Give Old Dogs New Kicks

Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts July 1999 Current Issue
July 1999
Short Cuts:
Give Old Dogs New Kicks

when shoes were invented in 12,000 B.C., they were not designed to protect the feet but rather to convey fashion and status. Fourteen thousand years later, our dogs are still barking in the pursuit of style. Appearance might be the determining factor for most folks when choosing footwear, but as everyone in the trade show industry knows, you dice with disaster when sacrificing comfort for looks on the trade show floor. If you're used to sitting at a desk most of the time, standing and walking for days at a stretch can be a pain in the arch. San Leandro, Calif.-based podiatrist Steven I. Subotnick, offers some advice for exhibitors and attendees: "Get a foot massage. Do it yourself if necessary.

First, soak them in warm water and rub in skin cream." He also recommends stretching the Achilles' tendons and calf muscles. "If possible, go for a walk in good shoes." And, ladies, try to forgo heels. More companies are designing shoes for style and comfort. Rockport, Easy Spirit and Aerosoles are top sellers, and specialized shoe stores sell a number of different product lines to give you happy feet. Lancaster, Mass.-based Rockport has a Dressport line for men that retails around $110; its Career Sensation line has dressier women's loafers, about $75. (Each is shown at left.) Battle-scarred veterans agree with the doctor's prescription. "I have a pair of Easy Spirit shoes that are fairly fashionable," says Carolyn Gardner, exhibit account executive for the Sacramento, Calif.-based PCBCThe Western Building Show. "Other than that, all I can say is, flats, flats flats." Gardner offers a special tip for exhibitors: "It's worth the extra money to get padding under the booth carpet."

Amy Drew Teitler