Paes disheartened by India's Olympic tennis row

Leander Paes disheartened by controversy surrounding India's team selection for London Games

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Leander Paes insists the "disheartening" selection row engulfing India's tennis team for the London Games hasn't dampened his enthusiasm about appearing in his sixth Olympics.

The 39-year-old Paes will play mixed doubles at the Olympics with India's top women's player, Sania Mirza, who on Tuesday said she was being used as "bait" to pacify Paes after he was asked to be paired with little-known Vishnu Vardhan in the men's doubles.

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna will be India's other pairing in the men's doubles, after they each refused to partner with Paes in London because they have been playing together on the ATP circuit.

"I am here to play sport and not politics," Paes said on Thursday, after winning his first-round match in the men's doubles at Wimbledon with regular Czech partner Radek Stepanek. "Unfortunately, I see the games being played within games, and as much as that is very disheartening, I am looking forward to playing my sixth Olympics for my country as I have played for 22 years for the people and the flag."

Before his partnership with Mirza was confirmed, Paes had threatened to withdraw himself from contention following the decision to pair him with Vardhan.

"I am looking forward to representing my country with the teams that the All India Tennis Association have selected," Paes said.

Mirza won this year's French Open with Bhupathi and said in a statement that she was disillusioned after being "put up as bait to try and pacify one of the disgruntled stalwarts of Indian tennis," in a direct reference to Paes.

Paes refused to comment on either Mirza's statement or whether their relationship had been tarnished.

"Every Olympics has some nonsense coming in with it," Paes said. "I know how much hard work goes into what I do. (Either) people choose to respect it, which I'm very lucky that India does, (or) people choose to disrespect. That's their problem not mine."

A seven-time Grand Slam winner in men's doubles, Paes also won a bronze medal in singles in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Paes said Vardhan will be his 91st different partner in men's doubles and acknowledged that going deep in the Olympic tournament with a player who is currently ranked No. 300 in the world in singles is a tall order.

"I don't even know if he has grass-court shoes," Paes said. "So it's a bit of a tough one.

"But he's a really good kid, I'm happy to play with him. Whatever the obstacles are, which I see are going to be many — he's never been to Wimbledon before — whatever I can do as an experienced professional athlete to help my partners out, I do."

India is sending its largest ever tennis contingent to the Olympics with seven players. Apart from the two men's doubles pairs and the mixed doubles, Mirza and Rushmi Chakravarthi will play in women's doubles, while Somdev Devvarman will play in men's singles after receiving a wild card.

Often the silhouette is relaxed

The Sea, The Sea. This season the journey of the Vuitton traveller, always one both literal and metaphorical, takes to the water.

“Diana Vreeland said that water was ‘God’s tranquilizer.’ She also said she thought the idea of the freedom of surfing was wonderful. That was one of the starting points for the collection,” explains Kim Jones, Louis Vuitton Men’s Style Director, working under the Artistic Direction of Marc Jacobs. “I was also looking at different kinds of men I related to this style – the Vuitton customer is not just one kind of man – and that spanned people from Yves Carcelle with his love of yachting to the idea of sailing clothes worn by men in both a street and pop sense.”

In this way, what can be thought of as the traditional nautical theme – that classic cliché of fashion – is given new meaning and life by being playfully put through the filter of pop culture; made sporting through technical sailing wear; made adventurous through the myth of the high seas; made rebellious through the language of surf culture; made languid and insouciant through a Southern French casual finesse. Ultimately all is made sophisticated in the collection by a thoroughly thoughtful and qualitative approach to each aspect.

Often the silhouette is relaxed, easy and utilitarian yet still with a concentration on lightness and suppleness of fabrication (even with extra soft crocodile). There is particular innovation in the outerwear displayed through contemporary techniques such as laser cutting that give garments a particular fluidity. It is contrasted with the tailored silhouettes utilizing techniques that still stress lightness in construction together with a fluidity of line. A sense of freedom and summer is one that permeates the collection in its entirety and is also displayed in its simple colour palette concentrating on navy and white with flashes of yellow and fluorescents. An element of holiday and beach debris playfully litters the accesorisation of the collection; ring-pulls made precious in gold, silver and mother-of-pearl with coral, anchor and seahorse motifs adding another playful twist.

Adidas and their 'shackle' sneakers

I was browsing the Internet, and an ad came up about some new shoes.

Usually, at the site of new shoes, I get excited, and I sometimes tend to overspend on really cute shoes, but this was an exception that made me very angry.

Adidas sneakers have been accused of promoting racism with their new purple and yellow “shackle” sneakers that were expected to hit stores in August. The tennis shoes that have bright-yellow shackles on the ankles were set to run $350.

These shoes caused uproar when Adidas started promoting the sneakers on their official Facebook page last week.

"Tighten up your style with the JS Roundhouse Mids, dropping in August. Got a sneaker game so hot, you lock your kicks to your ankles,” is what the quote read.

As I sat and read the quote at least 30 times, I still could not understand why someone would let this “new” sneaker style hit the streets.

I began to do some research and saw that the photo of the shoe had over 36,000 likes. However, more than half of the comments were people saying angry and disparaging things about the shoes.

I later found out that Jeremy Scott is the designer of the shoe, and he has been known for his unusual designs in fashion.

Now, I am never one to play the racism card, because I was not taught to judge anyone based on color, religion or race. However, I am not OK with this shoe being sold.

A few days went by, and the photo went viral, and more and more people began commenting on the design of the shoes.

It wasn’t until late Monday evening that Adidas stated, “Since the shoe debuted on our Facebook page ahead of its market release in August, Adidas has received both favorable and critical feedback. We apologize if people are offended by the design, and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace."

Made by an accurate activity sports shoe company

Since activity sports began ascent added rapidly in acceptance about the world, shoe aggregation behemothic DC Shoes has disqualified the streets. DC Shoe Co. has been about back 1994 and has been developing advanced shoes for all activity sports enthusiasts relying on its athletes' opinions and ability to advice get them there.

Keeping up with and blockage one footfall advanced of the antagonism [no pun intended] has consistently been acute with DC Shoes, and that is why the accession of the Unilite Trainer shoe, a accurate able-bodied shoe, proves already afresh why DC Shoe Co. is a behemothic on the streets. The aristocratic DC Shoes FMX aggregation relies on Robbie Maddison, Nate Adams, Travis Pastrana and Andre Villa to represent its amount avant-garde ideals.

Because traveling to the gym in your skate shoes to get in a acceptable conditioning is a affair of the accomplished [unless, of advance that is your style] the new Unilite Trainer shoe embodies aggregate a accurate able-bodied cross-trainer shoe should be.

Made by an accurate activity sports shoe company, the shoe has the stylish, sleek, activity address bare to be accustomed by the ever-so-critical and cool-guy standards that accept founded activity sports. It's lightweight, adequate and a lot of of all breathable for those acute workouts.

The $85 shoe appearance a molded ortholite insole and EVA strobel lath for aberrant footfall and comfort. It aswell has a seamless architecture for ultimate flexibility, congenital close beat for those who adopt not to abrasion one and vented cobweb for breathability. Down the base it has faceted midsoles, anchored arches, strategically placed elastic anchor advised for ultimate abundance and durability. Put artlessly this shoe rocks and has 100 percent activity capabilities of a accepted cross-trainer shoe.

The Unilite Trainer shoe is the ultimate activity sports trainer shoe out there on the market. With bloom and exercise acceptable so accepted in North America amidst anybody sports- and nonsports-wise -- it proves already afresh why DC is blockage one footfall advanced of the competition.

And let's face it, activity sports has been founded on the attempt of getting air-conditioned or different, independent. So from the time of its inception, cutting shoes that attending air-conditioned but accept no abutment disqualified the streets. This shoe rules because it delivers the a lot of abate abutment while advancement the cool-looking factor.

The Unilite Trainer shoe and the absolute DC Shoe band for that amount -- is authoritative its way into the shoe bazaar worldwide. Chances are your bounded skate boutique or antic appurtenances abundance has them in banal or you can consistently acquisition them by arcade online. For you Trey Canard and Travis Pastrana fans, they accept their own signature shoe as able-bodied as accepted colors in black, white, red and blue.

DC Shoes Unilite Trainer

Since action sports began rising more rapidly in popularity around the world, shoe company giant DC Shoes has ruled the streets. DC Shoe Co. has been around since 1994 and has been developing state-of-the-art shoes for all action sports enthusiasts relying on its athletes' opinions and expertise to help get them there.

Keeping up with and staying one step ahead of the competition [no pun intended] has always been crucial with DC Shoes, and that is why the addition of the Unilite Trainer shoe, a true athletic shoe, proves once again why DC Shoe Co. is a giant on the streets. The elite DC Shoes FMX team relies on Robbie Maddison, Nate Adams, Travis Pastrana and Andre Villa to represent its core innovative ideals.

WHAT IT IS:
Because going to the gym in your skate shoes to get in a good workout is a thing of the past [unless, of course that is your style] the new Unilite Trainer shoe embodies everything a true athletic cross-trainer shoe should be.

Made by an authentic action sports shoe company, the shoe has the stylish, sleek, functioning appeal needed to be approved by the ever-so-critical and cool-guy standards that have founded action sports. It's lightweight, comfortable and most of all breathable for those intense workouts.

The $85 shoe features a molded ortholite insole and EVA strobel board for exceptional step and comfort. It also has a seamless design for ultimate flexibility, built-in inner sock for those who prefer not to wear one and vented mesh for breathability. Down the underside it has faceted midsoles, embedded arches, strategically placed rubber grip designed for ultimate comfort and durability. Put simply this shoe rocks and has 100 percent functioning capabilities of a conventional cross-trainer shoe.

WHY IT RULES:
The Unilite Trainer shoe is the ultimate action sports trainer shoe out there on the market. With health and fitness becoming so popular in North America amongst everyone sports- and nonsports-wise -- it proves once again why DC is staying one step ahead of the competition.

And let's face it, action sports has been founded on the principles of being cool or different, independent. So from the time of its inception, wearing shoes that look cool but have no support ruled the streets. This shoe rules because it delivers the most ankle support while maintaining the cool-looking factor.

WHERE TO FIND IT:
The Unilite Trainer shoe and the entire DC Shoe line for that matter -- is making its way into the shoe market worldwide. Chances are your local skate shop or sporting goods store has them in stock or you can always find them by shopping online. For you Trey Canard and Travis Pastrana fans, they have their own signature shoe as well as standard colors in black, white, red and blue.

The bottoms of her feet are like slabs of leather

DES MOINES, Iowa — An Iowa woman is running barefoot across the United States to raise money to provide shoes for needy children.

Rae Heim, 18, of Carroll, started her cross-country trek in Boston in April and hopes to reach Huntington Beach, Calif., in October.

The Des Moines Register caught up with her this week in Iowa as she crested a hill near Victor in 91-degree heat.

Heim stopped to talk but wasn't out of breath. She said she started running barefoot after breaking a toe last year and shedding her running shoes for comfort. Shoes now feel like dead weight to her, although she wore them through New Jersey, where broken glass and nails littered the highway, and dons them on gravel roads.

The bottoms of her feet are like slabs of leather. When they start burning in the heat, she puts on toe socks.

"We are born to run barefoot," Heim said.

She told the newspaper that she hated to run and even dreaded rounding the bases while playing softball.

"It was like a punishment," she said. But then Heim realized that people thought she couldn't run, and she set out to prove them wrong.

She entered road races and last summer met a middle-aged man who ran across America, which inspired her.

What started as a personal adventure has become a fundraiser for Soles4Souls, a charity that supplies shoes to needy kids.

"When I feel like quitting, I think of the $2,900 I have raised," Heim said. "That's 2,900 pairs of shoes."

There have been a few bumps during her trek.

After the first week of 40-plus mile days, she had a twisted ankle, painful Achilles tendon and sore knee. She sat on the side of the road, crying, and then called her mom.

"My parents taught us that you set your goals and don't give up," Heim said.

Now, she's averaging 20 miles a day. She carries her belongings in a backpack. Her mom watches her every move with a GPS and has friends set up along the route to check on her.

Heim said most of her journey has been pleasant.

"The kindness I've seen in people surprised me. You always hear all the wrong with the world," she said. "But I've seen nothing but good in the world."

Buddy Holly's high school sneakers find a home at the Buddy Holly Center

After spending 22 years in another country, a pair of Converse high-top sneakers that once belonged to rock ’n’ roll legend Buddy Holly have returned to Lubbock.

The white Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star shoes, trimmed in red along the rubber soles, went on display this week at the Buddy Holly Center.

The initials B.H. were written in ink on the canvas above the outer heel of each shoe.

“For being more than 50 years old, they’re still in pretty good shape. The rubber is still supple,” said Jacqueline Bober, curator of the Buddy Holly Center.

Personnel at the center haven’t found a photo of Buddy wearing the shoes, but the sneakers are believed to have been worn by him during his late high school years, she said.

The Converse shoes replaced a pair of black Oxford shoes, size 11, in a display case. They appear to be about the same size, which leads Bober to think he owned them at a mature age.

The shoes were purchased by Toronto singer-songwriter Ken Blyth in a Sothebys’ auction in New York City in July, 1990, she said.

After owning them for more than two decades, Blyth sold them this spring to Civic Lubbock Inc., which made a permanent loan of them to the Buddy Holly Center, Bober said.

Blyth, 51, said in a telephone interview from his Canada home he decided to sell the shoes about a year ago.

“As much as I am a Buddy Holly nut, material items don’t add up to the music. (The shoes) were not as important as I thought they would be. I wanted them to go somewhere where they would be appreciated,” he said.

He received other offers to buy the shoes but turned them down, Blyth said.

“I truly felt they should go to the museum,” he said.

Blyth said he learned Buddy Holly items would be auctioned a year before the Sotheby auction when he was in Lubbock and visiting at the home of Buddy Holly’s older brother, Larry.

He went to the auction, hoping to make a spectacular addition to his guitar collection by winning Holly’s Fender Stratocaster guitar.

Although he was outbid on the guitar, he didn’t leave the auction empty-handed. He won the Converse sneakers, a sweater, a high school pin and a ring that had belonged to Buddy Holly.

He has sold the sweater and ring, he said.

Bober said she is happy to add the shoes to the items on display at the Buddy Holly Center.

“It feels like things are coming home. Pieces of the puzzle that was Buddy are coming back together,” she said.

She felt the same way in 2009, when Buddy’s bedroom furniture was acquired, she said.

Blyth has a band called Reminiscing, which plays Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley tribute songs with Blyth dressed and singing in the style of the late artists.