of Louboutin’s in her wardrobe; with evidence like this against her, I wonder if this isn’t karma’s way of delivering some kind of poetic justice. I think most of us would happily have an operation on our feet if it allowed us the kind of life Victoria Beckham has led!

With shoes like this, is anybody really surprised to hear she has ruined her feet? Anyone care for my shares in Victoria’s shoes company?

Curved-sole shoes have always looked like a gimmick and now experts are saying that’s exactly what they are.  According to the Sketcher’s Shape-Ups campaign, their shoes help you “get in shape without going to the gym” – which is a nothing-claim from the outset.  It doesn’t matter what shoes you wear, or even whether you bother wearing shoes; if you walk ten miles every day, you’ll probably get in better shape.  Putting on some shoes is not going to make the slightest bit of difference – it’s what you do in them. 

So, what are you meant to do in them?  Well, apparently the idea is that the rocking soles make it harder to stand upright – working your muscles harder and burning more calories when you walk around.  However, as podiatrist Marlene Reid points out, “The shoes limit normal motion in the foot.  So you may be under-using some muscles and overusing others.”  Exercise physiologist Pete McCall from the American Council on Exercise adds to this, saying the effect on weight or muscle tone is likely to be negligible. 

Sketchers have refused to publish their small surveys, saying they are currently doing a larger study.  However, shouldn’t the studies have been done before they started making insane claims about the effects of their shoes?  Does it not seem that, once again, we have a major business leading the way in the distribution of totally inaccurate information?  As a personal trainer, advanced fitness instructor and strength trainer, here is my opinion: will walking around in these shoes promote weight loss, strengthen the back, tighten the abs, firm the muscles in the legs and improve circulation?  Yes, it will.  However, so will walking around in any trainers, or even barefoot; the health and fitness benefits these shoes claim are benefits of walking – they are nothing to do with these silly designer shoes.  How can the public be expected to make sensible, well-informed decisions about their health when the people they look up to and respect in the field tell them nothing but nonsense?