Shoes

Although most fashion changes with the seasons, there are some that have stood the test of time - denim jeans, the little black dress, purple crushed velvet bell-bottoms. But there is one item of clothing whose longevity outshines all of these – the humble moccasin. In 2008 an international team of archaeologists discovered a well preserved and complete leather shoe that was dated at around 5,500 years old – that’s one thousand years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza and around the time evidence suggests the wheel first began to be used in Mesopotamia. Read More

When you first see the Lace-amatic shoelace-tying device you could be forgiven for wondering who would need, use or even want this product – after all, isn’t that why we have Velcro shoes? But for people who struggle with dexterity, flexibility or strength or for those who just want to get their shoes on and off quickly, the Lace-amatic makes a lot of sense. It allows you to tighten and loosen tied shoelaces and lets you get knotted shoes on and off in an instant…it’s simple, ergonomically sound and could make a job that many people find difficult, just that little bit easier. Read More

New research has backed up the findings of another study we covered recently on Gizmag which found the average modern running shoe causes significant damage to the knees, hips and ankles compared to running barefoot. The new study found that people who run barefoot land on the ball or middle of the foot. This mitigates the potentially damaging impacts that can be equivalent to two or three times their body weight that shoe-wearing runners, who generally land on their heels, subject their bodies to. Read More

It's early January - you're probably looking to work off some of your Christmas kilos and shed that festive spare tyre. For millions of people around the world, that means making a New Year's resolution, buying a new pair of runners and hitting the road for a jog. But a new musculoskeletal study has concluded that the average modern running shoe is significantly more damaging to your knees, hips and ankles than running barefoot - or even walking in high heels. With osteoarthritis of the knee representing the biggest cause of disability in the elderly, this is a serious finding that's worth taking into account if you want to protect your joints. Read More

It may be a great form of exercise, but running is a high impact pursuit that places great strain on muscles and tendons. The stress it places on the body forces many runners to hang up their shoes and seek alternative, lower impact forms of exercise. Looking to take the pain out of running, a Swiss engineer set about creating a shoe that enabled the runner to land as soft as if running on sand, and to push off as if running in track shoes. The result is the the On Running Shoe – a shoe that incorporates a unique rubber ring into the sole design to provide a soft landing, while offering firmness and stability on push off. Read More

It's always fascinating to see a set of fresh eyes tackle an ancient art. Though humans have used leather shoes of some form for at least 20,000 years, the last half century has seen such advances in materials technology that footwear design has entered a renaissance period with radical new thought in abundance. Now prolific designer and architect Zaha Hadid has turned her hand to footwear design, creating a footwear collection for Lacoste. The designs are original, stunning, limited edition (only 850 pairs), exclusive and expensive. Most remarkable of all, given the shapes and textures, they're made from non-synthetic kid leather. Read More

The vision of Agent 86 mumbling into his shoe is one of the most endearing images from the slapstick 60s spy series Get Smart, but an Australian scientist who has built a working version of the shoe phone using 21st century technology sees serious applications for this kind of device in the medical field. Read More

Adidas has unveiled the most advanced shoe ever. Called "1", the shoe provides “intelligent cushioning” by automatically and continuously adjusting itself. It does so by sensing the cushioning level, using a sensor and a magnet. It then understands whether the cushioning level is too soft or too f... Read More