Thursday, April 13, 2006

Laces on your sneakers? That's so yesterday

Laces on your sneakers? That's so yesterday: Remember when a sneaker came in one style and color? Neither do most of us.

Remember when you tripped over your laces? Now, that may start to ring a bell.

Slip-on sneakers, in all styles and colors, are now stealing the scene.

Sneakers, it seems, have come full circle from the 1950s stark-white Keds to high-top Chuck Taylors to PF Flyers to LA Gear. The shoe that Michael Jordan turned into a legend has morphed into a fashion statement in the 21st century, with no laces no less.

The sporty canvas footwear has spawned a cult following. "Sneakerheads," or those who suffer from a sneaker fetish, are stomping their way onto the fashion scene.

This has had an impact on sneaker manufacturers, who are now creating lines that include street-couture styles. New Balance, which manufactures its shoes in Lawrence, has a casual women's slides called 801. Giovanni's Trends in Lowell is also walking this way.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Smelly sneakers go for a good causego for a good cause

Smelly sneakers go for a good causego for a good cause: Imagine the worst smells you can and you have a sense of what the scent was like in eight area schools in Erie County during a recycling project involving stinky sneakers.

Reuse-A-Shoe, a program sponsored by Erie County Recycling and shoe manufacturer Nike, was introduced at the schools this year and resulted in untold, putrid mounds of shoes being collected, but all for a good reason, said Sue Hardy, Erie County Solid Waste Management district coordinator.

''I think it was very much a success for a pilot program,'' said Hardy.

She estimated several thousand gunky pairs of shoes were collected for recycling. To add an aroma of interest in the program, a ''Stinkiest Shoe'' contest was held in each school, said Hardy.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Americans send sneakers, soccer balls to Iraqi children

Americans send sneakers, soccer balls to Iraqi children: "'I think soccer is a very good sport for people to play, and since they have nothing to do, I thought they might like it,' said 1st grader Daniel Raftis.

U.S. Army Combat Medic, Justin Donnelly, who graduated from Owego Free Academy agreed.
He's on a break, stationed in Iraq.

Donnelly says Iraqi children light up when the soldiers bring them soccer balls.

'These kids run around with no shoes and nothing to do, and they're the future of Iraq. If we can get them to open up to Americans, not just the troops, it will go a long way in terms of democracy,' Donnelly said.

When local businesses heard about the Hiawatha Soccer Teams mission to collect soccer balls they stepped in.

Lockheed Martin in Owego donated these 40 brand new balls.

But, the Iraqi children aren't just getting soccer balls, they're also getting sneakers.
Lisa Da-Cunha Koski bought the sneakers at a Salvation Army.

'I hope that in the long run when the children are older they they'll remember that some Americans care about Iraqi's, and not everyone is out to hurt them and destroy their environment,' Da-Cunha Koski said.

A group of anonymous people have donated money to have both the sneakers and soccer balls sent to Donnelly in Iraq."