Las Vegas Review-Journal July 31, 2008


CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOLE


WSA exhibitors hone in on comfort



Women have spoken and the shoeindustry has obliged: Pretty shoes are now comfortable. Or, at least theirmanufacturers are doing everything they can to make them so.

The World Shoe Association, thebi-annual shoe and accessory convention at Las Vegas Convention Center and TheVenetian, was in town this week and comfort was the big trend generating buzzon showroom floors.


If you're picturing Crocs andnurse shoes, you have the wrong idea.


We're talking footwear with astrong fashion focus. Velvet Angels, a new line designed by former head designerof LAMB, Joe Ponce, boasts a few nose bleed-inducing heels named after bars in L.A. The line's bowed heels, flats and kitten heels all come with silicone-padded insoles.


"For me it was a naturaltransition because I come from an athletic footwear background," Ponce said. "And when I started designing the line my wife said, 'Why can't theseever be comfortable?' "


Some of the Velvet Angels shoessold locally in C-level and Shooz, hurt just to look at them and couldconsequently struggle with comfort claims. However, other shoe lines can relyon their reputations to uphold their claims, like the joint effort of FootPetals and RSVP.


Foot Petals is known for itsshoe inserts that relieve foot pain and RSVP is a comfort concentrated shoeline. Their collaborative collection, RSVP Cushioned by Foot Petals, isstrictly sold on the Las Vegas-based retail shoe site, Zappos.com.


The Foot Petals Tip Toe andHaute Heel inserts are sewed into each of the shoes' sock liners to add a feelgood element to each shoe. The line launches the end of August.


Paris Hilton's line of shoes,Paris Hilton Footwear, may include sky-high platform stilettos but even theheiress has taken steps to improve the wearability of her shoes. A cushy "comfortheart" is inside the inner sole of every shoe to make them viable optionsfor women who "are on their feet all day."


Whether these lines hold up totheir claims remains to be seen. But, rather than have you empty your pursestesting each out, Shoetube.tv does the work for you. The online video channelaims to bring women together through their love of shoes. Part of its vast shoecoverage includes testing shoes' wearability and reporting the results.


Host Jill Hodges, who grew up in Las Vegas, reported from WSA and took note of the comfort efforts amongmanufacturers. A life-long shoe addict, Hodges has worn foot-straining shoes solong she's damaged her feet to the point she now needs corrective podiatrysurgery. She plans to blog about it on the online video channel.


Her love-hate relationship withshoes makes it easy for Hodges to understand why women who watch Shoetube.tvare just as concerned with wearability as they are new trends.


"Chicks want to know ifthey're comfortable but they don't really care if they aren't," she said. "Theyjust want to know what they're up against."