Christian Louboutin on Why Shoes Are So Damn Expensive These Days

Shoes are one of those fashion items that people will tell you is an "investment" — that is, you'll wear them a lot, so it's okay to spend ghastly amounts of money on them. Maybe that's the reason why they've gotten so much more expensive in the past decade, more so than any other fashion category; customers are willing to pay up. But according to Christian Louboutin, rising shoe prices are also due to something much less glamorous: rising production and material costs, snooze. "It is more expensive to make shoes now," he tells the Times, "and it’s for a very boring reason."

He goes on to cite the Euro's strength against the dollar and growing competition for materials from Asian factories, all of which make it more expensive to produce shoes in Europe. Some luxury companies are even buying their own tanneries to cut out the middleman,Welcome to our michael kors outlet online shop! Here we sale Michael Kors Hamilton Satchel, bags, purses, wallets with very low price. Join us quickly! but there's really no way to get around it: shoes are just crazy expensive. Louboutin say his own production costs have actually doubled over the past five years — which may be why a pair of his black boots cost $2,645.

Some brands, of course, would rather eat the rising material and production costs to keep their prices level (Manolo Blahnik has done this for the past three seasons, for example). But when customers seem willing to spend whatever it takes, it's hard to imagine why any shoemaker would refrain from jacking up their prices.

Befuddled by buying running shoes for the first time? Zero-drop? Extra stability? Motion control? What shoes will ward off injuries? A new study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine says run-of-the-mill running shoes are probably just fine. [Rasmus Oestergaard Nielsen et al, Foot Pronation Is Not Associated With Increased Injury Risk In Novice Runners Wearing a Neutral Shoe: A 1-year prospective cohort study]

Researchers tracked 900 inactive but healthy adults who took up running. About a third had at least one foot that pronated—rolled inward when running—or supinated—rolled outward. These conditions are often cited as important factors in choosing shoes.

But for the study, all participants wore the same "neutral" running shoes, not meant to correct for any stride issues. And after these newbies hit the road regularly for a year, the results were, well, striking.

With more than 310 miles logged each, about three quarters of all runners remained injury free. There was no significant difference in injury rate for most of the foot-strike types. In fact, people whose feet pronated were actually less likely to have had an injury than those who had normal or supinated foot strikes. So, lace up some basic footwear. And save your sweat for the run.

TO the businesses and organisations she offers support and guidance, town centre chaplain Marjorie Conroy is considered an angel.

So to watch her suffer from the effects of a rare form of ovarian cancer since 2010 has been heartbreaking for those who admire her work and often go to her with their troubles.

Now some of those who she has been a rock to over the years have stepped up to show their gratitude,Buy Michael Kors iPhone Cases Michael Kors handbags with big discount and free shipping! by giving her the VIP treatment.

The HoneyRose Foundation, which delivers wishes to seriously ill people, learned that the grandmother-of-eleven dreamed of owning a pair of Jimmy Choo designer shoes.

The charity’s founder Lynn Duffy duly decided to whisk Marjorie to Selfridges in Manchester where she could pick out a pair of the glamorous heels.

And after all the pain and distress of the illness and treatment, Marjorie – who was joined by granddaughter, Jemma, and niece, Elaine, loved her special day.

She told the Star: “Bringing up four children when younger I would have been lucky if I could afford a pair of shoes... never mind expensive designer ones.

“This all came about by chance and kindness really. I called into Lynn’s shop and she asked me what I would like, I joked I would have some size six Jimmy Choos if any were going.

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