Marc Jacobs - shoes to die for?

They look like something made by the late Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali who was known for his striking and bizarre images. They're very unstable and dangerous. At £330 a pair, they're also expensive. But fashionable women are bound to wear them.

That's what fashion experts say about Marc Jacobs's new line of shoes which could either make you stand out in the crowd or give you a bad case of arthritis. "Whether you think it is a gimmick too far or a piece of fashion genius depends how far up the fashionista ladder you are - on a scale of one to crazy," reported Erin Kelley in the Daily Mail.

The "surreal shoes" are so named since their heels are located at the front instead of the back where they are traditionally found. Their unique design has prompted others to call the American designer mad.

[click on images to enlarge] A chunky, four-inch heel nestles horizontally just under the ball of the foot. Where you'd expect a heel, there is nothing but fresh air. The center of gravity, therefore, is somewhere under the arch of the foot, forcing the whole body to tilt forward," Kelley said.

"The effort of staying upright in them will be the equivalent of an advanced level Pilates class. Relax, try to lean back on your heels, and you'll fall backwards. The must-have accessory to match the shoe then ought to be a crash helmet," she added.

The costly shoes got mixed reviews at New York's fashion week. Foot specialists, however, were not impressed and called the fancy footwear dangerous.

Mad, Killer Design?

Doctors have long warned of the dangers of high heel shoes that were recently implicated in a number of hospital cases. Dr. Rupert Evans of the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff said he sees about half a dozen women on weekend evenings because of the shoes that cause sprain, broken bones, and dislocated ankles.

"High heels tend to be pointed and can cause bunions and hammer toes - as well as placing a strain on feet, ankles, knees and backs, he said. He added that the problem could be partly aggravated by a bit of drinking at summer parties," said the Daily Mail.

Although he doesn't recommend banning them, Evans said these shoes should be worn in moderation - and not when you're drinking! I don't know if he has seen Jacobs's collection but I have a feeling he wouldn't approve of those shoes either.

"They are absurd, torturous, dangerous and wearable only by women who never have to walk further than the nearest red carpet and have more money than sense," Kelley concluded.

Don't suffer for the sake of fashion. Wear the right shoes, preferably flat ones if possible. To avoid joint and back pain caused by arthritis or wearing the wrong kind of shoes, take Phosoplex. This natural supplement lubricates and soothes painful joints, and helps rebuild healthy cartilage so you can regain your active lifestyle. For details, check out http://www.phosoplex.com.


About the Author
Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere news magazine http://www.healthnfitnesszone.com.