Amazon Hires 3 Women to try on their new line of Dress Shoes

by Jacob Fassman Tuesday, 08 May 2012 Category Shoes

Amazon acquires Zappos.com and now trying to lead in the online fashion industry including women's dress shoes.

Amazon Leaps Into High End of the Fashion Pool

Matthew Ryan Williams for The New York Times

Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s chief executive, says the company’s new effort is not about selling clothes at deep discounts but at prices that ensure “the designer brands are happy.”

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD

Published: May 7, 2012

SEATTLE — Amazon is so serious about its next big thing that it hired three women to do nothing but try on size 8 shoes for its Web reviews. Full time.

The online retailer is shooting 3,000 fashion images a day in a photo studio using patent-pending technology.

And it is happily losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year on free shipping — and, on apparel, even free returns — to keep its shoppers coming back.

Having wounded the publishing industry, slashed pricing in electronics and made the toy industry quiver, Amazon is taking on the high-end clothing business in its typical way: go big and spare no expense.

“It’s Day 1 in the category,” Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s chief executive, said in a recent interview. Though characteristically tight-lipped on bottom-line details, Mr. Bezos said the company was making a “significant” investment in fashion to convince top brands that it wanted to work with them, not against them.

The traditional retail world — and many major brands that want no part of Amazon — are gearing up to fight for their lives.

“It has the latitude to set prices and charge whatever it wants,” Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst for Forrester Research, said of Amazon. “That is a huge threat for brands.”

Amazon has sold clothing for years. But recently it has focused on signing on hundreds of contemporary and high-end brands, including Michael Kors, Vivienne Westwood, Catherine Malandrino, Jack Spade and Tracy Reese, and it continues to prowl for more. On Monday, some of Amazon’s muscle was on display as the company sponsored, and live-streamed, the Costume Institute Benefit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the accompanying exhibit. Mr. Bezos, the event’s honorary chairman, said that he was advised by Anna Wintour, Vogue’s editor, to wear a pocket square with his Tom Ford tuxedo (which is not available on Amazon). He did so.

Amazon’s decision to go after high fashion is about plain economics. Because Amazon’s costs are about the same whether it is shipping a $10 book or a $1,000 skirt, “gross profit dollars per unit will be much higher on a fashion item,” Mr. Bezos said, and it already makes money on fashion. While its MyHabit site, started last year, uses a flash-sale model to compete with Gilt Groupe, Mr. Bezos says the company’s new effort is not about selling clothes at deep discounts but at prices that ensure that “the designer brands are happy.”

Amazon has not just size on its side but money. The company has about $5.7 billion in cash and marketable securities, and Mr. Bezos has long taken a stance that investing in the business is the best place to use it. The company can afford to do things that some competitors cannot, like hire a bevy of stylists for the Web site models or investigate replacing the plain brown shipping box with a fancier package for clothes.

Until now, fashion has been one of the few categories that Amazon has tried to dominate without success. In addition to its own site, Amazon bought the shoe site Zappos.com for more than $1 billion in 2009, started the shoe site Endless.com and MyHabit, and bought the boutique Shopbop in 2006.

But many brands stayed away because they said Amazon’s site often looked too commoditized. “It’s not a place where you look at it and are like, ‘Oh, my clothes look and feel really good,’ ” said Andy Dunn, founder of the men’s fashion brand Bonobos, which does not sell through Amazon.

Amazon hopes to fix that problem by going luxe. Mr. Bezos said Amazon.com’s initial forays into the high end had helped raise apparel sales by triple digits.

Amazon’s considerable computing capability, for example, has been turned to fashion and the analysis of enormous amounts of shopping data. The company has also made a “disproportionate” investment in photography, said Cathy Beaudoin, the president of fashion for Amazon. The photography studio, in Kentucky, can shoot more than two images a minute, allowing the company to post new items daily on the Web that were photographed hours earlier.

Most of all, the company is working to improve its presentation, so far most evidently on MyHabit, which Mr. Bezos said represented where Amazon wanted to go with all of its Web design for fashion.

Instead of static product images, for example, models spin and pose to show off the clothing. The model’s body measurements and the clothing measurements are provided to help with sizing. And shopper-friendly advice — does the size 8 shoe run big or small? — is prominent.

The ramp-up has created buzz as the company has hired models, stylists and makeup artists, started using customer data to personalize brand and size search results, and run the first advertisement campaign ever, in print and outdoors, for the Amazon clothing store.

In the retail clothing world, fears are growing that few will be able to compete with a stepped-up Amazon.

For some brands, the company’s size alone makes an overture from Amazon difficult to reject. “The amount of eyeballs and traffic and retail dollars that are generated through their Web site” is impressive, said Alex Bhathal, co-president of Raj Manufacturing, which makes licensed swimwear brands like Ella Moss.

Amazon can also offer brands more attractive terms than many other stores. For instance, Amazon does not ask for “markdown money” when items do not sell, or return unsold product to a brand, said Ron Friedman, an accountant at Marcum L.L.P. who advises brands like James Perse and American Rag.

And to woo brands, Amazon is willing to make big buys. Jason Cauchi, the creative director of Dallin Chase, had been selling some merchandise to Amazon’s Shopbop. Recently Amazon said it would buy items from the entire collection, which Mr. Cauchi said was a rare offer and difficult to refuse.

A retailer like Amazon would typically pay brands a wholesale price for clothes, then set the retail price itself (although more powerful brands often mandate a minimum retail price).

While brands sell some of the same items to different stores, they are increasingly developing exclusive colors or styles to avoid price-comparison issues. “A manufacturer does not want to kill a business, and the best way to kill a business is to have the same product selling for less on Amazon,” Mr. Friedman, the retail accountant, said.

But Mr. Bezos said that, despite having taken a low-price approach in other industries, Amazon would not in fashion. “There’s a sophisticated markdown cadence in the fashion industry that we think makes sense and we’re basically following that established approach,” he said.

There are many disbelievers, given Amazon’s history in other industries. Mr. Bezos, moreover, has to deal with the fact that he is no fashion guy. Asked in the interview about the brands he was wearing, Mr. Bezos could not name the brands of his shirt or shoes, which he said he bought in New York years ago. The jeans, he said, were Prada (not available on Amazon); his blue “Jeff” security badge was dangling from them.

From www.nytimes.com

Tags: zappos, amazon, women's shoes

Put the "Spring" Back in Your Step

by Dr. Diana Tsombaris Monday, 12 March 2012 Category Shoes

With weather in the 70's this week, many are riffling through their closets to find their favorite pair of sandals. In order to avoid "sandal scandal" this Spring, be sure to follow the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) tips below:

Flats & Slides: Most provide inadequate cushioning and support. Avoid prolonged wearing and consider adding a cushioned insert for added support. Select a sole that doesn't twist.
Gladiator & Strappy Sandals: May cause irritation between toes and callus build up around the heel. Lack support an shock absorption. Select natural leather and be sure that toes and heel are not falling over thee edge of the sole.
Platform & High Heels: May cause pain in the ball of the foot and ankle injuries. Wear heels less than 2 in. high
Wedge & Espadrille Sandals: May cause ankle injury. Try a wide, flat or stacked wedge with a rubber sole.
Peep-toe Sandals: Excessive pressure on the toes and forefoot. These may irritate Bunions, Hamertoes and Neuromas. Wear only for short periods of time.
Ankle Wrap Sandals: Lack of ankle support and friction which leads to blistering. Try leather, cotton or silk straps. Do not wrap straps to tight.

If you are experiencing persistent pain, please call 856-691-2152, for a preferred appointment with Dr. Markizon, Dr. Trang, Dr. Fassman or Dr. Tsombaris.

For more fun sandal and flip-flop facts please visit www.apma.org

Tags: Dr. Tsombaris, Dr. Fassman, Dr. Trang, Dr. Markizon, ankle wrap sandal, peep-toe sandal, espadrille, wedge sandal, high heels, platform, strappy sandal, gladiator sandal, slides, flats, Sandals

Like to Wear High heels...beware

by Jacob Fassman Friday, 27 January 2012 Category Shoes

NY Times Article on High Heels

January 25, 2012, 12:01

AMA Scientific Look at the Dangers of High HeelsBy GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

January 25, 2012, 12:01 AM

A Scientific Look at the Dangers of High Heels

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

Illustration by Henrik Sorensen

Not long ago, Neil J. Cronin, a postdoctoral researcher, and two of his colleagues at the Musculoskeletal Research Program at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, were having coffee on the university’s campus when they noticed a young woman tottering past in high heels. “She looked quite uncomfortable and unstable,” Dr. Cronin says.

Some observers, particularly women, might have winced in sympathy or, alternatively, wondered where she’d bought stilettos. But the three researchers, men who study the biomechanics of walking, were struck instead by the scientific implications of her passage. “We began to consider what might be happening at the muscle and tendon level” in women who wear heels, Dr. Cronin says.

How shoes affect human gait is a controversial topic these days. The popularity of barefoot running, for instance, has grown in large part because of the belief, still unproven, that wearing modern, well-cushioned running shoes decreases foot strength and proprioception, the sense of how the body is positioned in space, and contributes to running-related injuries.

Whether high heels might likewise affect the wearer’s biomechanics and injury risk has received scant scientific attention, however, even though millions of women wear heels almost every day. So, in one of the first studies of its kind, the Australian scientists recruited nine young women who had worn high heels for at least 40 hours a week for a minimum of two years. The scientists also recruited 10 young women who rarely, if ever, wore heels to serve as controls. The women were in their late teens, 20s or early 30s.

The scientists asked the heel-wearing women to bring their favorite pair of high-heeled shoes to the lab. There, both groups of women were equipped with electrodes to track leg-muscle activity, as well as motion-capture reflective markers. Ultrasound probes measured the length of muscle fibers in their legs.

All of the women strode multiple times along a 26-foot-long walkway that contained a plate to gauge the forces generated as they walked. The control group covered the walkway 10 times while barefoot. The other women walked barefoot 10 times and in their chosen heels 10 times.

It was obvious, as the scientists had suspected watching the woman during their coffee break, that the women habituated to high heels walked differently from those who usually wore flats, even when the heel wearers went barefoot. But the nature and extent of the differences were surprising. In resultspublished last week in The Journal of Applied Physiology, the scientists found that heel wearers moved with shorter, more forceful strides than the control group, their feet perpetually in a flexed, toes-pointed position. This movement pattern continued even when the women kicked off their heels and walked barefoot. As a result, the fibers in their calf muscles had shortened and they put much greater mechanical strain on their calf muscles than the control group did.

In that control group, the women who rarely wore heels, walking primarily involved stretching and stressing their tendons, especially the Achilles tendon. But in the heel wearers, the walking mostly engaged their muscles.

That biomechanical distinction is important, says Dr. Cronin, who is now a researcher at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland. “Several studies have shown that optimal muscle-tendon efficiency” while walking “occurs when the muscle stays approximately the same length while the tendon lengthens. When the tendon lengthens, it stores elastic energy and later returns it when the foot pushes off the ground. Tendons are more effective springs than muscles,” he continues. So by stretching and straining their already shortened calf muscles, the heel wearers walk less efficiently with or without heels, he says, requiring more energy to cover the same amount of ground as people in flats and probably causing muscle fatigue.

The obvious question raised by the findings, though, is so what? Does it fundamentally matter if a woman’s calf muscle fibers shorten and she neglects her tendons while walking, especially if she loves the looks of her Louboutins?

That question is difficult for a biomechanist to answer, Dr. Cronin admits. Aesthetics are outside the realm of his branch of science. But the risk of injury is not. “We think that the large muscle strains that occur when walking in heels may ultimately increase the likelihood of strain injuries,” he says. (This risk is separate from the chances that a woman, if unfamiliar with heels, may topple sideways and twist an ankle or bruise her self-image, which is an acute injury and happened to me only the one time.)

The risks extend to workouts, when heel wearers abruptly switch to sneakers or other flat shoes. “In a person who wears heels most of her working week,” Dr. Cronin says, the foot and leg positioning in heels “becomes the new default position for the joints and the structures within. Any change to this default setting,” he says, like pulling on Keds or Crocs, constitutes “a novel environment, which could increase injury risk.”

It should be noted, he adds, that in his study, the volunteers “were quite young, average age 25, suggesting that it is not necessary to wear heels for a long time, meaning decades, before adaptations start to occur.”

So, if you do wear heels and are at all concerned about muscle and joint strains, his advice is simple. Try, if possible, to ease back a bit on the towering footwear, he says. Wear high heels maybe “once or twice a week,” he says. And if that’s not practical or desirable, “try to remove the heels whenever possible, such as when you’re sitting at your desk.” The shoes can remain alluring, even nestled beside your feet

Tags: achilles tendonitis, high heels

Can High Heels Cause Headaches?

by Dr. Diana Tsombaris Monday, 07 November 2011 Category Shoes

Over the summer Congresswoman Michele Bachmann made a correlation between migraine headaches and wearing high-heeled shoes. Her son, Dr. Lucas Bachmann, a medical resident at the University of Connecticut, confirmed that his mother in fact noticed a connection between days she wears heels and the onset of migraines.

Medical experts commented and the general consensus was that a direct link between the two is unlikely.

Running a presidential campaign is certainly stressful and a possible source of migraines. Also, if she suffers from neck and back pain, this could be exacerbated by wearing high heels.

Typical side effects of wearing high-heeled shoes include bunion and hammertoe deformities, and nerve entrapment in the ball of the foot called Neuroma.

Tags: neuroma, hammertoe, bunion, migraines, high heels, Michelle Bachmann

Fall into Fashion: Boot Tips for Fall/Winter 2011

by Dr. Diana Tsombaris Wednesday, 02 November 2011 Category Shoes

Fall is officially here! A comfortable, stylish boot is the perfect accessory for the season. Follow these simple tips and your feet will thank you.

Choose a boot made from natural materials such as leather. Leather expands and contracts depending on the temperature. It allows for air flow and will keep your feet dry. Synthetic materials are less forgiving. They lead to an increase incidence of blisters. They don't allow your feet to breath, which causes increased sweating and potential for fungal infections such as Athlete's foot. ** Look on the inside of the boot: the "upper material" should be stamped on the inside **
Choose a round or square toebox. Be sure to leave room for your toes! Most riding, rain, and snow boots come with a rounded toe. Dress boots come with a variety of toeboxes (pointed/narrow, round, square). Avoid Cowboy boots which are narrow through the front and can crowd toes and cause blisters.
Choose your heel wisely. Avoid heels over 2 inches high. Any higher will shift the weight to the ball of the foot which will cause pain, tingling and numbness. A stacked heel or wedge helps alleviate pressure through the front of the foot.
Choose a boot that fits an arch support. Whether you prefer a dress or casual style, most boots will accommodate an insert. I do not recommend wearing an UGG boot without an insert. Bring the insert with you when trying on boots.

Some other general tips include having your feet measured and always buying for the larger foot. There is no such thing as a "break-in" period, so if the shoe or boot is not comfortable immediately move on to the next pair.

Happy shopping!

Tags: Boots, Shoes, shoe tips

Tone-up/Shape-up sneakers

by Jacob Fassman Thursday, 29 September 2011 Category Shoes

Those fancy Reebok sneakers that promise better legs and a better behind “with every step” may be just like every other sneaker, federal regulators said Wednesday, and Reebok International is liable for $25 million in customer refunds for making false claims about its EasyTone line.
Just wearing the sneakers, Reebok said, would tone and strengthen a customer’s legs 11 percent better than regular walking shoes and sculpt bottoms 28 percent better.Last year, a study financed by the American Council on Exercise and carried out by researchers at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, found that three types of toning shoes, including EasyTones, offered no greater muscle activation or calorie-burning than ordinary gym shoes.

“There is simply no evidence to support the claims that these shoes will help wearers exercise more intensely, burn more calories or improve muscle strength and tone,” the authors concluded
Tags: Untagged

Barefoot Running and Minimalist Shoes

by Dr. Diana Tsombaris Tuesday, 13 September 2011 Category Shoes

Barefoot running has exploded over the last year. The theory behind this trend is that an unrestricted foot leads to strengthening of small muscles, increased flexibility and prevention of injury.

Most podiatrists cringe at the thought of barefoot running, as this may lead to trauma (ie. stepping on broken glass, gravel and other debris), stress fractures and tendon/ligament injury.

If you are considering running barefoot or in a minimalist shoe, you MUST start slowly. An abrupt transition is sure to cause injury.

Minimalist shoes to cosider include Vibram Five Fingers, Merrell, Saucony and Brooks.

You may also want to read the book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall.

Tags: Barefoot running, Minimalist shoes

Pregnant Stars Wearing Stilettos

by Dr. Diana Tsombaris Wednesday, 07 September 2011 Category Shoes

Celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Rachel Zoe, Kate Hudson and Alicia Keys won't give up their stilettos, even during pregnancy. These pregnant fashionistas have been photographed in heels as high as 5 inches! Victoria Beckham reportedly suffered a slipped disc in her back as a result of wearing sky-high heels.

A woman's body changes in shape and size during pregnancy. Curvature of the spine leads to low back pain, as well as a loss of center of gravity, which can lead to falls. This can be exacerbated by wearing high heels.

Flats and small heels (less than 2 inches) are ideal. The bottom line is listen to your body and wear what is comfortable.

Tags: Victoria Beckham, stilettos, pregnant

Back-to-School Shoe Tips

by Dr. Diana Tsombaris Monday, 22 August 2011 Category Shoes

Your kids may be ready for the start of a new school year, but are their feet? Labor Day is fast approaching and school children all over the country will be making the transition from Crocs, sandals and flip-flops to sneakers, boots and dress shoes.

A new pair of shoes is one of the most important items on any back-to-school list.

When shopping for shoes, keep the following in mind:

Measure your child's feet, as shoe size may change every few months.
Look for natural materials such as leather, this will expand and contract, cause less irritation/friction and allow the foot to breath.
Never hand down shoes. Shoes fit each individual differently. You can also prevent spread of fungal infections such as athlete's foot.
Check the heel for wear. If this is uneven, your child may have a foot problem and will need to be evaluated by a podiatrist.
Always buy for the larger foot.
There is no such thing as a "break-in" period. Shoes should be comfortable from the start.
Bring socks when trying on shoes.

Let the shopping begin!!

Tags: shoe tips, back-to-school

Snooki Launches Flip-Flop Line

by Dr. Diana Tsombaris Wednesday, 06 July 2011 Category Shoes

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi of MTV's Jersey Shore will be launching a line of flip-flops due out this fall. If you want to look good , but be pain free this summer simply follow the tips below.

When shopping for flip-flops be sure to choose a pair made from natural materials. Leather expands and contracts and is less likely to cause friction which can lead to blisters. Inspect the base of the flop, making sure that it has a built in arch support. Bend the front of the flip-flop, it should bend where the toes bend naturally, not in the middle of the sole. Also, be sure to wear the appropriate size. Your toes and/or heel should not be haning over the edge.

Avoid wearing flip-flops while playing sports, doing yard work, or while walking and standing for extended periods of time.

Brands to look for include Fit Flop Limited, Chaco, Birkenstock, Dansko, SOLE, Reef and Rainbow.

Tags: flip-flop

Foot Care Centers has joined CROCS Rx!

by Dr. Diana Tsombaris Wednesday, 15 June 2011 Category Shoes

crocsrx

Go to the www.crocsrx.com website. Go to the patient's link and shop using the Foot Care Centers referral code 4011738 and receive 20% off of your purchase!

Our doctors are available to evaluate you and your foot care needs and would be happy to recommend a style.

For questions or more information on the Crocs Rx program please call Foot Care Centers at 856-691-2152.

Tags: crocs, foot care

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