In this New Year edition we are delighted to be introducing some highly talented, eclectic and giving individuals to you… people who are not only successful doing what they do, but are committed Shoeholics as well!

Sandy Garzia is a traveler, mother and indefatigable shoe enthusiast. We were amazed and delighted with the African tribal themed shoes she creates and were fascinated by the story of the son that she was fortunate enough to be able to adopt from Ghana, Africa.

Cover star Laura Kasperzak, the yoga instructor, social media darling and the woman we call The Phenomenal Yogi in Heels.

Susan Petersen, the woman who designs baby shoes that went on to become something of a celebrity fad.

Lexi Atkins is someone who is probably familiar to many of us; find out more about the singer, songwriter and Shoeholic and what she is doing next.

Young designer Rohitava Banerjee and his sister Rupal. At just 19 and 17 respectively, the brother sister duo has carved out a name for themselves in the fashion world while still in design school!

Also shoe collector Abigail Cole-Buchanan who has a special penchant for Irregular Choice shoes in particular.

Tracy Stern

Tracy Stern is the tea lover and blender; the businesswoman with her fingers in several designing pies…including shoes! She is the modern Renaissance woman who doesn’t follow trends but actually sets them!

You don’t want to miss this New Year edition of Shoeholics! CLICK HERE to get your very own hard copy mailed to you worldwide!

You don’t want to miss this New Year edition of Shoeholics! CLICK HERE to get your very own hard copy mailed to you worldwide!

Back Cover

Foot Yoga For Happy Feet

By Denise Waller

How many of us bother about foot health, wellbeing and happiness? Alas very few of us. Feet are the poor things that bear our weight, carry us from place to place and help us do everything that needs doing, including providing us a platform to show off our beloved shoe collection, but there is little thought that any of us give to foot health.

The importance of foot care

Our feet are what connect us to the earth; they are the ones that give our body balance and grace. In a sense they are the foundation of our body and as such need to be strong and in good health. Disorders of the feet such as diabetic foot, injuries of the foot, foot ulcers can lead to other disorders, aches and pains as well. It could be that the root cause of knee pain, back pain or even neck pain could be poor foot health!

Before looking at the foot exercises and yoga for the feet, here are tips to help maintain good foot health:

• Wear well fitting shoes that are the right size. Smaller sizes will pinch, cramp and put the feet in unnatural positions. Larger sizes will make the foot slide and chafe within the shoe causing shoe bite and other problems.
• If you wear shoes and socks, change socks regularly.
• Closed shoes mean trapped sweat so you need to take extra care of foot hygiene.
• Give yourself or get yourself a foot massage.
• Look after the skin of the feet by using good quality moisturizer to keep the skin supple, to prevent dry skin and cracked heels.

Estimates say that 9 out of 10 women wear shoes that are the wrong size and that 80% of all foot problems occur in women, a large proportion of the problems being attributable to unsuitable shoes!

Here are some specific yoga poses and exercises that, at the end of the day will feel wonderful to the feet and to you:

Virasana (Veer means hero and asana means seat or position) – This requires you to sit with your legs and feet tucked up and under you, the claves lying under the thighs and the toes pointing and extended outward from under the buttocks. This offers a wonderful stretch to the feet and the entire legs.

Baddha Konasana (or the cobbler pose) requires you to sit with your legs apart and then pulling the feet in towards the inner thighs in a way that the soles of the feet come together to face and touch each other.

Adho Mukha Svanasana – (or downward facing dog) requires you to get the body into an ‘A’ shape with the bottom in the air, the feet placed solidly on the ground and the palms also spread out and planted on the ground.

Viparita Karani – (Viparita means opposite and this is the legs up the wall pose). During the day, walking, sitting for long periods and being sedentary will cause the fluids to pool in the lower part of the body. This can cause swelling and discomfort. To reduce the pain and swelling of tired feet, simply lie down on the ground or any place next to a wall with the arms spread out. Now put the feet and legs up along the wall to help relax the feet and drain the fluid from them. You can vary the pose by putting the soles of the feet flat against the wall and pushing the knees away from the wall to tilt and stretch the pelvis.

Another variation of this can be to have one leg in the air and then sling a towel over the sole of the foot to then gently pull the toes down in the direction of the leg.

Squats – The basic crouching position with the knees up and the heels planted on the floor is beneficial for the feet. Also kneeling with the toes tucked under stretches the foot effectively.

Ankle rotations and other foot stretches – These basic foot stretches can be done by any of us as we sit at our desks during the day. Make a full circle with the toes rotating the ankles. Do this clockwise five times and anticlockwise another five times.

Stretch the foot and point the toes so that the foot is in a straight line with the leg rather than at right at right angles and hold for several seconds before releasing; then repeat 4 more times.

For the third foot stretch you will need to take your shoes off. Curl the foot up so that the toes are pointing towards the ankle for another lovely foot stretch.

Lift the Arches of the feet – Pull the balls of the feet towards the heels creating an arch under the foot while keeping the feet on the ground. Doing this over a period, will help improve the arches of your feet, which we all love to admire in a perfect pair of high heels! Love your feet and they will love you back!

An exclusive by Denise Waller, first published in the Jul-Sep 2012 edition of Shoeholics magazine. All rights reserved

The Sneakerhead Culture

High-end designer pumps to some of us are like special edition kicks to sneakerhead’s: an addiction for the love of shoes. Imagine storage closets, rooms or even basements filled with a massive collection of Nikes, Jordans, Adidas, Converse, and et.al. Sneakers with original boxes reign supreme. These are not your average, every day sneakers that you wear running around the block or to the gym with your sweats. These have to match a cutting-edge outfit from head to toe, color for color, and kept in pristine condition.

You’ve seen them at weddings worn by the bridal party and red carpet events worn by famous high profile sneakerheads like Spike Lee, Pharrell and Fat Joe. Or even in bridal Trash The Dress photo shoots, as shown here with my extremely rare 1988 Vintage Nike sneakers. Maybe you have seen women wear them to create a contrasting, fashion-forward look with their dress. Who could forget the episode of Entourage with Turtle and DJ AM fighting for the last pair of Fukijamas. This is the sneakerhead culture of today.

The game started with Adidas and Nike running the show. Spike Lee Mars Blackmon in an iconic moment of the Nike Swoosh, during his film She’s Gotta Have It in 1986. Bob Marley with his famous Adidas shot in the woods in 1976. The Run DMC group rapped their way to an endorsement deal with the song My Adidas in 1986 and eventually into their own footwear line too. Marty McFly rocked the Nike Air Mag during Back to the Future: Part II in 1989, which was finally created and released in 2011. Highest charity auction ended at $37,500; with all proceeds donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

In the more recent years, the sneakerhead scene went viral. Causing mass hysteria from the casual collector to the extreme collector with 500 pairs and counting. Just ten years ago, you could walk into a mom and pop shop or Niketown store, buy a few pairs and be home within hours. Now, serious fanatics camp out on the sidewalks and streets [literally with tents] for two to three days before a release, just to get one or two pairs, depending on the limit. Remember the Michael Jordan’s “Air Jordan” collection around the holidays? Mad frenzy getting online and in stores to score a pair!

Artist collaborations release every few months, some made up to only 100 to 1000 pairs. Shoes are embellished with vibrant colors, variety of material, artwork, and maybe an embroidered symbol on the outer rear side. Sneaker companies collaborated with designer companies: Nike Air for Cole Haan, John Varvatos for Converse, Adidas Y-3 x MOMO and Alexander McQueen for Puma. The Air Jordan brand released retroed versions of Michael Jordan’s original line and, like always, sold out within hours. This left thousands of his fans disappointed and turning to other sources to obtain a pair [or five]. Scouring eBay for the lowest prices, Facebook or NikeTalk friends for extra pairs, going to the nearest Flight Club… The hunt begins.

A limited edition shoe value can range anywhere from $200 to $20,000. The main rule of thumb: Buy two or more, rock one and keep the rest brand new, dead stock. Maybe even save just one for a special occasion. Like art and real estate, the value increases throughout the years, so keeping your 1985 Michael Jordan I Originals, brand new in box, can buy you a new car in 2012. On the other hand, there are people willing to sell their own cars for a few pairs of Galaxy Foamposites. Stark collectors will give anything for their latest holy grail.

The sneakerhead culture has rapidly evolved over the decades, but one thing goes unchanged, collectors will remain dedicated to the game. So next time you buy a niche-like sneaker or find one deep in your closet, research before wearing it to the park. You may be able to trade them for a coveted Christian Louboutin in a few years.

Notably famous releases:

• Nike Air Force II Low: Espo Signed Artist Series (2004). Retail value: $150 | Resell value: $950
• Air Jordan XI & VI Retro: Defining Moments Pack (2006). Retail value: $590 | Resell value: $1,400
• Nike Dunk High: Wu-Tang Clan (1999). Retail value: N/A | Resell value: $5,000
• Nike Dunk Low Pro SB: Supreme/Black Cement (2002). Retail value: $150 | Resell value: $1,000
• All dead stock in a sneakerhead’s home: NOT FOR SALE

An exclusive by Heather Lascano, first published in the July-Sept 2012 edition of Shoeholics magazine. All rights reserved

Strassing And All That Jazz

If you haven’t heard about Strassing yet, you haven’t explored a whole world of possibilities of shoe transformation, enhancement and adornment.

Strass and Strassing

Going to the dictionary definition, strass refers to flint glass with a high lead content that is used to imitate precious stones. It is also a synonym for ‘rhinestone’ taking the name from its inventor Georg Friedrich Strass. Now the concept of strass has evolved into ‘strassing’, which is the use of Swarovski crystals to beautify shoes.

Increasingly those who love their shoes and want to own a beautiful, one of a kind pair are using crystal embellishments to make a shoe statement like no other. It is about wearing a work of art, of upping the intrinsic worth of a shoe not just because of how stunningly they can be transformed but also because of having added to the shoes, crystals that are highly valuable by themselves.

The options and the permutations and combinations that can be achieved are literally limitless. The options in terms of the kind of shoes used, the sort of heels they have, their color and their material provide a sort of canvass on which the artist is to paint a masterpiece.

Then, using different gluing techniques and picking from a mind boggling variety of stunning stones: a wide selection in terms of color, size and brilliance, the crystals, which add sparkle, definition and texture; transform a mere shoe into a veritable work of art that spells luxury and class!

Beads, flat backs, rounded stones, sew on stones, buttons, crystal pearls, metal trimmings, crystal fabric, crystal transfers can all create stunning effects.

It is possible to add crystals to the entire shoe or to just a part of the shoe to create interesting shades and contrasts.

Strassing with crystals

Shoe collectors know all about the legend of Christian Louboutin and his resolve to make a woman look sexy, beautiful, to make her legs look as long as [he] can. Principally responsible for the return of the stiletto in the 1990’s and the 2000s, he has brought us the epitome of the dress shoe, replete with bows, feathers, bejeweled straps, and stunning patent leather finishes.

The luxury and glamour that are associated with Louboutin’s designs lend themselves naturally to strassing or the crystallizing process with fabulous results. This is not to say that only Louboutin’s designs will work for strassing; far from it.

It is good quality shoes – peep toes, pumps and any other suitable style – that is the requirement. Quality raw materials, sound construction and exquisite design all go into making that quality shoe. It doesn’t even have to be a brand new shoe; pre-owned, high-end shoes will work just as well for strassing.

The surface of the shoe matters for how successful the strassing will be. Leather and satin finishes work very well and these can also be painted to a base shade identical to or close to the crystal colors that one may want.

Who’s Strassing

An increasing number of professionals and DIY enthusiasts, that’s who! You just have to visit an online forum or two like purseblog.com to know how much of a rage strassing is! Forum commentators discuss the type of shoes that form the base of their project, the type of crystals they use and how many will be required given the size, the type of gluing process they use (some use Barge Cement some use Gem-tac glue), and the amount of time the entire project will take.

Strassers offer each other tips and pointers for their projects and also help by posting pictures of the work in progress and finally the finished project. Discussions also involve the process of using combinations of different sizes of crystals: using smaller sized crystals to fill in any of the gaps left over by the larger ones.

A forum such as weddingbee.com also has threads dedicated to DIY strassing projects since many brides to be, want that very special shoe for that very special day. The best deals for buying the crystals and where to source them from are other topics of discussion on these forums.

And it isn’t just the girls either who are strassing and getting a kick out of their sparkly shoes. Guys are doing it too! Mark MacKillop, singer, actor, model and dancer is also a shoe lover. He was featured in the April-June 2012 edition in one of his perfectly self-strassed shoes. Not only does he enjoy high heeled shoes (and a growing tribe of men do this), he successfully strassed thousands of dollars worth of Swarovski crystals on to a pair of gray Oxfords from Kenneth Cole. Like any woman would, he enjoys making an entrance as well; with all eyes on him in those stunning footwear creations that are the result of his own toil!

Strassing can be time consuming and can require a lot of skills. So for those of you who fear soiling or spoiling expensive shoes with clumsy attempts and glue stains, there is always an option to submit the pair to professionals to let them do all the work. You have to be prepared to brave the exuberant cost in the thousands of dollars to cover time, labor and cost of materials. Needless to say, you can always settle for the retail store versions for just about the same price, also in the thousands of dollars. To self-strass is a matter of time consumption; DIY derives a custom-made color theme versus retail cost for an already made color theme dictated by the designer for the season.

If opting to brave the odds with the DIY route, professionals do point out that the shoe surfaces that work best for strassing are suede, satin, calfskin/nappa or laminato leather and that the laminato leather works best because the sheen of the shoe disguises the glue perfectly. Patent leather is unable to absorb glue and so is not advisable.

Several channels on YouTube offers glimpses of stunning strassing projects, using principally, shoes from Christian Louboutin, Yves Saint Laurent, Gianmarco Lorenzi and Giuseppe Zanotti pairs. Again it isn’t just the women who look to add sparkles to their collection, men also realize the amazing things that strassing can do to their shoes. Strassing is also a great way to give an old pair a “face lift” from the old worn out form it had been before. So consider this before you toss out an old favored pair.

Strassing is something that you can do or get done to your prized shoes in order that you can fall in love with them…. All over again!

Featured shoes in the article: A classic Yves Saint Laurent Tribtoo suede pumps every inch of the surface embellished entirely, in various sizes, with genuine Swarovski crystals. Strassing and photo by Editor-in-Chief & Creative Director Tinu, which she completed in between work deadlines and daily work schedules. Total time of completion of a full pair, 68 hours! We really don’t know how she does it!

An exclusive by Denise Waller, first published in the July-Sept 2012 edition of Shoeholics magazine. All rights reserved