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Don't Panic; How our frenzied response to terrorism only feeds it.
in responding to the attempted bombing of an airliner on Christmas Day, Sen. Dianne Feinstein voiced the feelings of many when she said that to prevent such situations, "I'd rather...overreact than underreact." This now appears to be the consensus view in Washington, but it is quite wrong. In fact, precisely the opposite is true. The purpose of terrorism is to provoke an overreaction. Its real aim is not to kill the hundreds of people directly targeted but to sow fear in the rest of the population. Terrorism is an unusual military tactic in that it depends on the response of the onlookers. If we are not terrorized, then the attack didn't work. Alas, this one worked very well.
The attempted bombing says more about Al Qaeda's weakened state than its strength. In the eight years before 9/11, Al Qaeda was able to launch large-scale terrorist attacks on several continents. It targeted important symbols of American power-embassies in Africa; a naval destroyer, the USS Cole; and, of course, the World Trade Center. The operations were complex-a simultaneous bombing of two embassies in different countries-and involved dozens of people of different nationalities who trained around the world, moved significant sums of money around, and coordinated their efforts over months, sometimes years. And every attack succeeded.
On Christmas a Qaeda affiliate launched an operation using one person, with no special target, and a failed technique tried eight years ago by "shoe bomber" Richard Reid. The plot seems to have been an opportunity that the group seized rather than the result of a well-considered strategic plan. A Nigerian fanatic with (what appeared to be) a clean background volunteered for service; he was wired up with a makeshift explosive and put on a plane. His mission failed entirely, killing not a single person. The suicide bomber was not even able to commit suicide. But Al Qaeda succeeded in its real aim, which was to throw the American system into turmoil. That's why the terror group proudly boasted about the success of its mission.
Is there some sensible reaction between panic and passivity? Philip Zelikow, the executive director of the 9/11 Commission and later a senior State Department official in the Bush administration, suggests that we should try to analyze failures in homeland security the way we do airplane catastrophes. When an airliner suffers an accident, major or minor, the National Transportation Safety Board convenes a group of nonpartisan experts who calmly and methodically examine what went wrong and then issue a set of recommendations to improve the situation. "We approach airline security with the understanding that it's a complex problem, that we have a pretty good system, but that there will be failures-caused by human beings, technology, or other factors. The point is to constantly fix what's broken and keep improving the design and execution," says Zelikow.
Imagine if that were the process after a lapse in homeland security. The public would know that any attack, successful or not, would trigger an automatic, serious process to analyze the problem and fix it. Politicians might find it harder to use every such event for political advantage. The people on the front lines of homeland security would not get demoralized as they watched politicians and the media bash them and grandstand with little knowledge.
Overreacting to terrorist attacks plays into Al Qaeda's hands. It also provokes responses that are likely to be large scale, expensive, ineffective, and perhaps even counterproductive. More screening for every passenger makes no sense. When searching for needles in haystacks, adding hay doesn't help. What's needed is a larger, more robust watch list that is instantly available to all relevant agencies in the government. Almost 2 million people travel on planes in the United States every day. We need to isolate the tiny percentage of suspicious characters and search them, not cause needless fear in everyone else.
The attempted bombing says more about Al Qaeda's weakened state than its strength. In the eight years before 9/11, Al Qaeda was able to launch large-scale terrorist attacks on several continents. It targeted important symbols of American power-embassies in Africa; a naval destroyer, the USS Cole; and, of course, the World Trade Center. The operations were complex-a simultaneous bombing of two embassies in different countries-and involved dozens of people of different nationalities who trained around the world, moved significant sums of money around, and coordinated their efforts over months, sometimes years. And every attack succeeded.
On Christmas a Qaeda affiliate launched an operation using one person, with no special target, and a failed technique tried eight years ago by "shoe bomber" Richard Reid. The plot seems to have been an opportunity that the group seized rather than the result of a well-considered strategic plan. A Nigerian fanatic with (what appeared to be) a clean background volunteered for service; he was wired up with a makeshift explosive and put on a plane. His mission failed entirely, killing not a single person. The suicide bomber was not even able to commit suicide. But Al Qaeda succeeded in its real aim, which was to throw the American system into turmoil. That's why the terror group proudly boasted about the success of its mission.
Is there some sensible reaction between panic and passivity? Philip Zelikow, the executive director of the 9/11 Commission and later a senior State Department official in the Bush administration, suggests that we should try to analyze failures in homeland security the way we do airplane catastrophes. When an airliner suffers an accident, major or minor, the National Transportation Safety Board convenes a group of nonpartisan experts who calmly and methodically examine what went wrong and then issue a set of recommendations to improve the situation. "We approach airline security with the understanding that it's a complex problem, that we have a pretty good system, but that there will be failures-caused by human beings, technology, or other factors. The point is to constantly fix what's broken and keep improving the design and execution," says Zelikow.
Imagine if that were the process after a lapse in homeland security. The public would know that any attack, successful or not, would trigger an automatic, serious process to analyze the problem and fix it. Politicians might find it harder to use every such event for political advantage. The people on the front lines of homeland security would not get demoralized as they watched politicians and the media bash them and grandstand with little knowledge.
Overreacting to terrorist attacks plays into Al Qaeda's hands. It also provokes responses that are likely to be large scale, expensive, ineffective, and perhaps even counterproductive. More screening for every passenger makes no sense. When searching for needles in haystacks, adding hay doesn't help. What's needed is a larger, more robust watch list that is instantly available to all relevant agencies in the government. Almost 2 million people travel on planes in the United States every day. We need to isolate the tiny percentage of suspicious characters and search them, not cause needless fear in everyone else.
Nike Tees Off Without Superstar Pitch Man
Nike Inc. will launch new golf clubs this month without the promotional muscle of golfing great Tiger Woods.
That will be a challenge for the sporting-goods giant, which was largely a nonentity in golf before it built a sizable business around the superstar's image.
Nike says that its Victory Red STR8-FIT Tour fairway woods, which will go on sale Jan. 28 for $299, were designed with input from all 13 U.S. golf stars who promote Nike's golf products. But the promotional materials make no mention of Mr. Woods, whose tradition of wearing red shirts on the final day of golf tournaments inspired the Victory Red name.
Instead, the materials trumpet that the clubs were tested in tournament play by a respected but lesser-known golf pro, Lucas Glover, who claimed his first major victory last year when he won the U.S. Open Championship.
Nike's inability to bank on Mr. Woods -- who remains a Nike-sponsored athlete but is postponing his career as he deals with the fallout from his alleged extramarital affairs -- comes at a problematic time. The Beaverton, Ore., company has faced deteriorating golf sales because of the recession. Annual revenue at the Nike Golf division fell 11% last year to $648 million after peaking at $725 million the year before.
Still, some of Nike's retail partners said they expect the company's clubs to sell well in 2010, with or without Mr. Woods to champion them.
"They have certainly established themselves as a very successful golf manufacturer over the past 10-plus years, and we believe we will have a very solid year with them," said Matt Corey, senior vice president of marketing at Golfsmith International Holdings Inc., the nation's largest specialty golf retailer.
Nike declined to discuss the effect of Mr. Woods's problems on its business, where overall revenue grew 3% to $19.2 billion in fiscal 2009. But in a conference call with investors last month, Chief Executive Mark Parker played down the ramifications, even as he acknowledged that larger economic factors were hurting golf sales.
"We feel very good about how we are managing our golf business through this period and our position in the broader golf market," Mr. Parker said, adding, "We'll continue to support Tiger and his family as we, of course, look forward to his return."
Nike's golf slump mirrors a wider plunge in the market for golf apparel and gear, as consumers put off discretionary purchases. Sales of clubs and other hard equipment fell 11.9% in the first 11 months of 2009 at golf-course shops and specialty stores, according to Golf Datatech LLC, a market-research firm.
While Mr. Woods's alleged peccadilloes have forced him out of the limelight for at least part of this year, some golf-industry experts say Nike has a larger set of options because of the recent emergence of other stars.
Like Mr. Glover, Stewart Cink, also a Nike-sponsored athlete, captured his first major title last year when he won the British Open.
"Nike golfers won two major tournaments last year, and neither guy was named Tiger Woods," said Tom Stine, co-founder of Golf Datatech. "What Tiger gave Nike is credibility. When you have the top guy out there winning with your stuff, it tells the public that you have top-line equipment. But they have plenty of other golfers doing that now."
Michelle Wie, also under contract with Nike, won her first professional women's tournament last year, one of the first signs that the 20-year-old phenom could yet fulfill her potential to become the female version of Mr. Woods.
Nike first dabbled in golf in 1985 with a shoe called the Air Linkster, and pro Curtis Strange donned its gear while winning U.S. Open championships in 1988 and 1989. But it wasn't until Nike signed a huge endorsement deal with a 20-year-old Mr. Woods in 1996 that the swoosh became an upstart in the business side of the sport.
The golfer draped himself in Nike apparel as he won a dizzying succession of major titles, and the company blanketed the airwaves with emotional ads playing up his historic ascent, notably a landmark spot called "I am Tiger Woods" that showed children of numerous races playing the game.
Mr. Woods started using Nike golf balls rather than the Titleist balls favored by other stars, and later picked up Nike clubs, moves that experts say greatly helped to win over skeptical golfers raised on such brands as Callaway Golf Co. and TaylorMade Golf Co., a unit of Adidas AG. Titleist is part of Acushnet Co., a subsidiary of Fortune Brands Inc. that also includes Cobra golf clubs and FootJoy golf shoes and generates annual revenue of more than $1 billion.
That will be a challenge for the sporting-goods giant, which was largely a nonentity in golf before it built a sizable business around the superstar's image.
Nike says that its Victory Red STR8-FIT Tour fairway woods, which will go on sale Jan. 28 for $299, were designed with input from all 13 U.S. golf stars who promote Nike's golf products. But the promotional materials make no mention of Mr. Woods, whose tradition of wearing red shirts on the final day of golf tournaments inspired the Victory Red name.
Instead, the materials trumpet that the clubs were tested in tournament play by a respected but lesser-known golf pro, Lucas Glover, who claimed his first major victory last year when he won the U.S. Open Championship.
Nike's inability to bank on Mr. Woods -- who remains a Nike-sponsored athlete but is postponing his career as he deals with the fallout from his alleged extramarital affairs -- comes at a problematic time. The Beaverton, Ore., company has faced deteriorating golf sales because of the recession. Annual revenue at the Nike Golf division fell 11% last year to $648 million after peaking at $725 million the year before.
Still, some of Nike's retail partners said they expect the company's clubs to sell well in 2010, with or without Mr. Woods to champion them.
"They have certainly established themselves as a very successful golf manufacturer over the past 10-plus years, and we believe we will have a very solid year with them," said Matt Corey, senior vice president of marketing at Golfsmith International Holdings Inc., the nation's largest specialty golf retailer.
Nike declined to discuss the effect of Mr. Woods's problems on its business, where overall revenue grew 3% to $19.2 billion in fiscal 2009. But in a conference call with investors last month, Chief Executive Mark Parker played down the ramifications, even as he acknowledged that larger economic factors were hurting golf sales.
"We feel very good about how we are managing our golf business through this period and our position in the broader golf market," Mr. Parker said, adding, "We'll continue to support Tiger and his family as we, of course, look forward to his return."
Nike's golf slump mirrors a wider plunge in the market for golf apparel and gear, as consumers put off discretionary purchases. Sales of clubs and other hard equipment fell 11.9% in the first 11 months of 2009 at golf-course shops and specialty stores, according to Golf Datatech LLC, a market-research firm.
While Mr. Woods's alleged peccadilloes have forced him out of the limelight for at least part of this year, some golf-industry experts say Nike has a larger set of options because of the recent emergence of other stars.
Like Mr. Glover, Stewart Cink, also a Nike-sponsored athlete, captured his first major title last year when he won the British Open.
"Nike golfers won two major tournaments last year, and neither guy was named Tiger Woods," said Tom Stine, co-founder of Golf Datatech. "What Tiger gave Nike is credibility. When you have the top guy out there winning with your stuff, it tells the public that you have top-line equipment. But they have plenty of other golfers doing that now."
Michelle Wie, also under contract with Nike, won her first professional women's tournament last year, one of the first signs that the 20-year-old phenom could yet fulfill her potential to become the female version of Mr. Woods.
Nike first dabbled in golf in 1985 with a shoe called the Air Linkster, and pro Curtis Strange donned its gear while winning U.S. Open championships in 1988 and 1989. But it wasn't until Nike signed a huge endorsement deal with a 20-year-old Mr. Woods in 1996 that the swoosh became an upstart in the business side of the sport.
The golfer draped himself in Nike apparel as he won a dizzying succession of major titles, and the company blanketed the airwaves with emotional ads playing up his historic ascent, notably a landmark spot called "I am Tiger Woods" that showed children of numerous races playing the game.
Mr. Woods started using Nike golf balls rather than the Titleist balls favored by other stars, and later picked up Nike clubs, moves that experts say greatly helped to win over skeptical golfers raised on such brands as Callaway Golf Co. and TaylorMade Golf Co., a unit of Adidas AG. Titleist is part of Acushnet Co., a subsidiary of Fortune Brands Inc. that also includes Cobra golf clubs and FootJoy golf shoes and generates annual revenue of more than $1 billion.
Lynch mob bloggers need to get real
I should mention here that I've known [Len Gengel] for years. His sister Christine is a friend. The large Gengel clan is truly salt of the earth, and Len is a generous and compassionate guy, a skilled builder who uses his success and resources to give back to his community.
Thankfully, the mean-spirited reaction to the Gengels' nightmare is offset by the scores of supportive posts from good people offering hopes and prayers. Even those who may privately quibble with claims that our nation isn't doing its part are empathetic enough to put themselves in this father's shoes. Who wouldn't pull out all the stops? Who wouldn't move heaven and earth, the media and the president, to save their child?
Maybe it's because I know the character of Len Gengel, but I'm horrified that anyone would fault him now. Of course, it says more about them than it does about him. And it says much about the people we're in danger of becoming, when a human tragedy is met with sneers rather than sorrow from the online, anonymous lynch mob.
Within hours of learning that his daughter had in fact not been rescued from Haiti as previously announced, Len Gengel stood on her college campus in Florida and pleaded for help in finding his missing child.
Before making his emotional appeal, though, Len did something else - he thanked God that some of Britney's classmates had been rescued.
"We are so happy for the parents of the eight students who made their way out of the Hotel Montana in Haiti, and so thankful to God for their safety," he said, his voice shaking.
He meant it, and I was struck by the generosity of his remarks. Here was a man who was enduring the worst that life could throw at a human being, and his thoughts were with the lucky parents of lucky children.
I should mention here that I've known Len Gengel for years. His sister Christine is a friend. The large Gengel clan is truly salt of the earth, and Len is a generous and compassionate guy, a skilled builder who uses his success and resources to give back to his community.
I'm certainly not the first person to comment about the coarsening of our culture, but I'm sickened by it today. Because as a father's pleas for help to Haiti grow more desperate, so, too, do the angry bloggers grow more vile and venomous.
"The guy should be thanking the university for doing what they did instead of trying to grab media attention," one commenter posted on the CBS "Early Show" Web site, after Len appeared on the program. On the Telegram Web site, another member of the lynch mob wrote in capital letters: "YOUR THINKING IS THE TYPICAL UGLY AMERICAN - WE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD!!!! WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE YOU EXACTLY!?!"
What is wrong with people, exactly?
I realize that I shouldn't be surprised. Many of the anonymous posters on media Web sites are notorious for their bile and incivility. Most of them are perpetually offended to the point of absurdity. As a columnist, I'm all too familiar with angry e-mails and the well-documented phenomenon of Internet rage rather than reason.
Call me naive, but I assumed that a frantic father whose child is missing in the rubble of an earthquake would be given a pass. Not a chance.
"He has no right to criticize the efforts of the rescuers because they are not specifically helping HIM," someone posted on "The Early Show" Web site. "Free will, baby; his daughter could have chosen NOT to go ... . Theirs was a volunteer mission and volunteers can have no expectations. Did this university tell them that they would be airlifted out in the event of a disaster?" Others, incredibly, have called this thoroughly decent man self-centered and arrogant.
The nation has been following the Gengels' saga since last Tuesday, when the earthquake struck Haiti and collapsed the hotel where Britney and her classmates were staying. Initially, Len and his wife, Cherylann, were told that Britney had been airlifted out of the country. Then came word that a terrible mistake had been made and that Britney was still missing.
Her father knows that time is running out. On CNN, he's begged President Obama to send more troops and equipment to the hotel. On the Larry King show, he begged Larry King to get involved. Sleep challenged and emotionally ravaged, Len is sobbing and pleading for more. Over the years, I've noticed that parents of missing children are focused on results rather than decorum. Go figure.
Thankfully, the mean-spirited reaction to the Gengels' nightmare is offset by the scores of supportive posts from good people offering hopes and prayers. Even those who may privately quibble with claims that our nation isn't doing its part are empathetic enough to put themselves in this father's shoes. Who wouldn't pull out all the stops? Who wouldn't move heaven and earth, the media and the president, to save their child?
Thankfully, the mean-spirited reaction to the Gengels' nightmare is offset by the scores of supportive posts from good people offering hopes and prayers. Even those who may privately quibble with claims that our nation isn't doing its part are empathetic enough to put themselves in this father's shoes. Who wouldn't pull out all the stops? Who wouldn't move heaven and earth, the media and the president, to save their child?
Maybe it's because I know the character of Len Gengel, but I'm horrified that anyone would fault him now. Of course, it says more about them than it does about him. And it says much about the people we're in danger of becoming, when a human tragedy is met with sneers rather than sorrow from the online, anonymous lynch mob.
Within hours of learning that his daughter had in fact not been rescued from Haiti as previously announced, Len Gengel stood on her college campus in Florida and pleaded for help in finding his missing child.
Before making his emotional appeal, though, Len did something else - he thanked God that some of Britney's classmates had been rescued.
"We are so happy for the parents of the eight students who made their way out of the Hotel Montana in Haiti, and so thankful to God for their safety," he said, his voice shaking.
He meant it, and I was struck by the generosity of his remarks. Here was a man who was enduring the worst that life could throw at a human being, and his thoughts were with the lucky parents of lucky children.
I should mention here that I've known Len Gengel for years. His sister Christine is a friend. The large Gengel clan is truly salt of the earth, and Len is a generous and compassionate guy, a skilled builder who uses his success and resources to give back to his community.
I'm certainly not the first person to comment about the coarsening of our culture, but I'm sickened by it today. Because as a father's pleas for help to Haiti grow more desperate, so, too, do the angry bloggers grow more vile and venomous.
"The guy should be thanking the university for doing what they did instead of trying to grab media attention," one commenter posted on the CBS "Early Show" Web site, after Len appeared on the program. On the Telegram Web site, another member of the lynch mob wrote in capital letters: "YOUR THINKING IS THE TYPICAL UGLY AMERICAN - WE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD!!!! WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE YOU EXACTLY!?!"
What is wrong with people, exactly?
I realize that I shouldn't be surprised. Many of the anonymous posters on media Web sites are notorious for their bile and incivility. Most of them are perpetually offended to the point of absurdity. As a columnist, I'm all too familiar with angry e-mails and the well-documented phenomenon of Internet rage rather than reason.
Call me naive, but I assumed that a frantic father whose child is missing in the rubble of an earthquake would be given a pass. Not a chance.
"He has no right to criticize the efforts of the rescuers because they are not specifically helping HIM," someone posted on "The Early Show" Web site. "Free will, baby; his daughter could have chosen NOT to go ... . Theirs was a volunteer mission and volunteers can have no expectations. Did this university tell them that they would be airlifted out in the event of a disaster?" Others, incredibly, have called this thoroughly decent man self-centered and arrogant.
The nation has been following the Gengels' saga since last Tuesday, when the earthquake struck Haiti and collapsed the hotel where Britney and her classmates were staying. Initially, Len and his wife, Cherylann, were told that Britney had been airlifted out of the country. Then came word that a terrible mistake had been made and that Britney was still missing.
Her father knows that time is running out. On CNN, he's begged President Obama to send more troops and equipment to the hotel. On the Larry King show, he begged Larry King to get involved. Sleep challenged and emotionally ravaged, Len is sobbing and pleading for more. Over the years, I've noticed that parents of missing children are focused on results rather than decorum. Go figure.
Thankfully, the mean-spirited reaction to the Gengels' nightmare is offset by the scores of supportive posts from good people offering hopes and prayers. Even those who may privately quibble with claims that our nation isn't doing its part are empathetic enough to put themselves in this father's shoes. Who wouldn't pull out all the stops? Who wouldn't move heaven and earth, the media and the president, to save their child?
Unity speaker urges crowd to fulfill their dreams
Dreams have to be more than just dreams -- they have to be wanted more than anything and worked for harder than anything in order to achieve success, broadcast journalist Ed Gordon told a packed auditorium Monday.
And that success can't be lost sight of, he said.
On the anniversary of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Gordon kept returning to a single formula: "Greatness follows success, success is borne of preparation, and preparation is initiated by a dream."
"I have a little dream," he said. "If you're going to dream, dream big -- dream about your contribution to the world, what you leave along the way, how what you do will affect the world... Because that's what makes you extraordinary."
Nearly all of the 2,000 seats on the floor of Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium were full for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Celebration -- and as the night wound on, the balcony began filling up, too.
Gordon directed his words at young people, but reminded everyone that children often don't know any better -- that it's adults who sometimes need a talking-to.
He often used his own career to highlight the different planks of his inspirational platform, talking about meeting Nelson Mandela in one breath and then quoting rapper Jay-Z in the next.
He talked about the ups and downs he's had along the way, beginning with a news director who told him soon after college that he would never make it in the field.
He talked about problems plaguing society -- parents and teachers who don't care, failing schools, gun violence, and "trying to buy a $130 pair of gym shoes when you can't even spell 'gym shoes.' "
Success begins with finding something you truly yearn for, he said.
"Find something that you love ... and then go after it with a vengeance -- like it slapped-your-mama, go after it," he said.
Gordon is a Detroit native and heads his own production company.
And that success can't be lost sight of, he said.
On the anniversary of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Gordon kept returning to a single formula: "Greatness follows success, success is borne of preparation, and preparation is initiated by a dream."
"I have a little dream," he said. "If you're going to dream, dream big -- dream about your contribution to the world, what you leave along the way, how what you do will affect the world... Because that's what makes you extraordinary."
Nearly all of the 2,000 seats on the floor of Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium were full for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Celebration -- and as the night wound on, the balcony began filling up, too.
Gordon directed his words at young people, but reminded everyone that children often don't know any better -- that it's adults who sometimes need a talking-to.
He often used his own career to highlight the different planks of his inspirational platform, talking about meeting Nelson Mandela in one breath and then quoting rapper Jay-Z in the next.
He talked about the ups and downs he's had along the way, beginning with a news director who told him soon after college that he would never make it in the field.
He talked about problems plaguing society -- parents and teachers who don't care, failing schools, gun violence, and "trying to buy a $130 pair of gym shoes when you can't even spell 'gym shoes.' "
Success begins with finding something you truly yearn for, he said.
"Find something that you love ... and then go after it with a vengeance -- like it slapped-your-mama, go after it," he said.
Gordon is a Detroit native and heads his own production company.
Champagne Reception for World's First Glass Shoe
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's first collection of shoes made of glass will be debuted at a champagne reception on January 29, 2010 from 6pm-9pm on the rooftop patio of the Q by Pasquale Studio at 5616 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles 90019. Designed, engineered and developed by Pasquale Fabrizio, "the cobbler to the stars," the shoes are wearable works of art featuring handcrafted soles, embellishments of Murano glass and 24-carat gold beading. Working with artisans throughout Italy, Pasquale has married the elements of shoe architecture, quality materials and natural beauty which bring to life the fairy tale of the glass slipper.
The inaugural collection of 100 pairs of shoes will appear for the very first time to a select group of media, celebrities, designers and stylists. This event will showcase the five styles of Q by Pasquale's couture collection of evening shoes. It will be a celebration of Pasquale's five-year journey to bring this iconic shoe to the forefront of fashion.
Pasquale Fabrizio is a master shoemaker with exacting standards and inspired artistry. He learned the fine art of shoemaking through his family's business, which has been making shoes for nearly 50 years. Pasquale has built his reputation through re-crafting shoes for Madonna, Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker, among countless other celebrities. His Los Angeles studio has been cited by "W Magazine" as "the best in the world." His clientele includes Emmy, Grammy and Academy Award winners, as well as some of the most passionate shoe aficionados from around the world.
The inaugural collection of 100 pairs of shoes will appear for the very first time to a select group of media, celebrities, designers and stylists. This event will showcase the five styles of Q by Pasquale's couture collection of evening shoes. It will be a celebration of Pasquale's five-year journey to bring this iconic shoe to the forefront of fashion.
Pasquale Fabrizio is a master shoemaker with exacting standards and inspired artistry. He learned the fine art of shoemaking through his family's business, which has been making shoes for nearly 50 years. Pasquale has built his reputation through re-crafting shoes for Madonna, Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker, among countless other celebrities. His Los Angeles studio has been cited by "W Magazine" as "the best in the world." His clientele includes Emmy, Grammy and Academy Award winners, as well as some of the most passionate shoe aficionados from around the world.
Walking on clouds: Shoes like Skechers Shape Ups promise a lot, but do they walk the talk?
When St. Joseph's Pound Plunge weight-loss competition began this month, so did the Dillard's Divas' mall walking.
The four team members, all managers at Dillard's, also have something else in common: Brand new pairs of Skechers Shape Ups. Skechers claims the shoes help you get fit while you walk, work, shop and more -- toning muscles, burning calories and improving posture. But do Shape Ups live up to all the hype?
Definitely yes, according to Andrea Ashe, manager of ladies' footwear at Dillard's and a member of the Dillard's Divas.
"I think out of our whole selection, it's the best shoe we have," she says. " ... If you start walking in good shoes, no matter what, it's going to benefit you. But with these, you have to walk just a bit harder."
Combining walking with some other exercise, Ms. Ashe lost eight and a half pounds the first week of the Plunge. One of her teammates is relying only on walking for weight loss, she adds, and can tell already that her pants are loose.
Ms. Ashe adds that the design of the shoes teaches wearers to walk heel to toe, which works muscles traditional shoes don't. Of course, the Shape Ups are neither the first nor the last to do this; they and a number of other new-to-the market shoes are modeled after Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoes, which were released several years ago and designed to make wearers feel like they would walking barefoot on sand.
However, the Skechers and others -- including the Earth Exer-Fit, as well as shoes from Easy Fit and New Balance -- come at a lower price point. While MBTs can cost as much as $250, Skechers Shape Ups are usually about $100. Tom Brager, owner of Brown's Shoe Fit Company in St. Joseph, says the store has carried MBTs for about five years and has recently started selling Shape Ups, as well.
"MBT is such a big brand, other brands are trying to build on their momentum and create shoes they can sell for cheaper," he adds. "People who have had MBTs, they're not switching to Skechers. But people who haven't tried MBTs love Skechers."
Mr. Brager has owned a pair of MBTs since his store began carrying them and wears them while he's at work, noting that after 21 years in retail, he notices the difference they make in his posture. He says the shoes also activate muscles other shoes don't and that they're designed to be comfort shoes, with rocker bottoms taking pressure off the ball of the foot. For some customers, this has meant a reduction in knee and back pain.
So are there any downsides to MBTs, Shape Ups or similar shoes? Online reviews don't reveal many complaints. Some people note that with their thick soles, they aren't exactly fashionable. And from a functional standpoint, some say MBTs are heavy. They also can take some time to get used to, and they aren't the safest shoes for those planning to do anything more than walking in an environment where it's easy to do so. This has generated some criticism with nurses who wear them while working and might be exposed to wet surfaces, might need to help lift patients or might occasionally need to move at a quicker pace than walking allows.
The four team members, all managers at Dillard's, also have something else in common: Brand new pairs of Skechers Shape Ups. Skechers claims the shoes help you get fit while you walk, work, shop and more -- toning muscles, burning calories and improving posture. But do Shape Ups live up to all the hype?
Definitely yes, according to Andrea Ashe, manager of ladies' footwear at Dillard's and a member of the Dillard's Divas.
"I think out of our whole selection, it's the best shoe we have," she says. " ... If you start walking in good shoes, no matter what, it's going to benefit you. But with these, you have to walk just a bit harder."
Combining walking with some other exercise, Ms. Ashe lost eight and a half pounds the first week of the Plunge. One of her teammates is relying only on walking for weight loss, she adds, and can tell already that her pants are loose.
Ms. Ashe adds that the design of the shoes teaches wearers to walk heel to toe, which works muscles traditional shoes don't. Of course, the Shape Ups are neither the first nor the last to do this; they and a number of other new-to-the market shoes are modeled after Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) shoes, which were released several years ago and designed to make wearers feel like they would walking barefoot on sand.
However, the Skechers and others -- including the Earth Exer-Fit, as well as shoes from Easy Fit and New Balance -- come at a lower price point. While MBTs can cost as much as $250, Skechers Shape Ups are usually about $100. Tom Brager, owner of Brown's Shoe Fit Company in St. Joseph, says the store has carried MBTs for about five years and has recently started selling Shape Ups, as well.
"MBT is such a big brand, other brands are trying to build on their momentum and create shoes they can sell for cheaper," he adds. "People who have had MBTs, they're not switching to Skechers. But people who haven't tried MBTs love Skechers."
Mr. Brager has owned a pair of MBTs since his store began carrying them and wears them while he's at work, noting that after 21 years in retail, he notices the difference they make in his posture. He says the shoes also activate muscles other shoes don't and that they're designed to be comfort shoes, with rocker bottoms taking pressure off the ball of the foot. For some customers, this has meant a reduction in knee and back pain.
So are there any downsides to MBTs, Shape Ups or similar shoes? Online reviews don't reveal many complaints. Some people note that with their thick soles, they aren't exactly fashionable. And from a functional standpoint, some say MBTs are heavy. They also can take some time to get used to, and they aren't the safest shoes for those planning to do anything more than walking in an environment where it's easy to do so. This has generated some criticism with nurses who wear them while working and might be exposed to wet surfaces, might need to help lift patients or might occasionally need to move at a quicker pace than walking allows.
