Sandals

French shoe designer Walter Steiger devotes almost his entire springsummer 2000 collection to sandals, using clear vinyl bands and transparent plastic tube straps to create footwear thats futuristic, urban and sexy.;Those materials contrast with bare skin and pastel buckles and insoles, Steiger says. Its a way to bring half natural skin and half color on the leg, he says.; Other functional fabrics include python, metallic patent leather and Lycra. In the stretch sandal, a large Lycra strap wraps around the ankle, giving the leg a sexy look.

An Indian politician accused in U.S. diplomatic cables of sending a private jet to fetch a pair of sandals denied the allegations on Tuesday and said WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had gone "mad. " "I would request the government of his country to send him (Assange) to a mental asylum and if they have no space for him in his country we can put him in our mental hospital," Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati, who goes by one name, said at a rare news conference. Mayawati's blistering response comes a day after a U.S. cable released on WikiLeaks alleged she was a "paranoid dictator" and that "when she needed new sandals, her private jet flew empty to Mumbai to retrieve her preferred brand.

A pair of ruby encrusted sandals went on sale at London's luxury store Harrods with a price tag of ?1 million ($1.59m). The designer sandals, inspired by the shoes worn by Dorothy in the film classic 'The Wizard of Oz,' are on display behind bullet proof glass at the Knightsbridge store. Designed for a leading actress to attend this year's Oscars they were withdrawn on the night in sympathy with the subdued atmosphere attending the ceremony because of the Iraq war. The four-and-a-half inch high sandals are threaded with platinum and set with 642 round and oval rubies, totaling more than 120 carats.

Oscar-winning American actress Gwyneth Paltrow has received mixed but not unflattering reviews for her London West End debut. The Hollywood star of "Shakespeare in Love" and "Sliding Doors" made her first appearance in "Proof" by David Auburn at the Donmar Warehouse on Wednesday. She plays Catherine, daughter of an ailing mathematician, and while those in the packed audience described her performance as "superb" and "magnificent," the critics were less fulsome. The Daily Mail said Paltrow, 29, had "the correct formula" in what Michael Coveney described as a "riveting play about maths and madness in sandals, windcheaters and dungarees.

CNN When it comes to accessories in 2000, the bigger and brighter, the better. That goes for hose, jewelry, shoes, handbags and hats.;At Dolce a Gabbana, the designers Stefano Gabbana and Dolce Domenico say theyre trying to make every outfit look twice as sexy, with wild accessories including hosiery in animal patterns. ;At Gucci, Tom Ford also is doing stockings, but pink is his color of choice. Were showing stockings, which we havent shown in years, he says. Theyre pink, bright pink, but transparent, so they really give your leg a slight pink glow.

When it comes to the natural highs, Gracienne Myers says sex just doesn't cut it. Shoes, on the other hand, get her heart racing. The 34-year-old Brazilian native who now calls State College, Pennsylvania, home says there's just something about heels, sandals, platforms and wedges that give her a rush. "They're thrilling," says the entrepreneur, who recently started designing her own line of shoes and selling them online and through a handful of retail locations. She still remembers the rush she got when she found a pair of strappy gold heel sandals at a boutique in Brazil.

For most, Positano is simply the most romantic and chic stop on Italy's Amalfi Coast. South of Naples, the famous coast is blessed with beaches, sunshine and picturesque towns spilling down steep hillsides. Many who visit Positano want only to shop and lay on the beach. But the tour guide in me simply must add a little historic and cultural meat to your visit. "Downtown" Positano gathers around a single pedestrian street, tumbling past fine shops and restaurants down to a delightful beach.

;;Imelda Puts Her Best Foot Forward for a Shoe Museum;;What does Imelda Marcos, 68, think of the campaign to build a shoe museum in Manila The footwareloving former Philippine first lady is all for it. Why not she told Asiaweek. Though Marcos, a congresswoman, didnt originally cobble together the plans, she throws her support and, in theory, several of her size 9s behind the project. The organizers, a group from the local shoe trade, hope that the Marcos collection will be the main attraction and are petitioning the government for custody of the 1,060 pairs formerly on display at the old Marcos residence.

How do you count six days when you can see neither sun nor stars? Buried under a crumbled building, Maxi Falon marked time by the roar of tractors and bulldozers, by the sound of voices. "There's nobody alive in there," she heard them say. When there was silence, she believed it to be night. But Falon, a deeply spiritual young woman, chanted the Lord's Prayer until she was discovered by Peruvian and Nicaraguan rescuers and pulled out of the rubble of Port-au-Prince's GOC University on January 18. "I always knew I would keep breathing.

Facebook has raked in billions and will make a splash when its stock hits the open market next week. So, what are folks on Wall Street concerned about? Mark Zuckerberg's hoodie, apparently. Michael Pachter, an analyst for Wedbush Securities, told Bloomberg that the Facebook CEO's decision to show up for a meeting with potential investors dressed down in his trademark casual outerwear suggests that he's too immature to run a massive corporation. "He's actually showing investors he doesn't care that much; he's going to be him," Pachter said in an interview on Bloomberg TV. "I think that's a mark of immaturity.

An Indian politician accused in U.S. diplomatic cables of sending a private jet to fetch a pair of sandals denied the allegations on Tuesday and said WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had gone "mad. " "I would request the government of his country to send him (Assange) to a mental asylum and if they have no space for him in his country we can put him in our mental hospital," Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati, who goes by one name, said at a rare news conference. Mayawati's blistering response comes a day after a U.S. cable released on WikiLeaks alleged she was a "paranoid dictator" and that "when she needed new sandals, her private jet flew empty to Mumbai to retrieve her preferred brand.

A man took off his sandal and charged toward Suresh Kalmadi, the chief organizer of last year's Commonwealth Games, as the arrested official arrived for a court hearing Tuesday. Police immediately overpowered the attacker as officers hurried Kalmadi to the courtroom. The attacker was identified as a former lawyer. Kalmadi was arrested Monday on corruption charges in connection with the October 2010 Games in the Indian capital. Officials contend that Kalmadi, as head of the games' organizing committee, bought a score-keeping system from a Swiss company at "inflated costs.

How do you count six days when you can see neither sun nor stars? Buried under a crumbled building, Maxi Falon marked time by the roar of tractors and bulldozers, by the sound of voices. "There's nobody alive in there," she heard them say. When there was silence, she believed it to be night. But Falon, a deeply spiritual young woman, chanted the Lord's Prayer until she was discovered by Peruvian and Nicaraguan rescuers and pulled out of the rubble of Port-au-Prince's GOC University on January 18. "I always knew I would keep breathing.

When it comes to the natural highs, Gracienne Myers says sex just doesn't cut it. Shoes, on the other hand, get her heart racing. The 34-year-old Brazilian native who now calls State College, Pennsylvania, home says there's just something about heels, sandals, platforms and wedges that give her a rush. "They're thrilling," says the entrepreneur, who recently started designing her own line of shoes and selling them online and through a handful of retail locations. She still remembers the rush she got when she found a pair of strappy gold heel sandals at a boutique in Brazil.

For most, Positano is simply the most romantic and chic stop on Italy's Amalfi Coast. South of Naples, the famous coast is blessed with beaches, sunshine and picturesque towns spilling down steep hillsides. Many who visit Positano want only to shop and lay on the beach. But the tour guide in me simply must add a little historic and cultural meat to your visit. "Downtown" Positano gathers around a single pedestrian street, tumbling past fine shops and restaurants down to a delightful beach.

A pair of ruby encrusted sandals went on sale at London's luxury store Harrods with a price tag of ?1 million ($1.59m). The designer sandals, inspired by the shoes worn by Dorothy in the film classic 'The Wizard of Oz,' are on display behind bullet proof glass at the Knightsbridge store. Designed for a leading actress to attend this year's Oscars they were withdrawn on the night in sympathy with the subdued atmosphere attending the ceremony because of the Iraq war. The four-and-a-half inch high sandals are threaded with platinum and set with 642 round and oval rubies, totaling more than 120 carats.

Oscar-winning American actress Gwyneth Paltrow has received mixed but not unflattering reviews for her London West End debut. The Hollywood star of "Shakespeare in Love" and "Sliding Doors" made her first appearance in "Proof" by David Auburn at the Donmar Warehouse on Wednesday. She plays Catherine, daughter of an ailing mathematician, and while those in the packed audience described her performance as "superb" and "magnificent," the critics were less fulsome. The Daily Mail said Paltrow, 29, had "the correct formula" in what Michael Coveney described as a "riveting play about maths and madness in sandals, windcheaters and dungarees.

French shoe designer Walter Steiger devotes almost his entire springsummer 2000 collection to sandals, using clear vinyl bands and transparent plastic tube straps to create footwear thats futuristic, urban and sexy.;Those materials contrast with bare skin and pastel buckles and insoles, Steiger says. Its a way to bring half natural skin and half color on the leg, he says.; Other functional fabrics include python, metallic patent leather and Lycra. In the stretch sandal, a large Lycra strap wraps around the ankle, giving the leg a sexy look.

CNN When it comes to accessories in 2000, the bigger and brighter, the better. That goes for hose, jewelry, shoes, handbags and hats.;At Dolce a Gabbana, the designers Stefano Gabbana and Dolce Domenico say theyre trying to make every outfit look twice as sexy, with wild accessories including hosiery in animal patterns. ;At Gucci, Tom Ford also is doing stockings, but pink is his color of choice. Were showing stockings, which we havent shown in years, he says. Theyre pink, bright pink, but transparent, so they really give your leg a slight pink glow.

;;Imelda Puts Her Best Foot Forward for a Shoe Museum;;What does Imelda Marcos, 68, think of the campaign to build a shoe museum in Manila The footwareloving former Philippine first lady is all for it. Why not she told Asiaweek. Though Marcos, a congresswoman, didnt originally cobble together the plans, she throws her support and, in theory, several of her size 9s behind the project. The organizers, a group from the local shoe trade, hope that the Marcos collection will be the main attraction and are petitioning the government for custody of the 1,060 pairs formerly on display at the old Marcos residence.