Walking on air

Published:  07 May, 2009

These days, comfort no longer has to be sacrificed on the altar of style. Advances in science and technology have led to a new generation of footwear brands that specifically market comfort, offering a wider fit which many people of all ages need, but, with younger, more active and fashionable styles.

That is not to say that this traditional specialist market - people with problem feet who are elderly or otherwise - isn't still a large and viable one. An ageing population ensures that extra roomy variants to help soothe the wide range of ailments that increase with age will always be in demand.

However, whatever the ravages of time have wrought on their feet, most senior citizens want comfortable shoes that take account of the years of wear and tear without looking as though they've been kitted out by the NHS.

As it enters its autumn years Britain's ageing Sixties generation needs a footwear industry that puts a spring in its step. For some the odd bunion, in growing toenail or arthritis is not going to deter them from hiking in the Himalayas or dancing the night away on a cruise ship in the tropics.

There is less excuse nowadays for hobbling around with bad feet as modern comfort shoes can banish the problems that cause the discomfort. Many comfort shoe brands offer features such as anatomical footbeds, or insoles, that can make your feet more comfortable and improve your posture, eliminating back pain.

An example of this being the Hotter ‘Comfort Concept' ‘Dream' trainer, designed to cushion the knees and back, perfect for any form of exercise or even just running around the town. In addition, the cool ventilated footbed with air holes means that feet will always be able to breathe. Hotter shoes are recommended by 12,000 of the UK's top podiatrists.

The Italian comfort brand Geox not only provides the fashion forward answer to this summer's footwear conundrum, but also back up their design with tiptop technical appeal. The Geox experience offers the wearer a revolution in patented breathable technology. Micro-holes let perspiration from the feet out of the shoes, and the protective breathable membrane keeps water out and the feet dry.

The process is made possible as the membrance's micro-pore are larger than water vapor molecules, but smaller than water droplets - this creates the ideal microclimate inside any Geox shoe. The technology enables feet to stay cool in the summer in breathable footwear. As Geox states, the humidity is eliminated from the inside of the shoe, making the footwear more hygienic.

Another example of science driven design is the German brand Caprice, who are renowned for their innovative comfort footwear technology, called "Walking on Air" that is patented throughout Europe. Caprice has adapted the natural curve of the heel for fashionable all leather comfort shoes - "as if walking barefoot" - and the flexible sole, insole and upper work together to provide a feeling of lightness.

Additional features include optimal moisture reduction during and after wear, insulation against cold and heat and cushioning providing up to 62% less pressure than conventional shoes. Also, up to 50% more shock absorbency, due to the pneumatic chambers and stabilisers in the heel, which work to help reduce the pressure exerted during walking on the spine, discs and joints.

The ethical footwear brand Terra Plana, goes back to basics with its Vivo Barefoot range. The brand philosophy is based on the principle that being barefoot is the healthiest and most natural way for your feet. An ultra thin puncture resistant sole flexes under the foot like an extra layer of skin, allowing all the benefits of walking barefoot, whilst protecting feet from the city streets.

The ultimate anti-shoe, the manufacturers claim that Vivo Barefoot provides protection with the added health benefits of going barefoot, including strengthening muscles in the feet, realigning natural posture and stimulating nerve endings, enhancing sensory perception.

Another brand intent on promoting a return to nature, with the underlying assurance of cosiness you would expect from a comfort shoe, is Padders. Full leather socks and linings cosset the foot in comfort while the sporty sole absorbs impacts, so the feet don't have to. Contemporary designs using a warm, earthy colour palette - loam browns and forest greens - evoke a calming autumnal feel, while the contrasting stitching on the nubuck and waxy leathers leave an essence of ethnic influences, appealing to a wide age range.

Recommended by foot health professionals, the ‘easy b' range from DB Shoes has, up until recently, offered the largest choice of shoes in the UK in EE, 4E and 6E fittings. DB has responded to customer feedback and is pleased to announce the introduction of a new 8E fitting in their popular styles, ‘Rowena', ‘Phoebe' and ‘Fife'.

The 8E fitting provides the widest and deepest volume produced shoe available in the UK. Research shows that there is an ever-growing market for wider fitting shoes that, to date, multiple retailers have chosen to ignore. The ‘easy b' range offers a choice of styles and colours in all widths, combining contemporary styling with superior foot health qualities throughout. Features include leather uppers, soft padded collars; a removable sock with Poron inserts for total underfoot comfort, seam free linings and a lightweight, flexible sole.

Fidelio, the Austrian producer of wide fitting mules, sandals and clogs for the comfort shoe market, has widened its appeal. The distributor Evercare has successfully penetrated the market using the Hallux bunion sandal, which is now recommended by over 1000 healthcare professionals.

Hallux provides a proven solution to the common bunion foot problem. In addition to many other features, the sandals have a stretchable insert that significantly relieves pressure upon bunions. The Fidelio range is made from top quality materials that feature anatomically designed insoles, which are anti-slip, shock absorbent, air cushioned.

At Moshulu no one believes that you have to sacrifice comfort when looking for stylish colourful shoes. This season their best selling style La Rochelle - a leather wedged bar shoe with contrasted coloured upper and punched detail on a flexi driving style outstole, available in ice and pistachio (heel height 3cm) - is a prime example of a shoe that feels as comfortable as a slipper, yet looks amazing.

Moshulu is renowned for having the most colourful collection on the high street - but their over riding passion is to produce shoes that are bang up to the minute - whilst being the most comfortable they can possibly be.

Daryl Fulls of Moshulu is only too aware of the demands of the modern marketplace: "Retailers only have 15 seconds to sell a pair of shoes- in that 15 seconds a customer has decided if they like the look, if they like the colour, and if they are comfortable or not - if not then they are back on the shelf.

"Gone are the days of breaking shoes in - now your customers want comfort - and they want it immediately", says Fulls.

CONTACTS:

Hotter ‘Comfort Concept' Shoes:

Clive Leverett
Tel: 0800 0183412
www.hotter.com

Geox:

www.geox.co.uk

Caprice:

Stephen Joseph
Tel: 07734 247 669/020 8447 3956
www.capriceshoes.co.uk

Fidelio:

Michael Woolf
Tel: 07971 470 549
Email: mike@meanfeet.com

Terra Plana, Vivo Barefoot:

Tel: 0207 4073758
Email: 124bermondsey@terraplana.com

Moshulu:

T. 01404 540770
www.moshulu.co.uk

Padders

Tel: 01536 534977
Email: info@padders.co.uk

DB Shoes 

Tel: 01933 359217
www.dbshoes.co.uk

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