Interesting Facts

Researchers have worked out how shoelaces come undone. (Seemingly "knot failure" happens in a matter of seconds, and is triggered by a complex interaction of forces:  These include  the stomping of the foot, which gradually loosens the knot.  The movement of the foot creates a whipping force which acts like hands tugging on the ends of the laces. Then as the tension in the knot eases and the free ends start to slide, a runaway effect takes hold whereby the knot suddenly unravels. They offered some advice to those plagued by this issue: The  square knot is less likely to come unravelled compared with a granny knot. All in all it is a knotty problem.)

Go shoeless According to a study by Bournemouth University schoolchildren who don't wear shoes in their lessons are likely to obtain better grades and behave better than those who do. (Experts believe that by leaving their shoes outside the classroom pupils feel more at home, and relaxed. An added bonus is that it cuts down on cleaning bills.  No more muddy floors, although holey socks might be an embarrasment.) Next session online, everyone must take their shoes off.

According to a study carried out by home insurer MORE TH>N women are at their most fashionable around the age of 30. (By this time the average British woman owns 212 items worth around £7,658.  Their wardrobe usually consists of 166 items of clothing (including designer outfits worth £2,399, 7 pairs of designer shoes, costing £2,086, and some, 24 pieces of jewellery worth £2,800. Men on the other hand hit their peak at 36, but will own a staggering of £8,868 worth of clothing, shoes, watches, bags and jewellery by then. However, 1 year later, the value of a person's wardrobe falls, and between the ages of 30 and 50 women see a 26% decrease in the value of their wardrobe and a 70% decrease in the number of designer items.  For men, the value plunge is even more pronounced, dropping by 46% over the same period. This either means everyone develops some common sense, or they have children.)

According to a report in the International Journal of Clinical Practice: wearing high heels regularly for more than 3 years can ruin your feet. (Initially high heels can strengthen muscles around the ankle, but after three years some muscles become dominant and this increases the risk of sprains, and more severe problems like deformed feet, back pain and unhealthy walking patterns. I've spent most of my adult life in flatties, but I still have problems.  I think it's called old age.)

29th April 2014 is One Day Without Shoes Day. I won't wear my shoes around the garden and house, but sorry, I will be wearing them to take the dog for a walk. http://www.toms.com/onedaywithoutshoes/l

Today is "One Day Without Shoes" day. http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/

What do flip flops, wrist bands and space blankets have in common? They are all on offer to drunks around the UK. (In Torquay, Devon, drunk women are handed flip-flops to wear, prompted by fears that by wearing stilettos or similar footwear whilst drunk they could tumble over and hurt themselves. Space blankets are handed out in Gloucester to help prevent hypothermia (alcohol can lower the body temperature). In Cardiff, Wales, young people who drink too much are given a lift home and given a yellow wristband asking: "How did you get home last night?" Ingeniously the wrist bands will also have a bar code which they will be able to scan to read about their night's revels. Only in the UK.)

According to shoe firm MBT, flip-flops 'injure 200,000 people a year'. (The injuries range from trips and falls, joint pain and other conditions linked to long-term use, and it costs the NHS (National Health Service) £40m a year! Yes these innocuous looking pieces of cheap, flimsy plastic are death traps in disguise. Personally I can't bear that horrid little bit that you're meant to stick between your big toe and the next toe. It's painful and it never feels secure.)

According to a lot of fan sites, Robbie Williams has 600 pairs of shoes at his Los Angeles home. (There's a lot of speculation about how many of these are trainers. But I'd like to know who looked into his closet and who counted them? Of course the other question is does he think he's a millipede?)

In the UK we spend £6.5bn a year, just on shoes. (According to Mintel there will be a further 17 per cent rise by 2010, meaning that the total amount spent on footwear each year will have then risen to £7.6 billion. Maybe the way to a Brit's heart is through their feet.)