This recall involves Versailles model (570053826) and
Lourdes model (570053756) women's high-heeled shoes. The shoes have four-inch
heels.
The Versailles is cream, black, and brown-colored faux
snakeskin. The Lourdes is black-colored faux snakeskin with a white t-strap and
trim.
The model name is stamped inside the shoes and on the shoebox.
The model number is printed on the shoebox.
Manufactured in China, the recalled shoes were sold only at White
House | Black Market stores nationwide or online at whitehouseblackmarket.com
from August 2012 through October 2012. The cost was about $120.
Consumers should immediately stop wearing the recalled shoes and return them to a White House | Black Market store to receive a merchandise card for the full purchase price of the shoes, or contact White House | Black Market to receive instructions for returning the shoes by mail, the company and commission advise.
Ads during Sunday’s Super Bowl cost an
average of $3.8 million for a 30-second spot, up from last year's $3.5 million.
The 2013 offerings, like last year, showed scantily clad women and people being
slapped and knocked down.
Adding to the violence of the ads and the
game of football itself were ads for movies, such as “Ironman 3,” and TV shows, such
as “How I Met Your Mother,” which showed hitting, punching, slapping, and
explosions.
At halftime, Beyoncé wore a skimpy costume,
as did the couple of dozen of women who performed with her. Then she writhed
around on the floor of the stage. The performance added to the sexist
atmosphere of the Super Bowl.
I did like one
ad: Dodge, in advertising its Ram
pickup, offered an ad about the importance of farmers, narrated by Paul Harvey.
Here are my awards for the worst ads airing
during this year’s Super Bowl:
Unnecessary violence:
Two guys in a library whisper,
then fight about what’s best in an Oreo cookie, the cookie or the cream.
The fight spreads throughout the entire library, and the police drive through
the wall to break up the fights.
In an ad for SABMiller Redd’s Apple Ale, a guy
can’t decide what to order, so an apple is thrown at him, knocking him down.
Then he knows he should order Redd’s Apple Ale.
In Audi’s
ad, a teen gets the keys to the Audi to drive to the prom. He marches in and
steals a kiss from the queen and gets punched by the king.
Silliest:
Budweiser’s ad, with the man who
trained a Clydesdale that later broke away from his team of horses during a
Chicago parade to hunt the man down, ranks as silly, in my opinion.
Also silly was Tide’s ad
featuring a salsa stain on a shirt that looked like a football player. Dozens of people came to look at the “miracle,” with the man’s wife
washing the shirt and saying “Go, Ravens.”
A man who loves Doritos
buys a goat who loves them, too. By the end of the ad after the goat has eaten
hundreds of packages of the chips, the guy’s hoarding them and making a
for-sale sign for the goat.
Stretchers, a tennis shoe, shows a man
outrunning a cheetah and tying him up, thus saving an antelope.
Most sexist:
Last year, Go Daddy.com showed two guys
in the “cloud” populated with scantily clad women. This year, it grossed out a
lot of people by showing a sexy model kissing a nerd with awful sloppy sounding
kissing.
In another Go Daddy.com ad, also sexist, wives around the world are harping to
their husbands for not putting their big idea online.
Fiat’s ad slowly panned over a woman lying on the
beach in a bikini was bad enough, but having a scorpion crawl over her? Yuck.
Then, when she sees the car, she stands up and throws off her bikini top. The
scorpion drags it away.
Motorola's cell phone ad features actress Megan Fox in
a bathtub. Two men slap each other and another falls off a ladder looking at
the phone.
A Doritos
ad shows a little girl bribing her dad to play her with a bag of chips. He
dresses up and puts on makeup, as do four of his friends.
Gliden, t-shirt maker, produced an ad showing a man
trying to sneak out after a one-night stand, which included fuzzy handcuffs,
only the woman is sleeping in his favorite t-shirt.
Century 21’s ads don’t show women in a good light either.
A woman is so taken with her new wealth that she doesn’t see that her husband is
choking, a woman in labor demands a new kitchen, and a mother-in-law is so
awful that a groom faints at the altar when he thinks about living with her.
Calvin
Klein’s ad showed a male model in
nothing but underwear for most of the ad. Objectifying men isn’t any better than
objectifying women.
Best Buy’s ad showed Amy Poehler asking dozens of
questions, and making suggestive comments to the sales associate.
In a Coke
ad, a bus full of chorus girls chases toward a giant bottle of Coke, with other
characters. One of the girls shoots a cannon full of something that sounds bad
but floats down lightly at the cowboys. And, a biker, gets thrown up on the
window of the bus.
Kia’s scantily clad women “robots” put this ad in
the sexist category. One of the robots kicked a man, earning it violent points,
too.
While SodaStream
made environmental points showing its machine that carbonates beverages, thus
avoiding using cans and bottles, it wasn’t necessary to have a woman in a
bikini operate the machine.
Most irritating:
Since there
isn’t any drama when you buy a car from Cars.com,
for the commercial, the sales representative gives the two consumers a wolf
cub, then the jealous wolf-mom walks in. Ha, ha.
In an ad for
milk, The Rock races out to the
street in his pajamas to pick up milk. He dodges bank robbers, angry lions, and
traffic jams and ignores a kitten stuck in a tree.
Ageist:
In the Taco Bell ad, a group of seniors leave
the retirement home for a night on the town. While some people thought their
partying was funny, I thought it made older people look ridiculous.
Racist:
In a Volkswagen ad, a white man’s car makes
him so happy he speaks with a Jamaican accent. When the ad was released early,
many people wondered if it was racist.
Dark and creepy:
Anheuser-Busch
announced its new beer, Budweiser Black Crown, with two ads that were dark and
creepy, featuring young, upscale people in dark clothing.
Bud Lite’s ads featured characters
trying to get luck through voodoo. One man carried his living room chair to the
voodoo master, Stevie Wonder.
In the Mercedes-Benz
ad, an actor is going to sell his soul in exchange for a new Mercedes CLA as
well as a rich lifestyle, which includes dating Kate Upton and dancing with
Usher. However, the actor sees on a billboard stating that the price starts
under $30,000, so he saves himself.
It’s a strange custom. The holiday to honor two great presidents and the history of our country is becoming one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
However, if you want to shop rather than contemplate history, President’s Day sales do offer consumers great deals on cars, furniture, clothing, suits, handbags, and white goods. Prices on some items, such clothing, are better than Black Friday. For cars, it’s the biggest sale of the year.
To keep from making “sale fever” mistakes, follow these tips:
Make a list of what you’re looking for.
Compare prices. Check the Internet for what’s up in sale prices before you hit the mall.
Start early so you can get the sale items in your size before they’re gone.
Use apps that scan bar codes to see what others are selling the item for.
Look for coupons on sites such as RetailMeNot before you go.
Check social media sites, especially Facebook, because companies may be advertising their sales there first.
Look for travel deals. You can still get big savings and there’s lots to do in historical cities such as Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.
For years, I’ve written about how bad high heels are for women’s feet, especially baby boomer women’s feet.
But women keep wearing them, and high heels get taller and taller – and more dangerous.
High heels, especially those with heels higher than one inch, put the foot in an unnatural position. High heels change how you walk and change pressure points in certain areas of the feet.
A high heel three inches or more puts seven times more pressure on the ball of the foot. Wearing heels may also increase the risk of back pain, sprains, and shortened calf muscles.
Now young girls and teens are wearing higher and higher heels, as part of the trend that is sexualizing females at younger and younger ages.
The recent media attention surrounding French Vogue’s advertisement featuring 10-year-old model, Thylane Loubry Blondeau, in extremely high heels, has brought attention to this alarming trend.
Neal Blitz, M.D., chief of foot surgery at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, questions the appropriateness of young girls wearing high heels.
From a medical point of view, young girls wearing high heels and pointy-toed shoes is a concern because their bones are more malleable and can be structurally deformed as they grow, Blitz said in The Huffington Post article “How Young Is Too Young for High Heels?”
“Simply put, bone growth occurs from a cartilaginous precursor that becomes calcified and hardened,” he said in the article. “The softer growing bone can be deformed and misshapen by external forces, such as high heels. This is the physiology behind the Chinese foot binding.”
Until young girls stop growing, there is a significant risk to cause bone and joint deformations within the foot, Blitz said.
“From a purely bone-related standpoint, females reach skeletally maturity around age 14,” he said. “This does not mean that this the proper age for one to begin wearing high heels, nor am I indicating that high heel wearing is safe at all for young girls and adolescents. But parents should strongly consider avoiding shoe gear that can have a life-long impact on the foot prior to maturity of the foot.”
In his article, Blitz also reminded women of all ages that, even after skeletal maturity, the risk of developing foot problems from wearing high heels still exists.
Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
Neal Blitz, M.D., foot surgeon, asks the question "Are high heels really bad for your feet?" in a recent Huffington Post article.
The answer is a resounding yes, he said, adding common problems associated with high heels and pointy toe shoes are bunions, hammer toes, and tight calf muscles.
While these painful problems sound awful, it’s even more likely baby boomer women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s will experience them.
As women age, their feet change. Wearing high heels can be much less comfortable due to these changes. Loss of fat in the bottom of the foot is one common change.
When boomer women step down in high heels, their weight is thrown on the spot where they have less protection, Morris Morin, D.M.P., director of podiatric medicine at the Hackensack University Medical Center, said in the Good Housekeeping article "Foot Pain and High Heels."
This causes pain and may increase the risk of stress fractures and osteoarthritis in the feet, Morin said.
While some doctors recommend repadding the foot using injections of silicone or wrinkle filling injections such Restalyne, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society warns against these and other cosmetic procedures for the feet. Calling the trend alarming, it warns consumers that risks – including infection, nerve injury, and difficulty walking – often outweigh benefits.
A better idea is the use of heavily padded insoles, said Morin.
A study at Manchester Metropolitan University of 80 women aged 20 to 50 who had been wearing heels of at least 2 inches almost daily for two years or more showed changes in their feet.
When compared with women who didn’t wear heels, ultrasounds revealed the women had calf muscle fibers that were 13 percent shorter, and MRIs showed the Achilles tendon, which attaches the heel bone to the calf muscle, was stiffer and thicker.
Shoes that hurt your feet aren’t good for you, Johanna Youner, D.M.P., a spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association, said in the article "Those To-Die-For High Heels May Alter Anatomy."
The association’s recommendation for the best shoe for women? A walking shoe with laces, not a slip-on, that has a polymerized composition sole and a wider heel with a rigid and padded heel counter, no more than three-quarters of an inch in height.
See the association’s "Footwear" for a list of tips for buying shoes. In addition, the association offers the APMA Seal of Acceptance for shoes and shoe products it thinks allow for normal foot function and promote quality foot health.
Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
Winter boots need to have quality treads to make walking in the snow safer during hazardous conditions.
"With the number of snowstorms we've a had during the first half of the winter alone, I'm already seeing a 30 percent increase in the number of patients coming into my office with fractures, sprains, and pulled arches from snow-related incidences,” New York City podiatrist Suzanne Levine, M.D., said.
With storms dumping record amounts of snow across the United States, often mixed with dangerous layers of black ice and slush, conditions often occur that are potential accidents for baby boomers and their parents.
"Pedestrians should treat their feel like tires in this kind of weather," Levine said. "We have regulations for vehicles in treacherous weather, so we should at least establish some important standards of quality for treads used on footwear designed for winter walking."
Levine offers these five footwear safety tips:
1. Think of your footgear as tires.
Consumers buy new snow tires when the treads wear down. They should do the same for boots and shoes, which become smoother and less effective after three months.
2. Don’t use tires that are flat.
Consumers often choose boots with a flat sole. A wedge is actually better. The forward angle of the foot allows it to dig into the snow with great proficiency.
3. Not all treads are created equal.
Choose a tread with a varied pattern – one that has a different design in the front and heel of the sole. This will give you a variety of stopgap measures when walking and climbing through snow and ice. Galoshes don’t work, since they provide little to no support for the foot. Galoshes can actually facilitate a fall.
4. A snowstorm isn’t the time to make fashion statements.
Treacherous conditions require footwear that performs well, not boots that are high fashion. Ankle snow boots don’t provide enough support and can easily result in sprains or even breaks when slipping and falling on snow and ice. Uggs are flat and, if the treads on them aren’t sharp, they have a greater likelihood of causing injuries.
5. Carry a spare.
Never wear improper footgear during threatening weather and be prepared for the worst-case scenario. If you get caught without the right pair of boots because they didn’t go with your outfit, you could not only ruin your shoes, but also do permanent damage to your body. Be sure to change shoes during the day to give your feet a rest from wearing anything that challenges or restricts the natural mechanics of the foot. Feet that aren’t in good shape or strong won’t perform well in a crisis.
“Proper footwear is essential for protecting your feet, ankles, hips, and spine during inclement weather,” Levine said. “If you shop carefully, you can find a boot that keeps you upright, safe, and looks great at the same time.”
Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
Manufactured in China and distributed by Brown Shoe Co. Inc., of St. Louis, Mo., and its affiliate Pagoda International Footwear Ltd., of Hong Kong, the shoes have decorative wheels that can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children, according to the commission.
The companies have received two reports of a decorative wheel detaching from the shoe. No injuries have been reported.
These shoes are a plastic molded EVA “water” clog and are designed to resemble a car. The shoes are red, brown, blue, yellow, and pink and most shoes bear the words “CARS,” “Transformers Animated,” or “Barbie.”
“Buster Brown & Co.™” is printed on the shoe inside at the heel, on a sewn-in tag inside the fleece-lined shoe, and on the original hang tag. The model or retail number can also be found on these tags.
The shoes were sold in children sizes five to 13 and youth sizes one to three.
The shoes were sold at major retailers nationwide, including Bealls’, Famous Footwear, J.C. Penney, Meijer, Rack Room, Sears, Shoe Show, Target, and Wal-Mart from August 2007 through June 2009 for $10 to $25.
Customers should immediately take this product away from children and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund, the commission advises.
For additional information, contact Buster Brown & Co. toll-free at 888-869-1044 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday and between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, visit the firm’s website at www.busterbrownshoes.com, or send an e-mail to Busterandtige@brownshoe.com.
Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
“Fern-Fab” – ankle strap sandals sold in bone, pink, white, blue polka-dot, or pink polka-dot.
“Lilly-Fab” – fuchsia gingham ballerina flats with a bow.
“Rita-Fab” – ankle strap dress shoes sold in ivory linen, pink linen, white linen, cafe satin, silver satin, or white satin.
“Vivi-Fab” – open-toe dress shoes in bone, white, green polka-dot, lavender polka-dot, or yellow polka-dot.
Manufactured in China, the shoes were sold in girls’ sizes 10 through big-kids 7. All shoes have an embossed “NORDSTROM” printed on the insole. Only the colors identified above are subject to the recall.
Nordstrom stores nationwide sold the shoes from September 2006 through February 2009 for about $35 to $45. Consumers should take the recalled shoes away from children immediately and return them to any Nordstrom store for a full refund or exchange, the commission advises.
For additional information, call Nordstrom at 800-804-0806 between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m. ET, e-mail Nordstrom at contact@nordstrom.com, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.nordstrom.com.
Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
Manufactured by Alpargatas USA Inc. of New York, N.Y., the flip flops have decorative paint on the sole that can contain lead levels in excess of the federal standard, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Flip flops of the Havaianas brand containing decorative paint were sold under the following model names: Baby Estampas, Baby Pets, Kids Apple, Kids Fairy, Kids Flores, Kids Lighthouse, Kids Monsters, Kids Surf, Baby Letrinhas, Kids Sports, Kids Candies, Kids Fun, Kids Love, Kids Sereias, Kids Speed, Kids Lucky Bug, Kids Pets, Kids Rock, Kids Slim, Kids Wonder Woman, Kids Small Flowers, and Kids Tropical w/Kit.
Havaianas flip flops without decorative paint aren’t being recalled, according to the commission.
Manufactured in Brazil, the flip flops were sold by department and specialty stores nationwide from November 2006 through February 2009 for about $15 to $24 a pair.
Consumers should immediately take the recalled flip flops away from children and return them to Alpargatas USA Inc. to receive a replacement. Call 888-289-5306 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.havaianasus.com. You’ll find the recall at the bottom of the home page.
For more information on recent recalls, see www.recalls.gov.
Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
When New York Times blogger Tara Parker-Pope wrote a post on "Flip-Flops May Lead to Foot Pain," she received 200 comments on her blog Well from people who loved and hated their flip-flops.
In her post, Parker-Pope reported on research from Auburn University in Alabama that looked at the biomechanics of the flip-flop. The study determined that wearing thong-style flip-flops can result in sore feet, ankles, and legs.
In a follow-up post, "The Well Podcast: More About Flip-Flops," she interviewed Elizabeth Semmelhack, curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, about the history of flip-flops and other footware and why footwear inspires such passion.
Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
