“Get Smart” With Your Leisure Footwear
We cracked up when Maxwell Smart used his Florsheim to call headquarters, and laughed even harder when Frank Drebin ruled The Naked Gun with his "Swiss Army Shoe." Such far-fetched footwear gadgetry made these men some of Hollywood's most cutting-edge (and funniest) crime fighters.
Today, it just makes for the latest and greatest in beach and fitness wear.
As warmer weather and 60 miles of Grand Strand beachfront beckon, you can leave the wallets and purses behind and take advantage of a wide selection of functional sandals. ArchPort, for one, offers a complete line of storage sandals with removable compartments in the sole of each shoe - large enough to stash cash, keys, ID and credit cards. The Reef Stash sandal offers similar features but with a more streamlined, classic "flip-flop" design.
If quick beverage access is a higher priority, you can try Reef's BYOB sandal, complete with bottle opener built into the sole to open your, uh, "soda pop." (Hey, it's less clunky than the one on the key chain you left at home, now isn't it?). If you don't want a separate sandal for this purpose, ArchPort offers an opener that fits neatly into the compartments of its storage sandals, and right now the accessory is free if you order those shoes online before April 25 (it's $2 otherwise).
For the more physically active among us, check out the Nike+ series of running shoes, which syncs with your iPod Nano to create a truly 21st Century workout experience. Its three essential components include the Nike+ ready shoes, which right now start at $69 on their Web site; the iPod Nano player, starting at $199; and the Nike+iPod Sport Kit ($29), which includes the shoe sensor and receiver that link the shoes to the iPod and enable the computer program. Just update your software, activate your shoes and customize your settings, and you're on your way.
You can base the length of your workout on time, distance or number of calories you want to burn. Use the iPod to choose your workout and select your playlist, and start running. If you need an inspirational boost, click on your "PowerSong" (Tom Brady likes "Public Service Announcement" by Jay-Z, while Lance Armstrong prefers "Dani California" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers). And when you're finished, your iPod program easily syncs with your computer to let you analyze your results and compare your workout regimen with others in the global Nike+ community.
Right now, prices for Nike+ compatible running shoes range anywhere from $20 to $50 more than the manufacturer's lowest-priced standard editions. If you're waiting for those prices to come down, relief is on its way; Nike recently announced that its entire line of running shoes will become Nike+ compatible by the end of the year.
Whatever happened to simple flip-flops and $25 running shoes? This stuff’s getting way too complicated.
If you already have the IPod, the rest of it really isn’t much money when you think about it. A friend of mine uses it and has been hooked for a while now.