Fall weather provides a wonderful atmosphere for families to become more active outdoors. Walking through fairs, festivals, farmer's markets, and the mall can be hard on your feet - particularly if you want to look stylish. Keeping your feet stylish and comfortable is very possible with this week's comfort item. The J-41 Journey shoe is stylish, comfortable, and works well with a variety of different styles.

Featuring peep-toe details and intricate cutout patters, the J-41 Journey is the shoe of choice for casual comfort this fall. The flower details on the heel and the wedge shape bring comfort and fashion together seamlessly.

Comfort features of this shoe, according to the product description, include a "quick closure system for people on the move, contoured footbed for support, quick drying and odor-free sock linings, extra cushioning for immediate 'Ahh' feeling and superior support, non-marking, compressed rubber outsole for traction and durability, and toe and heel bumpers for protection against the elements."

The J-41 Journey works well for a variety of individuals - from soccer moms to college students to artistic sophisticates. Available in 9 colors, there's a pair for every taste.

J-41 is a company concerned with comfort and style. According to the product description, "J-41 products are made with 100% recycled and recyclable packaging. All J-41 outsoles are constructed with partially recycled rubber. In this small way, they hope to do their part to help save our great outdoors for future generations." This makes a pair of J-41 Journey shoes a smart choice for eco-friendly fashionistas.

What do you wear with a pair of J-41 Journey shoes? A pair of casual comfort jeans and a simple top looks great with a pair of these shoes. Alternatively, a pair of corduroy pants and a floral top make this outfit a casual comfort dream. Those who want a look with more of an edge can pair black J-41 Journey shoes with black skinny pants and a party top.

No matter what your style, the weekly comfort item will leave you stylish and comfortable this fall. The feminine detailing on the J-41 Journey shoes make them the perfect addition to any wardrobe.

So you made it to class for another lesson from the shoe encyclopedia! Before we begin, let's review what was learned in the last lesson. Last time, we covered the rearfoot, the graphite rollbar, the Visible Air Sole Unit in Nike footwear and what it means to be biomechanically efficient. Remember that if you missed the last lesson (or any before it), all of them can be found on Zappos. Now, back to today's lesson. This time we'll discuss a stability web, bespoke footwear, adiFit from Adidas and Heel ProGrid from Saucony.

Stability Web
Don't worry. We're not talking spiders here. In New Balance footwear, a stability web is used to describe a special stability system installed under the arch. It is designed to create support in the mid-foot region, while giving flexibility to the forefoot.

Bespoke
Bespoke is a term used to describe footwear that has been custom made, more than likely by hand. Footwear considered bespoke cannot be remade for anyone but the original customer. Many shoemakers will keep the measurements on their customers' footwear, in case the customer decides to order another pair of the same shoes in the future. This way, it will be easy to replicate the footwear exactly.

adiFit
Adidas brand footwear uses the term adiFit to describe a special removable insole in children's footwear. This device helps to measure children's feet to properly determine their shoe size. It is designed especially for Adidas brand children's footwear. Such a tool can be very convenient and useful to parents since children's feet grow quite rapidly. You might hear some claim that their kids grow overnight.

Heel ProGrid
Heel ProGrid is a special layer inserted into the heel section of a shoe. It's designed to give the foot more stability by dispersing the shock and absorbing the impact. Heel ProGrid is designed especially for Saucony brand shoes. It is a very useful feature in running shoes. In running, the feet are impacting the ground at a higher force than during walking or regular activities. The extra support can help reduce the impact on the foot.

Sources:
http://www.dancestore.com/z-shoeterms.asp
http://www.kohlscorporation.com/ecom/valueadded/ProductGuides/Shoes_Terms.htm

The history of shoes is filled with interesting and innovated designers. Each designer offers shoe lines that incorporate what the designer thinks shoe buyers want. WhiteMountain is a shoe company that focuses on shoes that are affordable, comfortable and fashionable. From the 1980s to the present, White Mountain has been offering a great selection of chic styles.

History of White Mountain
White Mountain started business in 1980. From their beginning they had a mission, and that mission was to make feet happy. They accomplished this by combining old world craftsmanship with modern technology. This combination produced shoe lines that had the supple feel of handcrafted leather with the ergonomic advantages that modern technology lends to shoe designs. Throughout the last several decades White Mountain has produced several great lines of shoes and shoe styles, and they have sold millions upon millions of fashionable shoes to women around the globe.

White Mountain Shoes
White Mountain has launched several shoe lines. One of the most popular shoe lines is the Rialto. This shoe line is a value price line, which basically means that these shoes are affordable. This line includes both every day shoes that are appropriate for work shoes and hanging around the house, as well as occasion shoes, which are appropriate for special events like date night, weddings and other celebrations.

Another popular line offered by White Mountain is Happy Feet. This line of shoes is dedicated to casual footwear. This includes great strappy sandals called Gladiators, flats, sandals and wedges.

White Mountain focuses on four different types of shoes. Their flats styles include Garrison and Granby. These shoes are great for work and casual wear. The second style that they carry is the Gladiators line. Gladiators are great strappy sandals that come in several styles from thongs to open toed sandals. The final styles offered by White Mountain are sandals and wedges. Both of these styles work well for both casual and dressy occasions.

Buying White Mountain Shoes
In order to buy White Mountain shoes you will need to find a White Mountain outlet or a shoe store that carries this line of shoes. Fortunately, there are many places across the country that carry White Mountain shoes. The next time you are out looking for a great pair of casual or dress shoes, look for the White Mountain label.

Hey there, Shoe Encyclopedia class! Time to go over some new shoe terms. But first, let's take a quick look at last session's lessons, some of which got a little fishy and sticky. OK, almost sticky and fishy, but not quite. Last time we went over jellies, which sound sticky and maybe even yummy, but we learned that they actually are just slip-on shoes woven from plastic. We also covered fisherman sandals, Opanka construction and what ANSI stands for. If you missed the last session or any prior sessions, don't forget that they can all be found on Zappos. In the meantime, pull up your chairs to learn the meaning of the terms Pebax, Maxum-Lite, predator and electrical hazard in reference to shoes.

Pebax
Pebax is a type of thermos plastic used in the outsole to create support for the balls of the feet. It is lightweight, making it a perfect medium for athletic footwear. Nikehas used Pebax as a top plate in its Nike Shox columns to create even distribution of pressure and strengthen support in the medial arch and midfoot.

Maxum-Lite
Maxum-Lite is a polyurethane outsole that is designed for ultimate protection. Features of Maxum-Lite include slip resistance, oil resistance and abrasion resistance. Maxum-Lite is great for shock absorbency. These types of shoes often are used in industries where floors may be slippery, such as restaurants and manufacturing plants.

Predator
This is not the type of predatoryou'll be running from. However, they might instead help you in running. Shoes with the predator feature are commonly used in soccer. They are designed to help increase the power of kicks. The rubber strips added to the upper can add spin and power to kicks of the soccer ball.

Electrical Hazard
These shoes are just as they sound. Footwear with the electrical hazard feature is designed especially for situations in which electric shock may occur. This type of footwear can withstand high voltage application as outlined by specific ANSI and ASTM standards.

Sources:
http://www.shoebacca.com/resources/definitions/pebax.html
http://www.shoebacca.com/resources/definitions/maxum-lite.html
http://www.shoebacca.com/resources/definitions/predator.html
http://www.shoebacca.com/resources/definitions/electrical-hazard-shoes.html

By now you'd think the shoe encyclopedia would be running out of words and phrases. Worry not, my shoe-savvy friends. There are still plenty more shoe terms to fill up your shoe-thirsty mind. In the last lesson, you learned about static dissipating footwear, a moisture-control compound called Dri-Lex, vegetarian shoes and Jodhpur boots that were made for equestrian activities. This lesson will teach you about the lift you get when wearing your favorite skimmers. It will also teach you about a special process in creating shoe soles, a type of leather derived from horses and a thin lining created for warmth.

Lift
When creating a heel for lifting a shoe, there are several layers of leather or leather-board used. A lift is one of those various layers. A lift can be used in many types of shoes, including skimmers, wedge boots, cowboy boots, and many more styles and types. A lift can be contained in both men's and women's shoe styles.

Injection Molded Construction
This term sounds like it may have something to do with building a house. However, the facts are quite the contrary. This type of construction is instead related to shoes. Injection molded construction is one process for making shoe soles. In this process, melted PVC (or another similar compound) is injected into the sole mold. This method is most often used during mass shoe production.

Cordovan
No, this is not some new type of gas-saving van everyone will soon be taking over the roads with. Although, inventing one of those may not be such a bad idea. Back to the shoes, cordovan is actually leather derived from the rear side of horses. When this type of leather goes through tannage, it turns into a black cherry color. Cordovan is used both to describe this type of leather, as well as to describe the color.

Minktex
Minktex is a type of lining. The lining is lightweight, but allows for comfort and warmth, due to an open cell foam rubber that it backs. Minktex can be featured in boots or other footwear and can be part of a removable lining.

A look at the new shoe on the scene, yoga sneakers.

One of the new buzzwords in athletic shoes is the yoga shoe or sneaker, which may seem a bit weird for an activity that is generally practiced barefoot.. However, the truth is that people wear a wide variety of footwear for yoga, including ballet slippers, jazz shoes and specialized "foot thongs." The yoga sneaker is the sturdiest of these choices and is essentially a stylish, flexible athletic shoe that molds to the foot while also being durable enough to be worn outdoors. Because the shoes are extremely comfortable and more streamlined than a traditional athletic shoe, they are an increasingly popular trend with both those who do and don't practice yoga, including celebrities.

Adidas, Reebok , and smartdogs all make stylish yoga shoes that are appropriate both in and out of the studio, but you should be sure not to wear the same pair for both! It's bad form to wear streets shoes in a yoga or dance studio because while you might not be practicing barefoot, many other people often are.

Because traditionally yoga has been practiced barefoot the yoga shoe is a recent invention designed to cater to Western preferences while also capitalizing on the ever increasingly specialized world of athletic shoes. The yoga shoe itself has evolved form the dance sneaker, itself only a few decades old. The dance sneaker has the traction and support of a regular athletic shoe, but also includes a highly flexible sole that is often split to accentuate the shape of a pointed foot, breathable material, and a sturdy toe box to allow for pointe work.

The yoga shoe eliminates the toe box and has slimmed the sole down while also reunifying it. This creates a profile more similar to that of a slipper, but with extreme flexibility and strong support just like the dance sneaker. Made of breathable materials, yoga shoes let your feet breathe, wick sweat, and most importantly, can be tossed in the washing machine without much hassle -- not something that can be said for most other high fashion trend items.

Because of their light weight, Yoga shoes make great walking shoes and are also ideal as shoes for the commuter that doesn't want to wear high heels on the bus or subway. While new to the shoe scene, the yoga shoe will surely continue to evolve, possibly splitting off into in-studio and outdoor versions built around the same principles of flexibility, support and style.

Whether your idea of summer fun involves lolling on the beach for hours on end, playing a game of sand volleyball or heading out on a cross country hike, keeping your feet well-protected for the season can ensure you enjoy a healthy and memorable one. Foot pain and injuries to the feet can make it hard to keep up with your summer agenda, but there are ways to exercise some 'foot rx' this season.

If you don't want to deal with the nuisance and pain of blisters, calluses or even a bad case of athlete's foot this year, keep those feet happy with these foot care basics:

1. Wear light socks.

It's easy to go barefoot during the summer season, but you do need to protect those soles and feet from infection and tissue damage when you're outside. Wear light acrylic fiber socks and dust them with baby powder to keep feet dry and you can still enjoy the feeling of walking on ground level.

2. Don't wear the same shoes everyday.

Giving your shoes a chance to air out over at least 48 hours will also prevent infection and keep your feet flexible and supple throughout the season. Wearing the same shoes day in and day out will put pressure on some parts of your feet and will make other parts much weaker. Wear the right fit and rotate your shoe closet regularly for maximum comfort and good feet hygiene.

3. Stretch!

If you're going to be sitting in a plane, car or train for long periods of time, make sure there's enough blood circulating to your feet and legs. Get up and walk around for a few minutes, do some ankle rotations to stretch out your lower calves and feet and flex your toes regularly. A short stretching routine throughout the day will work wonders.

4. Watch your diet.

Eating an unhealthy diet can contribute to yeast overgrowth, diabetes or hormonal imbalances that make you more vulnerable to infection and muscle pain.

5. Enjoy a foot bath at least once per week.

Reduce stress and tension in your feet and lower legs with a foot soak that helps improve circulation and soften up tight muscles. A foot bath made with Epsom salts or soothing essential oils is a great way to pamper your feet after a busy week of activities.

The construction and wearing of various types of shoes and sandals goes back thousands of years. Our modern shoe owes a great deal to technological advances in construction and manufacturing made in the 19th century: these include foot forms called 'lasts' used to make right and left shoes (shoes were essentially identical - and not very comfortable - for each foot prior to the differentiated last); special sewing machines for attaching the sole to the upper; and the rubber sole, so popular in today's athletic shoes.

Today, shoes that once took days for an artisan to make can be produced in an hour thanks to these and other technological advances. How the modern shoe is constructed depends to a certain degree on the type of shoe being built. Whereas, once there were just a few types of shoes available, such as sandals, work boots and court shoes, today there are shoes designed for hundreds of different purposes in a nearly infinite array of styles. The construction process for an athletic shoe that may involve lots of high-tech materials differs greatly from that of a woman's high heel which has its roots in the court shoes of Europe. Similarly dance slippers, work boots and men's shoes all have construction variations unique to them.

But, at the end of the day, a shoe is a shoe is a shoe and some aspects of their construction remain nearly universal. Like clothes, shoes are made from patterns, and the shoe construction process begins with the mechanized stamping and cutting out of pattern pieces from leather and the other materials used. These patterns can be cut out with either metal dies or, increasingly, computer-controlled laser mechanisms.

Once the pieces of a shoe have all been cut out from the pattern, a machine places each piece over the correct area of a shoe-form or last. The pieces are then cemented in place to hold them steady. This stage of cementing is essentially temporary, as stitching is then added to truly secure and shape the shoe. High heels are generally made in three separate pieces: the sole, the heel and the upper, while flat shoes can be constructed in two pieces because their heels offer less structural complexity and may be solid leather while the heel on a woman's pump is often made from plastic and then covered with leather or other appropriate material.

Athletic shoes, with their increased use of high-tech materials are also often made in several segments but can include hot material being extruded onto a form, as opposed to traditional cutting and stitching. The key sections of the shoe are then joined together using both glues and nails, tacks and stitching, as the shoe's structure requires. A completed shoe is then stamped and labeled for size and brand.

As much as advances in shoe construction technology continue to be made, the shoe construction process will continue to take its cues from traditional styles and construction techniques which have persisted through reinvention across multiple cultures and centuries.