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HIGH TIMES: THE SKYSCRAPER HEEL SHAKES-UP SHOE DESIGN!

DESIGN
THE SHOE
OF YOUR
December 2010 www.step.co.uk DREAMS

FROM JESUS TO
JIMMY CHOO
Step back in time and
track shoe style through
the ages

MAKING A
POINTE
The unchanging face
of the ballet shoe

RUNAWAY SUCCESS
Preparing for a 2011 fitness drive?
Check out our gear guide to
running success
step December 2010
 Welcome
Shnews
F or women nation-
wide who love
shoes, we bring you
The freshest shoe news from around the globe

step; a magazine that

Net-a-Porter launches shoe subscription card
provides you with all
you ever wanted to
know about shoes.
A new gift-card, launched
by top online retailer Net-
a-Porter.com, offers women
an annual subscription to a
From the latest in pair of designer shoes every
shoe news, to the month.
secrets behind ballet
shoe design, we’ve However, this generous
got it covered. Read stocking filler doesn’t come
on and quench your cheap, with a hefty price tag
thirst for shoes. of £8000.

The gift-card even comes with

We hope you enjoy With Net-a-Porter’s shoe-sub- Express shipping and access
the first issue x scription card you’ll be the talk to your own personal stylist.
of the town

In this issue Did you know...

In Hungary, the groom drinks a toast to his
2 Shnews bride out of her wedding slipper!
Your monthly fix of
shoe news
Skyscraper heel to hit stores
4 Backwards step
A look back at the A new platform shoe is
being released next year
which has a whopping nine-
changing face of inch heel.
shoe fashion
Available in sparkly red or
6 High performers gold, the Sky Heel will cost
$100 a pair (approx. £63).
How shoe designs
help ballerinas Just remember to practice
and athletes wow your balancing act before
hitting the tiles in a pair.
crowds The heels will offer you an extra
nine inches in height!

p.2 step December 2010

Design your dream shoe!
H ave you ever had a pair of
shoes in mind that would
complement an outfit down
to a tee, but you just can’t find
them anywhere?

Well all your dreams could be

answered by website
Upperstreet.com.

You could be the owner of the

most unique and individual
pair of shoes by using their
designer tool, allowing you to
choose the shape, colour and
embellishment of your shoes. Create your own personalised pair of shoes at Upperstreet.

Whoever said perfection was

hard to come by?! Did you know...
In the Middle East, heels were added to shoes to
lift the foot from the burning sand!

Step on the street

Your views on shoes
Sophie Irvine, 21, Newport
What is your favourite pair of shoes?
A pair of black heels from New Look - they’re really
classic.

What is your favourite shop for shoes?

Dune. They sell a wide selection of amazing shoes at
a reasonable price; I always go there.

If you could have a pair of designer shoes, what would they be?
Jimmy Choos. I’m a bit of a Sex & The City fan and love Sarah Jessica Parker’s
fashion sense.

Flats or heels?
Heels; I like the extra height.

step December
step 2010
December p.3
2010
 Take a step
back in time...
Heledd Williams finds out just how deep a footprint shoes have made on history

"And he said, Draw not a UK women’s size 5.

nigh hither: put off thy It was found to contain
shoes from off thy feet, grass, which experts
for the place whereon believe was used either to
thou standest is holy keep the foot warm or to
ground" Exodus 3:5 maintain the shape of the
As this Biblical passage footwear.
suggests, shoes have been Shoes were more com-
around for quite a while. mon in cold climates,
Approximately 8000 whereas sandals were
years BC to be precise. obviously more prevalent
Cave paintings which in countries like Egypt.
date back ten thousand People living around the
years suggest that the Mediterranean had little
first type of shoe was a need for elaborate foot-
bag-like wrapping made wear, and Egyptians went
of fur skin. A long way barefoot much of the
from sheepskin Uggs, but time, but wore sandals
it was a step in the right on special occasions. In
direction for the early 1500 B.C. sandals began
cave-dwellers. to appear in art depicting
scenes of Egyptian life.
The world's oldest leather
shoe was discovered by The sandals, which were
archaeologists in a cave made of leather or woven
in Armenia. The shoe, rush, were tied with two
which dates back to thongs and often had
3,500 BC, is made from leather soles and straps.
a single piece of cowhide Varying styles have
and is the equivalent of graced numerous cul-
tures over the ages:

p.4 step December 2010

from pirate boots to oriental
slippers, but let us return specifi-
cally to the U.K.
By the Middle Ages, turn-shoes
had been developed with toggled
flaps or drawstrings to tighten
the leather around the foot for
a better fit. As Europe gained in
wealth and power, decorative
shoes became status symbols.
Toes became long and pointed,
often to ridiculous proportions.
Artisans created unique footwear
for rich patrons, and new styles
developed.
Eventually the modern shoe,
with a sewn-on sole, was devised.
Since the 17th century, most
leather shoes have used a sewn-
on sole. This remains the stand-
ard for finer-quality dress shoes
today. Until around 1800, shoes
were made without differentia-
tion for the left or right foot.
Only gradually did the modern
foot-specific shoe become stand-
ard.
Since the mid-20th Century,
advances in rubber, plastics,
synthetic cloth, and industrial
adhesives have allowed manufac-
turers to create shoes that stray
considerably from traditional From Top: The
crafting techniques. world’s oldest
leather shoe, an
From Caesar’s sandals to Car- eighteenth cen-
rie’s Jimmy Choos, shoes have tury high heel, a
trodden a long journey through pair of seventies
history. platforms, and
the modern-
day Ugg.

step December
step 2010
December 2010 p.5
From fitness...
Holly Bond and Sam Shead report on the meticulous
design processes behind two very different types of shoe
R unners and ballet dancers rely on
their footwear to support their
feet during strenuous activities. How-
ever the way in which running shoes
and ballet shoes are made couldn’t
be more different.
While running shoe manufactur-
ers use cutting edge technology
to create the safest and most high
performance trainers possible, ballet
shoe manufacturers use an almost
archaic technique that has proved to
be far better than any new-fangled
alternative.
So while runners are pounding the
streets in shoes with memory tech-
nology and materials used in space-
suits, ballet dancers are prancing
around on their toes in shoes made
from glue, cotton, satin and thread.
Sounds painful!
So how do the processes differ to
ensure that dancers and athletes can
produce the perfect performance?
Designing a runaway success
Florence Griffith-Joyner holds
the 100m record, after running
it in 10.49s, which in the interest
of step equates to 31 feet per
second.
p.6 step December 2010
No laces
Lightweight
materials
Taper
Spikeless
Metal spikes
heels
This would certainly not have been
possible without the appropriate footwear.
There are a number of
different running spikes suited to differ-
ent events. Those designed specifically for
sprinting are the lightest, and consequently
most flimsy, on the market.
Sprinting spikes are designed to be mini-
malistic with as little material, and hence
weight, as possible.
The metal spikes are found across the sole
of the shoe, except at the heel. They are
there to provide the athlete with extra grip
and are roughly 6mm long.
When thinking of aerodynamics, a fighter
jet or super car might spring to mind. How-
ever, in sprinting, a zip may be used instead
of laces to ensure the air passes over the
shoe with as little resistance as possible.
Running spikes also have the toe of the
shoe pointing upwards. This is known as
the ‘taper’ and encourages the athlete to
run on their toes.
...to finesse
As you might expect, it is most impor-
tant for a 100m runner to run on their
toes and as a result the taper is stronger
in sprinting spikes than any others.
Finally, the shoe should have a glove-like
fit to ensure maximum energy output.
Making the ballet shoe
Frederick Freed established
the iconic Freed of London
ballet shoemakers in 1929.
Freed is now the lead-
ing pointe shoe distribu-
tor in the world and they
are famous for being one
of the only shoemakers
to still make the shoes by
hand and not by machine.
The company still uses the ‘turnshoe’ tech-
nique 80 years after opening the business.
Despite new modern methods being
tried by other companies such as Gaynor
7 STEPS TO BALLET
SHOE DESIGN SUCCESS
1) Closing: 3 pieces of cotton-
backed satin are sewn together
to make the upper.
2) Clicking: A sole is cut from a
sheet of leather using a press.
3) Channeling: A groove is cut
into the sole and the edge of the
sole is shaped.
4) The upper is placed over it
and the block is formed using
layers of paper and burlap glued
together with a special paste.
5) The block is pleated and the
upper sole is stitched to the sole.
6) The shoe is now turned the
right way round and fitted with
an insole. The block is shaped
using a glass hammer.
7) The shoes are placed in an
oven overnight to harden.
They are cured for 10 days.
Minden, the ballet world still favours
Freed’s handmade technique.
Ballerinas who wear Freed shoes:
Darcey Bussell, Sylvie Guillem and
Tamara Rojo.
step December
step 2010
December p.7
2010
next month in
step
New Year: new look
step previews the
top styles of 2011

Shake your booty

Stylish wellies mean snow worries
for the winter chill

Winter warmers
Slipper treats to cosy the feet

Hooked to your heels?

Tales of shoe addiction from the
Team step are:
catwalk and the high street
Hollie Bond
Sarah George
Andy McNicoll
Sam Shead
Heledd Williams

Contact us at:
editorial@step.co.uk

Twitter: @stepmag

www.step.co.uk