Bata Shoe Museum to exhibit works of shoemaker and stiletto guru Roger Vivier

TORONTO - A Toronto museum says it will host the first North American exhibit dedicated to the work of Roger Vivier, the designer who brought the stiletto heel to the modern style masses.

The Bata Shoe Museum will unveil "Roger Vivier: Process to Perfection" on May 9.

The exhibit will centre around the working process of the famed shoemaker, including never-before-seen drawings.

The Bata Shoe Museum's Vivier holdings will be complemented by loans from institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Deutsch Ledermuseum in Germany as well as the Roger Vivier brand.

The late French designer was known for the bejewelled and elegantly sculptural shoes crafted throughout his career.

Vivier's career first took flight in the 1950s when he became the shoe designer for Christian Dior.

Following Dior's death, he continued to create footwear for the famed French fashion house, but set out on his own in 1964.

Vivier has been credited for the modern-day invention of the ultra-thin stiletto heel, dating back to 1954. He has also been the creative force behind countless other innovative shoe designs such as needle and comma heels.

He is known for the metal-buckled pilgrim shoes popularized by French film legend Catherine Deneuve in "Belle de Jour," the thigh-high boots made famous by former screen siren Brigitte Bardot, and the reintroduction of the platform shoe.

Golf gear: Shoes developed for runners, but prove good for golf

New on the market: ECCO's BIOM Hybrid, golf performance shoe.

The scoop: BIOM Hybrid combines ECCO Natural Motion technology with the company's patented, award-winning Golf Street outsole.

The result pairs the human body's evolutionary system for absorbing impact with a non-cleated shoe bottom that provides a high level of durability, comfort, traction and stability on or off the golf course.

Initially developed for the premium running market, ECCO's Natural Motion technology encourages players to land more toward the mid-foot than heel.

An extremely low profile brings a golfer's weight closer to the playing surface for more stability, ground feel, traction and swing power. Advanced outsole technology includes 100 molded, wear-resistant TPU traction bars that create more than 800 traction angles and have been shown to last five times longer than rubber.

A direct injection process unique to ECCO in the golf industry provides superior cushioning, stability and comfort via a one-piece shoe that's built without glue or stitching, Superior weather resistance with ECCO's Hydromax leather treatment keeps a player's feet dry and comfortable in all conditions. They are made of Tibetan Yak leather which is naturally soft, durable, smooth and is three times stronger than ordinary leathers.

The ECCO men's golf collection is worn in competition by several well-known players including former Masters champion Fred Couples and former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell.

What they cost: The BIOM Hybrid's are available now and carry an MSRP of $235.

Kate Middleton Sets Challenge for Shoe Design

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, may be getting a new, hot look in footwear. As part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Kate is set to choose her favorite from shoe designs submitted by six lucky students from a footwear design program of De Montfort University in Leicester, England. The sketches are already collected and waiting, reports People. March 8 is the appointed day—part of a train tour the duchess is making with her grandparents-in-law.

This could bring about a style change. Kate-watchers know that she is fond of nude and neutral shoes, often sticking to favorites such as her LK Bennett Sledge Courts. In fact, Kate Middleton's "Duchess Effect" has already crashed Bennett websites and sold    out stores. The classic high heel is modernized with a platform sole and the nude color is trendy. To a point.

But these custom designs leave "classic" and "neutral" in the design room waste basket. One student went for "cool and sexy". Could be great, but is that Kate Middleton's look? Another has incorporated pink leather and daisies in the sketch. Sounds cute, but doubtful. Another designer used Kate and Prince William's college-inspired tartan, and still another went super-retro, combining a 19th century look with hints of the sapphire engagement ring.

The Palace organized the competition, asking the university program for six designs. Other student fashion spreads will be displayed during the visit, but this shoe challenge features Kate Middleton, the fashion icon's personal choice. Winning could make a career. Will Kate leave classic behind? The students are hoping she will.

Eat, drink and be Mary at Hamburger Mary's in midtown

Hamburger Mary's, which opened last month in midtown, has plenty of conversation starters, should the need arise:

The décor. The interior is reminiscent of the Fox Theatre — but with more pink. Faux-marble columns, velvet curtains, a shiny chandelier and a grand piano accent the main bar and dining area; an upper-level sports bar has a more macho feel, including pool and foosball tables. We sat at a table decoupaged with French posters; other tabletops feature Madonna, comic books and Disney princesses.

The music. An eclectic playlist — Shania Twain, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Eiffel 65 (Google 'em; I'll wait) — prompted memories and fun stories from high school and college.

The menu. Before finally ordering, we spent a considerable amount of time giggling at the menu's double entendres and items named for gay icons.

While the lengthy drink list isn't groundbreaking — it leans heavily toward flavored vodkas — it has some interesting combinations, and our selections were delicious and well made: a Hurricane Mary ($7 for 16 ounces, $9 for 22 ounces; Bacardi O Rum, Meyer's Dark Rum, grenadine, cranberry, pineapple); a Scarlett O'Hara martini ($8; Southern Comfort, triple sec, cranberry, lime); a Karen Walker dirty martini ($8; Skyy vodka, olive juice); and a Sweet Buns martini ($8; Rum Chata, Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow). The beer selection is mostly domestic, with a few imports and craft brews.

For dinner, we tried a Barbra-Q Bacon Cheeseburger with fries ($9.75) and a St. Louis Blues Burger ($9.75) with onion rings (add $1) — filling with enough for leftovers.

The entertainment. Nothing was scheduled when we visited, but Hamburger Mary's has a lineup of bingo, karaoke, charity events and dinnertime drag shows. And a daily happy hour runs from 5 to 7 p.m.

The shoes. When it came time to settle up and depart, our bill arrived inside a glittery, ruby-red stiletto — something to talk about on the ride home.

The New Nike+ Is a Futuristic Sensor That Brings the Power of Nike’s Research Labs to Your Shoes

If you've ever played sports, you've always wanted to find a way to measure your athletic ability. How fast can you run? How high can you jump? Are you any good? The new Nike+ Sports Sensor puts a super smart sensor in your shoe that can measure all that. It's like wearing Nike's research labs on your feet.

Nike showed off the next evolution of Nike+ today and the highlight feature is the Nike+ Sports Sensor which seems a helluva lot like the future. The Sports Sensor is made from four different sensors inside the sole of your shoes and is strategically placed underneath your feet (big toe, heel, etc.) to spit out accurate readings. The sport sensor uses pressure data in combination with an accelerometer to calculate your movement, that way Nike+ Sports Sensor can measure how high your vertical jump is, how fast you're moving and how hard you're working all in real time.

One of the places Nike will insert a Nike+ Sports Sensor is in basketball shoes. Nike+ Basketball will let players pair their shoes with their iPhones (via Bluetooth) to see how their numbers stack up. It's like stats for amateurs, once you jump, your iPhone will show you how many inches you've lifted off the ground via the Nike Sports Sensor. You finally get to see how woeful your ups are!

The New Nike+ Is a Futuristic Sensor That Brings the Power of Nike's Research Labs to Your Shoes Possibly more exciting to the everyman is that the Nike+ Sports Sensor will be implemented in Training. The idea is that since most amateur athletes don't have the luxury of big research labs and/or professional trainers, Nike+ will try to re-create a similar capital T Training experience at home with Nike+ Trainer. Nike+ Trainer uses the sports sensor to collect data of your workouts to give you immediate feedback on what you're doing right and wrong. Like a digital trainer without the intimidating biceps.

It's not just pure reps and measurements though, Nike+ Trainer can actually build a workout schedule for you (via workout packs) and determine how intense your workout was. Also, Nike+ Trainer gives you video instructions on how to perform certain drills and offer workout games for you to compete with friends. If you have a Nike Fuelband, everything ties itself back to that as your workout is measured in Nike Fuel. On top of that, Nike+ Training will use the training routines of Nike's athletes too so you can train just like Manny Pacquiao and LeBron James. Minus their athleticism, of course.

Nike+ Training will be available June 29th in the Nike Hyper Workout for women and Nike TR 1 for men. Nike+ Basketball will be available in the next Nike Hyperdunk.

Australian women obsessed with shoes? Not so much

MEN, breathe a sigh of relief - your partner isn't spending as much as you think she is on shoes.

It seems not every Aussie woman is an aspiring Carrie Bradshaw, with a study revealing that on average Australian women only buy four pairs of shoes a year.

This is less than UK women who purchase eight pairs a year, but more than New Zealand and US women, who buy 3.8 and three pairs respectively.

While our British counterparts are big on quantity, they only spend $53 on average for a pair of heels. Aussies, it seems, are about the quality, spending an average of $70 per pair.

In Australia and New Zealand, the total amount spent on shoes every year falls with age; 25 to 34-year-olds spend about $333, 35 to 59-year-olds spend $312 annually, while those over 60 spend $205 every year. The research also revealed that 67 per cent of respondents buy shoes on sale, 12 per cent spend an average of more than $200 on a pair of shoes, while 76 per cent spend $100 or less.

Katarina Oliveri, 26, is unquestionably not in the latter category.

The Virgin Airlines ground crew worker from Green Valley in New South Wales has more than 120 pairs of shoes and identifies more with Imelda Marcos than the Sex And The City character. "Carrie was all about the brand, this is about the shoes," she said.

Ms Oliveri's obsession became so acute that she transformed a spare room, complete with a chandelier, into a purpose-built wardrobe to showcase her shoe collection.

Her designer Christian Louboutin heels sit next to $10 vintage bargains and high-street brands such as Aldo.

Roland Mouret Announces a Shoe Collection!

Shoe fans rejoice – Roland Mouret has announced that he will be launching a footwear line to be available for the next season!

Although not due in stores for a quite a few more months, the six styles he’s created for the line will be worn by the models at his Paris Fashion Week show on March 2nd, which will then grow to a “proper shoe collection” over the next few years.

So what can we expect from the designer of the genius Galaxy dress which sent the fashion world into a frenzy? Court shoes, T-strap shoes, thigh-high boots and ankle boots in a variety of materials including suede, lizard print leather and deerskin. And here’s a nice little detail that might just become as famous as the Louboutin red sole: an R shape will be visible when looking at the shoe on its side – very cool!

“These are shoes that women can wear day-in and day-out… They have a masculine feel, a daytime attitude, and they are not too precious. And, although they have a high heel, they are really comfortable. My challenge was to balance sexiness with comfort,” Roland told WWD.

Great everyday shoes that are just as pretty as they are comfy? We’re sold!

Next fall's styles hang tough

NEW YORK -- It's time for the well-heeled women who shop from New York Fashion Week runways to pull themselves up by their bootstraps -- preferably Christian Louboutins -- and carry off clothes rooted in strength, confidence and even toughness.

The fiercer, fitted looks for fall that were shown last week are a contrast to the flowing, airy silhouettes that dominated the spring season.

Structured pieces hang well on store racks -- and are flattering on many figures. "The military shapes and jackets give good shape to a woman, from her shoulders to her waist," said Adam Glassman, creative director of O, The Oprah Magazine.

Traditional fall hues like black, loden green, wine and plum have ruled the runways, but white has had a strong showing, too. Lela Rose showed an ivory silk crepe sheath, an ivory silk cloque dress with embroidered shoulders and a white silver mosaic embroidered dress.

Here's what some designers showed during Fashion Week, which concluded Thursday:

VICTORIA BECKHAM

Victoria Beckham offered a no-nonsense, tough-girl collection: shiny python shirt-style collars on second-skin dresses with gold hardware and zip-back striped sheaths. Interesting twists included dresses with epaulets but no sleeves to hang them on, and harness-style backs on dresses that had high necks in the front.

DKNY

For her DKNY brand, Donna Karan wrapped up models in high-neck aviator coats and fitted blazers but gave them flirty short skirts with bouncy hemlines. She put them in cozy collars and feminine bow-neck blouses.

Even more diversity came from the textures: embossed crocodile, shiny leather, cozy shearling, sexy sheers and slim twill.

CARMEN MARC VALVO

Carmen Marc Valvo offered a palette of ivory, black, camel and deep reds and browns and used illusion effects, with sheaths sparkling in sequins and insets in a suede python print. A python pattern was created from small double-face wool pieces sewn onto netting.

Valvo also went full-on fur in an ombre mink patchwork coat in a light camel with a darker back and in wide mink stoles wrapped around the necks of models. He used shaggy black goat fur on the sleeves of a jacket and feathered fox in oatmeal for a sumptuous vest.

TRACY REESE

Bold juniper green, lame in gold and violet and a tomato orange lit up Tracy Reese's runway in pants, dresses, skirts, sweaters and coats, long and short.

Reese heavily embellished sleeveless and short-sleeve cocktail dresses with metallic beading front and back. She put feminine fringe on loose, cozy sweaters and combination bowler-baseball caps on the heads of her models.

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

Diane von Furstenberg, who as president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America is the de facto leader of the U.S. fashion community, used jigsaw puzzle pieces as a prominent theme. There was a puzzle print on a pink sleeveless dress, and laser-cut pieces on a black embellished one.

Von Furstenberg alternated between sophisticated and sometimes smoldering jersey dresses in dark colors and fun cocktail numbers in bright, tropical shades of pink, lime green and blue.

THAKOON PANICHGUL

Thakoon Panichgul, a favorite of first lady Michelle Obama, designed a line heavy with bright neon colors and rich materials. Panichgul mixed the refined, like a black satin sleeved dress, with the modern -- a striking red and orange print he calls "neon beam."

Red leather, red lipstick and shiny red high heels were also prominent. He paired a fuchsia fur knit sweater with a raspberry patent skirt that had a paper bag waist.

DEREK LAM

Derek Lam offered lovely chunky but sleeveless sweaters on a cold day, one black, one white, each paired with a silk georgette evening skirt of the same color.

Lam also had an ivory shearling and a series of pea coats, in white or navy wool, or, even warmer, in shearling, plus a black-and-white tweed jacquard coat, paired with black lambskin trousers.

Other practical yet pretty and luxurious looks from Lam included shoes -- a gold patent leather oxford and a black lizard oxford with a gold toe. In prints, he favored both a floral satin -- in a jacket, a T-shirt and a coat -- and a paisley jacquard, in a black-and-white dress or T-shirt, or a gold-and-black skirt.

HOW TO: Walk in high heels

We've all seen it. In fact, we've probably all been there.

Ladies, have you ever witnessed someone struggling to walk gracefully in fabulous five-inch stilettos on a Friday or Saturday night? Have you been that girl who opts for her flats rather than her new, sexy heels on a night out simply because you are afraid that you won't be able to dance, walk, or even move at all?

There are so many adorable pairs of shoes that intimidate girls who think they cannot comfortably wear them, but this does not need to be the case.

Though formidable to those unaccustomed to wearing shoes with added height, stilettos do a magnitude of wonderful things for girls.

First, they give you an extra few inches, making you look more slender and creating a longer silhouette.

Second, you are getting a work out everywhere you go because high heels help tone calf muscles. Forget the leg machine at Breazzano Fitness Center or your morning jog, wear a pair of stilettos while cleaning your dorm room!

Third, a pair of heels can complete an outfit.  Union girls are known to be stylish, but a fabulous pair of shoes can drastically improve any outfit.

This weekend, throw on your favorite pair of stilettos and follow my simple guidelines for walking in high heels:

Break them in.  Do not wear a new pair straight out of the box.  You could end up with blisters, cuts, or discomfort all night. Wear them around your dorm until you feel more comfortable in your shoes.

Choose the right size. If your heels are too big, find a soft piece of material that you can shape to the front of the shoe and slip it in, creating a “shoe pad.”  This will give you that extra tightness you need. If the shoe is too tight, just don't wear it.

Be realistic. If you have never walked in heels before, don't go out and expect to be able to wear a seven-inch pair. If you are a virgin-heel-wearer, stick with around two or three inches at first and ease your way into it.

Take your shoes off while getting ready. Keeping anything on your feet for too long can make them start to ache.

Opt for a pair of heels with a platform in the front. Having a shoe with a flat front bottom leaves it too close to the pavement, causing it to ache. The extra platform helps balance out the shoes' height.

Don't focus on your shoes. The more you think about them, the more you are going to psych yourself into thinking that your toes are slowly getting crushed.  Pretend you know what your doing.

Have fun! Look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself how good those shoes look. The more positive your attitude about your shoes and your appearance, the better off you will feel.

Don't give up! Practice makes perfect. Wear them as much as possible.  Soon, wearing high heels will be a breeze!

Designer Evelyn Fox Launches New Collection of The World's Most Exclusive Designer Shoes

The new collection of crystal shoes designed by Evelyn Fox are showing up all over red carpets and are a perfect blend of style, beauty, attitude, and class. Evelyn Fox, a fashion savvy 23 year old model turned fashion entrepreneur invented the idea of selling the “world's most exclusive shoes” after falling in love with “strassed” crystal shoes. Strassing is the process of crystallizing shoes with crystals by placing each stone by hand. These designer shoes with pizzazz feature an amazing array of artfully arranged glittering gems that will turn heads from a mile away.

Using her creative genius, Evelyn decided to share her passion with the world by launching CrystalHeels.com. All of the customized designer shoes offered for sale on the site are handmade, individually numbered, limited edition pieces which come with their own certificate of authenticity. Crystal Heels? are, in essence, glamorous and wearable works of art for those with an eye for high-end fashion and haute couture.

Some of the customized designer shoes featured on the site include Fendi, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Sergio Rossi, Stuart Weitzman and Manolo Blahnik, amongst others. Each of these designers is famous for creating top of the line, one-of-a-kind fashions for Hollywood's most popular stars. Celebrities have also taken a liking to Crystal Heels? creations and include names such as Sharon Osbourne who donned a pair of Crystal Heels? custom YSL pink crystal shoes to the Golden Globe Awards just a few weeks ago.

Crystal Heels? has a shoe for every discerning woman, ranging from pumps to wedges and bridal shoes. "Every woman should be able to look like a star and now they can" says founder Evelyn Fox. These shoes are unlike anything you have ever seen and you have to see them to be able to understand just how special these shoes really are. Just one thing to remember ladies, this shoe dream may cost you a pretty penny!

Make sure your kids are wearing right shoes

When it comes to kids' school shoes, fashion should never trump fit.

Ill-fitting shoes cause problems such as heel pain and plantar fasciitis in young feet. Other common foot problems caused by improper footwear, like sprains and tendonitis, can require extended medical care.

"The importance of proper-fitting shoes at an early age is critical for growing bodies," says Dr. Ross Taubman, president of the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). "Simple foot injuries can inhibit a child's daily functions and growth, potentially affecting them for the rest of their lives."

So, how can parents judge a shoe's fit? The experts at the APMA offer these tips for back-to-school shoppers:

- Measure your child's foot. Children's feet grow often and unevenly, so measure each foot before your child starts to try on shoes. Feet swell throughout the day, so measure your child's feet in the late afternoon or evening. Your child should always stand while their feet are being measured. Always buy shoes that fit the largest of the child's two feet. Never buy shoes more than one size too large.

- Check the fit. When your child tries on shoes, make sure that they have 1/2 inch of room between the end of the toes and the tip of the shoe. What feels comfortable while standing might rub when a child walks or runs, so have them slowly walk around the store, making sure that the shoes' heels do not slip.

- Think about safety. Your little girl might look cute in Mary Janes, but even small heels make walking more difficult and can interfere with proper foot growth. New shoes should feel comfortable. Shoes should not require "breaking in." Choose shoes with tread on the soles, as these help prevent slipping. Breathable materials, like canvas, keep children's feet dry. Finally, shoes should contain stiff material around the heel cushioning and a built-in arch.

- Test the shoe. Boots and high-top sneakers better support small ankles, helping prevent sprains and twists. To test the shoe for proper function, flex the shoe in your hands. The ball of the shoe, not its middle, should bend.

Getting off on the right foot

If I were a car I'd be listed as a low mileage, classic early 70s model, showing some signs of rust, current WoF and rego, with one careful lady owner.

Either through good luck or good management I've never had any major injury breakdowns and I'd like to keep it that way.

Good shoes are an important part of keeping me happily running so I've enlisted the help of sports podiatrist Rob Dallimore. Dallimore has competed in triathlons since his teens, including completing the Ironman distance multiple times, so has about a squillion million kilometres of running on the clock too.

"Most of the injuries I see are from people who have worn shoes for too long, so the shoe has worn out, or have become really good friends with a brand of shoes or a model of shoes and continued with it year-in-year-out without considering they have changed over that time."

Dallimore says it is important to review running style and shoe choices whenever there have been any significant changes. Pregnancy is an obvious one for me, with hormones causing ligaments to temporarily soften, but stepping up mileage or losing just 5kg can have an effect on running style.

"The reality is that as soon as you start running you expose yourself to more force than you would normally. There is a very high chance you will develop some sort of injury but if you're on to it and you know what the warning signs are then you can avoid it."

First he takes a good look at my shoes: the Adidas Salvation. I've had them for a little over three years but they haven't been used much in that time. The wear pattern on the sole is even, neither showing excessive wear on the inner nor outer edges.

"Whoever prescribed you this shoe did a very good job," he says.

Yes, it's no accident I am in this pair of shoes. They were in fact picked for me at one of the specialist running shoe stores that include Shoe Science, Shoe Clinic and Smiths Sports Shoes after I'd had my running style analysed.

Even though my shoes haven't been worn much, Dallimore says a shoe has a finite life span. After two to three years the material begins to degrade, particularly if you've done a lot of running in the winter, he says.

"You draw a lot of moisture into the sole and they start losing a bit of life."

Dallimore recommends regularly checking your shoes for signs of wear. Pop them up on the kitchen bench see that they are sitting up at 90 degrees and not slopping to one side. Also see that the uppers aren't coming apart, particularly around the toe and heel areas.

After the shoe check it's time to look at my feet - both with and without my running shoes on. This involves standing still, on one leg and flexing my feet before sending me for a walk down the hallway and a jog on a treadmill.

He was able to pick up that I had done gymnastics as a kid, which gave my brain the ability to quickly receive and respond to messages from the foot due to a history of doing off-balance exercises. Swimming as a child had also given me good ankle flexibility. In theory I should have a powerful swim kick.

The upshot was my general biomechanics were "very, very good" and the shoes I was in were still working well.

Anyway, somewhere in my conversation I must have gotten all bedazzled by the collection of Ironman medals hanging by Dallimore's desk and before I knew it I was talking about running a half marathon. That is, ahem, about 200 per cent further than I run on a good day at the moment.

Dallimore says a change in focus means it is a good opportunity to also change shoes. If I didn't have aspirations to run the longer distance the Adidas shoes could have done for a bit longer.

He suggests I try a pair of Saucony Hurricanes, which will take me through to a half marathon, with my Adidas shoes held in reserve as wet weather shoes or for shorter runs.

When I get my new shoes, Dallimore says I need to spend a week or so walking around in them rather than blasting straight out for a run. This allows the forefoot of the shoe to soften up.

He also recommends getting off concrete footpaths and on to a softer surface once you're running 35 to 40 minutes more than three times a week. This can be anything from trails, hard-packed sand on the beach, tarseal roads or even the grass verge beside the footpath.

So what are top of Dallimore's list of shoe crimes? Not Crocs, but over-wearing shoes and being too ambitious with shoe choice. "For the person that is new to running they need to be in the best shoe for that person, not the best shoe on the shelf."

Fountain Inn wants high-heeled men to run

Attention men. Fountain Inn wants you to put on red high heels — two inches of heel no less — and take a run down Main Street.

It's a first-time event that might be the first time men slip on a pair of their wives high heels. But it's for a cause the city wants to promote.

All proceeds from Run on Red will go toward the American Heart Association as the city partners with Greenville Hospital System's Hillcrest Memorial Hospital to raise awareness for heart health.

Fortunately for participants, they'll only have to run two city blocks. They will have to bring their own heels though.

The event will be held at 11 a.m., Feb. 11 on Main Street in Fountain Inn.

Hillcrest Memorial Hospital's new President Eric Boul will participate and the hospital will have a heart health awareness venue with education information and free blood pressure screening.

Members of the Greenpond Community's Red Hat Society will judge in two categories: the highest heel and most beautiful red shoes. They also will measure heels pre-race to make sure everyone complies with the 2-inch heel rule.

Preventing running injuries, patient by patient

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise in Sonoma County but if estimates are correct, up to 80 per cent of them will suffer an injury sometime this year.

It's not that 2012 has been singled out as unusually dangerous. According to data compiled since the 1970s by the Biomechanics Laboratory at Wake Forest University, a majority of runners are forced to the sidelines each year with injuries.

That's where David Townsend comes in. The Santa Rosa runner and physical therapist has been successfully treating injured runners for more than 10 years, seeing patient after patient with painful hip, knee and feet problems. But he wondered if there were common threads that caused the pain.

Two questions came to haunt Townsend: Why so many injuries, and could the problems be prevented?

It turns out he wasn't alone in wanting to find answers. After reading every study he could find about injury prevention, he saw something in a book by Danny Dreyer that made a lot of sense to him.

Dreyer wrote about the benefits of barefoot running, now called the Chi method.

“Running doesn't have to cause injury,” Dreyer says. “Incorrect or inefficient running technique and training errors are the true culprits.”

Townsend had his answer and has become a guru in the local running community. At his Santa Rosa Physical Therapy clinic on Challenger Way, a procession of injured runners walk through his door.

They come wanting therapy so they can resume running and, just as important, learn how to prevent future injuries.

“Recent research is suggesting that people can greatly decrease the chance of injury by focusing on running form,” he said.

Townsend's message is welcome news to area runners.

“Approximately three per cent of Americans use running as a regular form of exercise or competition,” he said. With nearly 500,000 residents in Sonoma County, doing the math means there are 15,000 runners, up to 12,000 of whom will suffer an injury in any given year.

Townsend has new patients describe their problem areas (usually knee, foot, Achilles tendon or hip) and begins therapy on those areas. When they're ready, he proves his point by videotaping them to see if they are coming down hard on their heels.

If so, he has them take off their shoes and run barefoot. Patients will feel what it's like to moderate the impact with the whole foot.

“The way many people stride, it's an injury waiting to happen,” says Townsend, a former Casa Grande High track runner. “They come down so hard on their heels. The impact goes right up the foot to the hip.”

A study by Harvard professor Daniel Lieberman showed that heel-strikers collide with the ground with a force equal to as much as three times their body weight. In contrast, the Olympic exploits of distance runners from Kenya are legendary, and Townsend said there's much to be learned from the way they move.

Steal this spear: Our long history of creative theft

Do you believe you are a creative person?

You don't have to be humble (and Canadian). You can admit that somewhere inside your skull is an inner Steve Jobs aching to redesign the world.

There's no reason not to think this way. We are in a culture after all that applauds creative thinking and innovation.

Business books practically scream innovate your way to riches. And if you are an artist, the manifesto of the modern age is still "Make it new!" in the words of the zany poet Ezra Pound.

He didn't say make a few adjustments. Or imitate. But that is exactly, it seems, what we humans are so great at doing.

Evolutionary biologists like Mark Pagel are telling us that we should stop flattering ourselves about our creative genius and listen to our inner imitator.

In a marvelous talk on the science website Edge, Pagel, who teaches at the University of Reading in Britain, argues that humans are essentially copycats.

That's our genius.
Social learning

His argument is that we humans are evolutionary successes (that is, so far) because of what he calls "social learning."

Simply put, we watch and imitate. Not blindly, but with real purpose.

A chimp can imitate too, says Pagel. Our primate cousins can be taught to wash the dishes. But they will wash the clean and the dirty ones, for a banana.

Humans know to wash dirty dishes when they're dirty and leave the clean ones alone (oh please tell this to my children!).

Growing up in groups, only a tiny handful of people were truly innovative. Others round the fire copied. Then they spread their copying through language and group activity.

It's the same today except that we live in a more grasping culture pitched to copyright laws and lawsuits over the slightest smidgen of borrowing.

A case in point: when high-fashion designer Christian Louboutin came out with a $1,000 red-soled, high-heeled shoe, rival Yves Saint Laurent brought out its own version, provoking Christian Louboutin to sue for trademark violation.

But how do you copyright a colour? Or an expression like "You're fired"?

Donald Trump lost that one, trying to patent the famous line from his TV show, The Apprentice, and raising the question: How much new is really new?