Story by Heather Kirkwood
Photos by Brian Hott
Shoe styles in step with the
generation X is trying to fill the shoes of its parents —
literally.
Thick, black, rubber soles and tread, which look as if they have been peeled from the tires of 18 wheels, stitched with earth-toned thick or leather or suede straps are the better shoes on KLJ and this kind.
And for women—throw in a huge heel, at least a half-inch high for good measure.
Done right, your feet will look like they just arrived from the 1970s when disco was the rage and a sweaty John Travolta was king.
"A girl should always put her best foot forward," said Polina Sukonik, Overland park graduate student. "I have four pairs of those clunky shoes that are popular today." Sukonik, who owns 64 pairs of shoes, considers herself a bit of a shoe coonnisseur.
"If I ever met Imeda Marcos, we'd have a lot in common," Sukonik said. "These clunky shoes are great to walk in, and they go perfectly with jeans or with a skirt. They are hip, funny and comfortable."
The '70s retro look is appealing because loose fitting clothes and flashy colors are fun and reminiscent of a spunky decade of free love, the Village People and the Brady Bunch, Sukonik said. And, of course, shoes are an important detail when it comes to sell expression.
"You can tell a lot about someone from what they choose to put on their feet," Sulkonkil said. "If they have good shoes that are not well taken care of, it says something about their personality. It's about image."
Sukonik said a main advantage of the '70s look is that it is easy to get a lot for the money.
"Its a lot of fun to go shopping in thrift stores and to wear my mom's old clunkers," she said.
But Suloknik said that the chunky shoes usually have a '90s twist, whether it be more subdued colors or softer material. Chris Queen, Prairie Village senior, said he remembered the '70s firsthand and was not surprised that Generation X was fascinated with '70s pop culture and fashion.
"My dad was fascinated with the late '30s and '40s because that is when he was a child," Queen said. "When I was growing up in the '70s, I was fascinated with the early '60s because that is when I was a child. That's why it's cool, because it's when they were children. It brings back happy memories."
But nostalgic students are not the only ones who are happy about the trend.
Lawrence merchants have noticed retro shoes' popularity pick up this spring.
"We've had a lot of people trying on shoes with really tall, clunky heels this year," said Lisa Singleton, sales clerk at McCall's Shoes, 829 Massachusetts St.
Jason Graff, co-manager at Banister Shoes, One Riverfront Plaza, said that the look also had been selling well there.
"This year it is lots of big, thick heels and lots of straps. Some people refer to it as the funky-chunky look." Graff said.
But the retro look is not confined to spring sandals.
Larry Flottman, manager at Arensberg Shoes, 825 Massachusetts St., said that the retro trend extended to athletic shoes. He said that his wall of white-trimmed sneakers in subdued colors, which are reminiscent of the 1950s, were some of his best sellers.
But perhaps the best part of this fashion trend is that many of these shoes are good for the feet.
Lawrence Gaston, a doctor of pediatric medicine, said he was happy to see thick soles making a comeback.
"Shoes, like the Birkenstocks, offer more support in the arch, have thick soles for shock absorption and a more sophisticated strap system to hold them on the foot better, making them more effective." he said.
But before the fashion savvy start beating the pavement looking for the right look, Gaston has some advice for shoppers with foot fetishes.
Evaluate what will be done in the shoe before buying it, he said. Dainty little heels are fine for only a few hours, but for a shoe to walk all across campus in, invest a little more money in a shoe with plenty of arch support.
It's also better to shop for shoes in the evening because feet swell during the day, Gaston said. A shoe that might have fit in the morning may really be too tight by afternoon.
Gaston warned that buying shoes because they were cute as opposed to because they fit well will cause blisters, corns and ingrown toenails. If the shoe is poorly constructed, wearing it often may cause heel pain and swelling of bones, joints and tendons because of a lack of sufficient support.
Gaston's rule of thumb: "When you are standing with both shoes on, make sure you have a finger's width of distance from your longest toe to the end of the shoe. As far as width, standing up you should be able to pinch a little bit of material on the sides in the front of the shoe."
In the end, you get what you pay for.
Action Man, Stone Temple Pilots
By Robert Moczydlowsky
Action Man Adventures in Boredom (Barber's Itch Records). When it comes to early evening conversations on the porch or backyard barbecues, Lawrence's mix of warm air and nine o'clock sunsets can't be beat.
Now, thanks to easygoing local rockers Action Man, we all have a new set of tunes for those worn-out speakers on the deck. Action Man is a band that, in the same vein as Manhattan's Truck Stop Love, have embraced some of the Kansas country twang without letting go of their punk-pop sense of melody. This disc, from the first riff of Union Suit to the last strains of Frank, is extremely — almost annoyingly — humable.
Also look for Action Man on the
Take a couple of listens to this disc before you judge it, however. If you listen to a lot of heavy guitar or mainstream radio sounds, Action Man's country-punk can be tough to get used to. Once you get past that country twang you'll be able to smell the charcoal and cheap beer of the coming summer months.
Stone Temple Pilots album art
Stone Temple Pilots Tiny Music from the Vatican Gift Shop (Atlantic Records). The first single
Lazer's Big Sandwich local music compilation and watch them perform live at 7:30 p.m. April 19 at The End Compact Disc & Tapes, 100 Massachusetts St., and later that evening at the Replay Lounge, 945 Massachusetts St. Overall, out of 10:7, and rising.
My only complaint is that the band decided to release two slower songs on the Beautiful Girls soundtrack rather than put them on the album and break things up a bit. Aside from the record's non-stop approach, it's a great disc to listen to when you get that ticked-off, ready-to-fight-the-first-guy-you-see attitude. Overall: 7
Of course, this disc will be a hit with the radio and television stations regardless of critical opinion. The best thing for us to do simply is not to buy it. Spend your $15 on the
from the Stone Temple Pilots' new album drives me crazy. Every time I hear it on the radio (which is way too often), I can't help but wonder if I'm the only person who has noticed that the chorus sounds exactly like the refrain to the Rolling Stones classic Jumping Jack Flash.
On Jumping Jack Flash, Mick Jagger sings "Jumpin' Jack Flash," it's a gas, gas, gas." On Big Bang Baby, Scott Welland sings "It's a big bang baby, it's a crash, crash, crash." In almost exactly the same rhythm. Maybe it is just me, but it sounds as if the Pilots 'camp is running a little low on inspiration for songs.
And even without Big Bang Baby, the rest of the disc is surprisingly boring. Gone are the huge guitar hooks (as the album's title suggests) and clever lyrics from the band's previous albums. I know that STF intentionally made a lowkey album. I just don't think they did it very well;
Am I nuts? You be the judge.
Afghan Whigs Black Love (Elecra). Greg Dulli is rock 'n' roll. Not punk rock, not alternative rock, but straight ahead, cigarette smokin', black leather-clad rock 'n' roll. If you don't like him, he could give a damn. It is his opinion that if you have something to say, you ought to say it as loud as possible.
On this latest Whigs album, Dulli rants and raves in rare form. The disc's first single, *Honkey's Ladder*, is the perfect example. What other band could release a song to radio with an opening line like "Got you where I want you, motherf—er, I've got five up on your dime," and still get it played?
Stone's Sticky Fingers instead.
Overall: 3
This entire disc is loaded with Dulli's attitude and ormy story-telling, and it plays well from start to finish.
Hill Topics
Tonight
SHAG with Level, 9 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $5-$6.
Jazz Jam Session, 10 p.m. at Full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St. Free.
Tomorrow
The Deal, 9 p.m. at The Bottleneck, Cost: $4.45
Tim Mahoney & the Meanies, 9 p.m. at the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St. Cost: $5-36.
Iris Dement, 9 p.m. at Liberty Hall, 633 Massachusetts St. Reserve Seating: $13.50.
Uncle Dirty Toes, 9 p.m. at Full Moon Cafe. Free.
Sunday
Mondav
Tuesday
The Phunk Junkeez with Fixture and Meat & Potatoes, 9 p.m. at The Bottleneck.
Advance Tickets: $7-38
The Mavericks with Junior Brown, 9 p.m. at Memorial Hall. Reserve Seating: $15-$18.50.
Home Alive Spoken Word Benefit, 8 p.m. at The Bottleneck.
Free.
Frank Black with Jonny Polansky, 9 p.m. at The Granada.
Advance Tickets: $10.
425 Main St. 8 p.m. at Full Moon Cafe. Free.
Acoustic Juice with High &
Lonesome, 9 p.m. at The Bottleneck, Cost: $3-$4.
Poi Dog Pondering with A Great Laugh, 9 p.m. at The Granada, Advance Tickets: $7.
Kathy Forste, 8 p.m. at Full Moon Cafe, Free.
Thursday
Blueshead Beggars with Safety Orange, 9 p.m. at The Bottleneck, Cost: $4-$5.
Poi Dog Dondering, 9 p.m. at Beaumont Club, 4050 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Mo.
Advance Tickets: $7.
Blues Jam with Benito, Doug and friends, 10 p.m. at Full Moon Cafe. Free.
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