Thursday, December 29, 2011

Barefoot running on a budget: The £8 'nude' shoes that rot when you've finished with them

By SADIE WHITELOCKS

Priced at £8. the 2mm thick biodegradable shoe, will benefit your bank balance as well as the environment

Scarlett Johansson's 'barefoot running' trainer was hailed as the biggest shoe trend of 2011.
Her Vibram FiveFingers shoes - which look like a pair of rubber gloves with toes - cost £85 and attracted a whole host of the Hollywood elite.
But if you want to be in vogue without breaking the bank, these bright, flexible running shoes from Spanish company One Moment might be an affordable solution.

Costing just £8, they are the latest invention for barefoot runners - a trend which Footwear News says will be bigger than ever this year.
The slimline rubber shoe has a sole of just 2mm thick, giving the wearer a sensation of being close to the earth. And as an added bonus, being made from 100 per cent natural materials, they will eventually biodegrade once discarded.

Inspiration for the product comes from the Amazonian tribes, who painted their feet soles with natural latex obtained from Hevea trees.
In doing so, they were able to move around the jungle comfortably during the rainy season. In time, the fine latex layer would degrade back into the environment.

Best foot forward: Scarlett Johansson has sparked a growing trend

True, some might be perturbed by the odd appearance of the colourful footwear, but given that they are no more unflattering than the odd-looking Vibrams, which have proved popular with the likes of Prince Harry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Hudson, these shoes might just get some takers.
Describing the product makers say: 'A modern, sober and elegant style, combining technology and designed to offer maximum comfort and grip.'
Each pair is unisex and from January there will be a XXS children's range available.
In keeping with the perpetual colour-blocking trend customers can choose from a range of eye-catching shades including lipstick red, lime green and bubblegum pink.
Manufacturers claim they are suitable for a range of activities including running and when they aren't being worn they can be rolled up and stored in a pocket.
However some scientists, who believe that running in no shoes is more beneficial than wearing minimalist slippers, have criticised shoe brands such as Asics Nike, New Balance and Saucony for cashing in on the celebrity trend.
Professor Daniel Howell, who teaches human anatomy and physiology at Liberty University and has spent 95 per cent of his life shoe-free, said: 'Walking and running are extremely complicated from a biomechanical perspective ... and if you add a device to your foot, it alters it.
'For most people, under most circumstances, most of the time, barefoot is the healthiest and most natural way to be.'

When they aren't being worn One Moment shoes can be rolled up and stored

source: dailymail

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