Flashvibe - Reebok Vibetech trainer

This is my current training shoe. It's actually my first Reebok shoe after many years of using shoes by Nike, Asics, New Balance and other brands.

This Reebok shoe is surprisingly comfortable and stable. Just what I need in a workout and practice shoe. I didn't think it would suit my flat feet but the shoe last is straight enough with additional support coming from the Vibetech midsole and plastic foot cradle. This foot cradle extends from the arch area to the heel and is a good feature indeed. Moreover, the hidden heel counter is decently rigid. I have inserted Biomechanics arch inserts into these shoes and everything works fairly well to give me lightweight stability and support.

The cushioning of the shoe intrigues me. It's not too soft and seems to have a slight bounce to it. I hope this midsole foam is resilient and doesn't bottom out too quickly. Speaking of durability, I also hope the upper stays on securely as the glued seam at the front of the toe box doesn't look like it's neatly done. Time, and usage, will certainly reveal more to me about the shoe quality.

Overall, the shoe feels light on the feet. Lace them up snugly and they work well to provide good cushioning and support for workout sessions requiring changes in tempo and different movements.

New soccer boot wins design award

The Pele Sports Trinity 3E soccer boot by the Pele Sports Innovation Team has won a design award.

The shoes can be viewed at Changi City Point mall in Singapore where they are on display for a limited time at a design exhibition in the basement atrium.

Shoes for the Gangnam Style dance

The world has a new universal dance! It's all because of this South Korean entertainer, Psy. He has simply captivated people the world over with his dance hit "Gangnam Style". Look for the hit video on Youtube. Psy has plenty of style. Check out his two-toned lace-up shoes in the photo. Meanwhile, everyone's doing the "Gangnam Style"!

Shoelace Cover

Now this is really neat!  It's a shoe accessory for barbers (and hairdressers).  There are plastic screen guards that go over the shoelaces of the barber's shoes and these screen guards prevent cut hair from falling onto the shoelaces. 

Cut hair trapped by the shoelaces would be a pain to clear away. With these shoelace screen guards, the barber could cut away without having to worry about cleaning his shoes at closing time.

 

 

What did the Duchess of Cambridge wear?

Just a few days ago, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Britain, visited the sunny island of Singapore. The Duke is Prince William and his wife is better known as Kate Middleton. Their royal visit was part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee tour. 

While in Singapore, Prince William and Kate visited the new Gardens By The Bay to plant a tree. At the Gardens, Kate wore a pair of Stuart Weitzman Corkswoon wedges to match with her white designer suit. It seems these are her current favourite pair of shoes since she also wore them at the London Olympics and Paraolympics earlier this year.

Source: http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/kate-wears-alexander-mcqueen-for-her-second-day-in-singapore.html

My take? Well, she does get points for sartorial style and people love what she wears. However, those wedges lift her heels a good 3.5 inches. Surely that's not healthy for the Achilles tendons. There's plenty of information in the public domain on how high-heeled shoes can cause unseen damage to the feet (and bodies) of those who wear them.

Check Your Shoes Before It's Too Late

Every now and then, I come across the following situation on any given sidewalk - a lone rubber outsole lying on the sidewalk or in the grass by the sidewalk. I took the following photos this morning as I was walking on a sidewalk by a large field. Can you see the rubber outsole on the grass?

The outsole is still in one whole piece! It must have come loose from the shoe while the wearer was walking on this very sidewalk.

I can imagine that the wearer might have suddenly noticed a change in his walking gait; then, he might have stopped walking to inspect his shoes and discover that the outsole was flapping loosely at the bottom of his shoe. Then, realising that he couldn't walk comfortably any further with the shoes in that condition, he might have peeled off the loose outsole away from the midsole and then toss the outsole onto the grass. I wonder whether he might have continued walking with the shoes still on his feet.

You can see that this outsole once belonged to a Nike sports shoe. It would have been a cross-trainer; the outsole is familiar to me. Judging from the thread pattern of the outsole, this particular cross-trainer was not worn very often. It probably lay unused for much of the time.

I suppose the humidity and temperature of the tropics contributed to the deterioration of the glued bond between the outsole and midsole. I reckon that sports shoes should be kept in an air-conditioned climate if the shoes are to be left unworn for a substantial length of time.

In any case, it's always a good idea to inspect one's collection of shoes every now and them to make sure that the shoes are still suitable for their intended use. It's really awkward and possibly downright embarrassing to have one's shoes fall apart like the one shown here.

Shoes for driving

I first came across special shoes for driving while waiting in a doctor's clinic. There were some car magazines in the waiting room and I came across an article about such shoes.

Here's a blog post about Porsche Design driving shoes and it's a detailed review by Noah Joseph for Autoblog.

 

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/05/sniff-and-shift-porsche-design-completes-the-package-with-new-sce/

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