Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Dec. 22, 2005, edition 1 / Page 11
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3B LIFE/ tCte Ctarlottt Thursday, December 22, 2005 Style now, pay later: Popular shoe could be bad THtASSOClAThD PRESS COLUMBUS. Ind.-The colorful high-heeled, pointy- toed shoes with Sparkles, sequins, rhinestones and skinny straps are stylish, sexy and a fun fashion acces sory But what effect are they having on women’s feet? Dr. Michael Mull, a podia trist for more than 25 years, estimates 90 percent of his patients’ problems are due to wearing improper footwear. The problem is not exclu sive to young women in their teens and 20s wanting to look like “Sex in the City^ stars. ‘Tve had women in their 80s here in my office with three-inch pumps,” MuU said. Another big problem is women wealing the wrong size of shoe, thinking if they wore a size 7 at age 20, they still wear the same size at 50. “As we get older, our feet get wider and longer,” Mull said. Problems are not limited to high heels, however. Ibo many people buy ill-fit ting shoes at department stores with no one assisting them with measui'ement or fit. Years ago, the shoe store experience included sitting down in a comfy chair with a knowledgeable sales associate measuring the feet then going back to the storage room to bring back several stjdes and sizes for comparison. Mull, sees some local factory workers who buy their required steel-toed shoes off* a truck. That concerns him because the workers often stand on their feet for an eight-hour shift, and the shoes have no give. He said belief that shoes need to be “broken in” is not true. They should fit properly and comfortably fium the start. Problems caused or aggra vated by shoes can include bunions, hammer toes, blis ters, calluses, corns, fallen arches, Achilles tendonitis, ingrown toenails, heel spurs and even knee and back aches. Fixes range Grom buying new shoes to physical thera py, exercises and surgery “Foot discomfort can be greatly reduced or completely eliminated by purchasing properly fitting shoes,” Mull said. Although men and women have problems, women are nine times more likely to have certain types of foot problems. One study showed 88 per cent of women wore shoes that were too small for them and 80 percent had foot pain because of their shoes. When Jerri Chalfant of Columbus began having back problems several years ago, she bought a pair of Birkenstock shoes. Although the shoes cost more than $100, her back problems improved and the shoes never wore out. ‘1 look at it as an invest ment,” Chalfant said. She is a regular shopper at Pampered Foot on 25th Street where she likes how owner Christie Crippen takes special care and patience to ensure she has a properly fit ting shoe. Many of Crippen’s cus tomers have been referred by physicians, including those who have worn too many liigli heels or have jobs where they stand all day Others have been diagnosed with foot problems and need a specialty shoe. The brands Crippen carries, including Birkenstock, Fimi and Noat, have arch and heel support and a wide toe area. “A lot of what we do is edu cation,” Ciippen said. She explains how the fiunt ball of a woman’s foot endiu^ significant pressure when wearing liigh heels and how toes can be damaged when squeezed into narrow, pointy- toed shoes. “It’s just too much stress and pressure on the foot,” Crippen said. Green now isn’t just a color in fashion 'I7IE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK-There’s a segment of the organic goods market that buys things out of environmental conscious ness, while others buy for the social values the organic industry promotes. Increasin^y though, organic goods are being bou^t by the average Joe, happy to get something green as long as it looks, feels and costs the same as the thin^ he’s used to. In fashion, organic cotton led the way into the main stream. This winter, it’s being closely followed by organic wool, which is available in Patagonia sweaters and Delano Collection coats, among others. “We see demand growing exponentially It started with the outdoor industry and now it’s Patagonia for sweaters, Fox River for socks, and there’ll be a lot more,” says Matthew Mole, founder and president of Vermont Organic Fiber Co., based in Middlebury, Vt. “In the last four to six months th^e’s been a ^ike in fashion-forward brands,” he adds. “As long as the qual ity is there, there’s no argu ment not to do it. There is a price premium built in because we think farmers who are taking the extra steps to be the stewaixls of the land deserve to be com pensated, but people seem willing to pay it.” • Vermont Organic Fiber cur rently is developing fine worsted wool for suits, heav- i^ fabrics for coats and a jer sey for diaper covers. Children’s clothes could be a hot market because parents are always lookup to put the purest products next to their School bans dance Continued from page 1B pies grind against one anoth er, often fiunt to back, while moving across the dancefloor. Students now must face one anotha* when they dance. At least one parent com plained about students grind ing at this year’s homecoming dance, but Reynolds said school administrators had b^n concerned for some time. “Every year, the dancing gets a little more fsu^estive), and the music kids are listen ing to contains more and more of what we are ban ning,” Reynolds said. “We know what parents’ expecta tions would be, and what our own are as wdl.” Some students argue that the policy is more inappropri ate than the forms of expres sion it restricts. “They’re taking away fix)m our teenage culture,” said sophomore Scott Fowler, 16. He added that many of today’s teachers and adminis trators danced and listened to music that their own parents found objectitmable. “Elvis’ music and dancing was considered to be sexually oriented back then,” Fowler said babies’ skin, but Mole is still working out the kinks when it comes to the washabflity of the wool. Mole, who was raised on a small farm, became familiar with the organic and natural fiber market while he was a research assistant at the University of Vermont study ing hemp. He saw that cotton had a monopoly on the organ ic marketplace. “There need ed to be something else,” he says. “As a consumer, I knew I wanted to wear more than just cotton.” Knowing that sheep were already bdng raised organi cally for the food market, he figured organic wool would be the next logical step. “Growers often produce product but there’s a discon nect with brands that want to use it. I said, 'There’s fiber and there’s customers—let’s link them.”’ After talking to farmers, Mole identified mills in the U.S. that could immediately begin processing according to organic handling rules, plants that were already using plant-based soaps and plant-based oils in the spin ning instead of petroleum. Then he went to the fashion companies. Last year, Patagonia sold out of its limited collection of organic wool sweaters and it looks lik=> the same will hap pen this year even though the company ordered more gar ments, says Jill Dumain, director of environmental analysis at Patagonia. WOHDOf OOC) HROADCASTIhKi Nf tWORK . rt » Nc WAOE-AM 1340 WADESBORO, NC —hiitk 'Tony i’nTTY Cj/vl, (f.ktitUs 'Af. 'JdiHfon, yoatk 'Rmlio, 'ZVt>o»/W /HhhIc, m tki lihii muck mcu! ^Jhhc in itml UiSiW. 1501 N. r-as Sfrvick Road • Chahlottf. nc 2n2ifi 704.3«a-1540 Save time and money with Free Checking and free Online Bill Pay. These days, no one can afford to waste time or money. That's why our Free Checking comes with free Online Bill Pay. You’ll not only save money on fees, but you'll save time as well. With Bill Pay, you can pay bills quickly and easily - a few clicks and you're done. With no minimum balance requirement and no monthly maintenance fees, SunTrust Free Checking is your best value. 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