Check the website here: SJP Collection  

In the homepage of the above mentioned website you can easily stop on a sentence well summing up Sarah's concept of her shoe collection:

"Created with a Commitment to Quality, the Single sole and using color as a Neutral"

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Sources:

• Vogue.it
• Amazon Fashion
• Deejay.it

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Sources:

• BBC
• Business Of Fashion
• Forbes
• The New York Times

a women's heeled shoe with a shank having a recess for a quickscrew fastener which allows quickly removing and replacing the heel, and which, together with a flexible insole, preferably a PVC moulded insole, and an elastic junction in the quarters or vamp, allows a closed shoe with a heel to be converted into a flat shoe or a sandal-like shoe with a heel to be converted into a flat sandal, for example, or vice versa. The shoe also comprises a second screw or pin arranged radially in relation to the screw already available in the front side of the heel, thus remaining hidden under the shoe, this second screw the central, heel-fastening screw from becoming accidentally loose. The shoe also comprises a flange with an inner screw thread incorporated into the insole by pressing in such a way that screw positioning imperfections can be corrected by rotating the flange.

A further brand in this field is Mestrae, from Malaysia. In its website you may read as follows:

The road to Mestrae started from humble beginnings, it came from wanting to fulfill the needs and wants of the everyday woman, the mothers, the corporate climbers, the professional, the chef, the sisters and daughters, the modern woman who tries to do it all.

This is to remark the very aim for which this kind of interchangeable heels-shoes were born, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post. It's quite pretty to me to read in this Malaysian website about the company's efforts to balance between technology and style setting in footwear.

At Mestrae, we look forward to being trend setters and to continuously be creative and innovative in the world of fashion and technology.

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• Techflier.com
• wearable.com
• USPTO

Did you hear about one of the last Summer trends: rainbow? My favourite season is almost here. To me this means colors! I think that's why rainbow is one of the most successful trends during the coming hot months. Ofc, troughout decades it has meant peace, pride, and joy (we'll go deep on this later on). No matter what's your opinion about, this pattern will involve you soon!

As a fish in the river, I would like to let this trend lead me during the coming days on the beach, in a party at a chalet, and (why not?) in the city. Colors, as known, have got a positive power on human beings. They're able to change your vibe. If you're wearing something colorful your reflection in a mirror can make you smile - even during a bad day! Well, I want this trend gets involved me even more this year!

Let me focus now on rainbow footwear. This amazing "fever" has infected many excellent shoe designers. In this post I'm listing few of them (my favourite ones).

1. Sophia Webster, Rosa Jelly T-Strap sandals, 260 EUR.

As already mentioned at the begging of this post, "rainbow" has got many symbolic meanings dealing, particularly, with some serious ju-ju in myth and culture. It also stands for powerful stuff like: creation, divinity, good luck, duality and liminal spaces.

In her blog, Avia Venefica analyses the different symbolic meanings rainbow gets across the Globe in many different cultures and their wisdoms. It may be  reproduced as a mythological Chinese dragon interceeding on behalf of human beings; as the Norse's Bifrost (bridge to the land of gods, aka Asgard); rather than a Navajo's multi-colored serpent to be ridden by young braves as initiation to the Great Spirit. Rainbow has been also linked to feminine divinity meaning prosperity, fertility, magic and provision, as for Celtics. I truly recommend to read her post to go through this topic.

"More research into rainbow meanings made me realize there's a lot more to them than just glittery symbols adorning juvenile tubes of strawberry flavored lip gloss." [...] "One of the most intense references to the rainbow is found in Hindu and Buddhist Tantra. Apparently, those who have surpassed their earthly ties are in a position to achieve the highest meditative state, and experience the "rainbow body". This has also been described as a "body of light" when ultimate ascension has been reached. The rainbow body phenomenon is an ultimate oneness, and typically happens at the time of death." (What'sYourSign.com)

When you decide to wear any rainbow pattern, even on your feet, don't be suprised then about the positive energy this will give you!

• 1992, Woman of the Year, NYC (US);
• 1995, Kinght of Labour by Italian President O.L.Scalfaro;
• 2001, Prix Femmes d' Europe;
• 2002, Marisia Bellisario Awards and Lifetime Achievement Award, National Council of Italian Fashion. Meanwhile, the Italian post office issued a 41 EUR cent stamp with her name;
• 2004, Laura Biagiotti wrote the chapter about Fashion in the Treccani Encyclopedia. Meanwhile, she got the Lupa Capitolina award by the Rome Mayor, V. Veltroni;
• 2007, Crystal Lion Lifetime Achievemnet - Venice Casino Award
• 2008, Leonardo Award by the Italian President G. Napolitano.
• 2011, the Marco Polo award by Chinese government and the America Award of the ITA-USA Foundation.

• Repubblica.it
• Wikipedia
• Sole24Ore

Minna Parikka, women's sneakers, 305 EUR

Gray Matters, Mildred Egg Mules, 493 EUR

Sophia Webster, Skye sandals, 704 EUR

Katy Perry's The Jessica, 121 EUR



Minna Parikka, Kids glitter flat, 118 - 258 EUR

Sources: Footwearnews.com , Minna Parikka

Moreover, the EU Commission' s focus on textile and clothing sector is embedded in the framework of the Market Access Strategy (MAS) as relaunched in 2007. Among MAS' major aims the followings seem anticipating CETA goals: (1) to reduce barriers to European textile exports in growing markets abroad; (2) to promote participation of European textile and clothing sector to public procurement services; (3) to ensure a fair and equal treatment focused on IPR protection and fighting counterfeiting (Partnership EU - Canada on textile and footwear). The MAS promoted a joint forum among economic operators, Member States and the Commission itself which started meetings in 2009 on a regular basis (approximately 3 times per year). Problems about supplying of raw materials have arisen lately in textile and clothing sector then the EU addresses related problems within the framework of its Raw Material Initiative. CETA provisions try to face difficulties struggled by EU footwear sector about, first, high / non-tariffs barriers affecting its exports in several markets, and, secondy, counterfeiting and piracy. As above mentioned CETA art. 2.4 - "Reduction and elimination of custom duties on imports" remarks one of the major pillars of this deal with the aim to promote trade liberalization in goods (stating exemptions as per this deal). Subsequent art. 3.1 introduces the concept of "rules of origin" in Ch. III titled to anti-dumping and countervailling measures (another CETA pillar and among the targets of the above mentioned EU MAS).In particular, "Rules of Origin" (RoO) as defined by an ad hoc CETA Protocol set conditions under which products can be qualified as "European" and "Canadian" relevant for tariff preferences by the trade deal itself (Change of Tariff Heading, CTH). In other words, EU companies producing footwear will now have duty free access to the Canadian market if their products are wholly made in EU with EU materials. Otherwise restrictions still remain for that footwear made in the EU with uppers are imported by extra-EU contries as attached to the insoles to be finished. This leds to "customs and trade facilitation" (Ch.VI) aiming to "streamline customs procedures and make them more efficient", therefore remarking the following principles: transparency, streamlined and risk-based procedures, certainty and predictability.
"Hot topics" in EU - Canada CETA for the purpose of this post are rather the followings:

1.  this trade deal opens up to investments, on one hand, (Ch. VIII),  by focusing on foreign direct ones (FDIs) which seem being promoted by ad hoc dispute settlement clauses (further info on Germany's claims as background to said clauses here: euractiv.com). On the other hand,  its Ch. XIII rules financial resources towards increasing liberalization (btw, financial firms can provide cross-border services only in a limited number of sectors - eg. certain insurance and banking); 
2. e-commerce, which I must say footwear (and not only) market is increasingly based on: Ch. XVI explicitly refers to "any business done electronically (e.g. online shopping)" providing warranties that online services will not include customs duties;
3. intellectual property rights (as defined by TRIPS Section 1 through 7 Part II):Ch. XX provides standards and regulations as well as outline procedures to protect against IP violations so to reach "an adequate and effective level of protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights" (art. 20.1 (b)). Before CETA some EU - Canada differences on IPRs protection regarded, for example, digital media: lack of strong protection for TPM (technological protection measures) affecting contents in digital form when shared. Moreover, the new joint approach between these Parties in protecting IPRs under CETA could contribute in developing a more unified front by OECD countries. 
4. Finally, public procurements: Ch. XIX includes government contracts (i.e. federal governments as well as provinces, regions, cities and state-owned enterprises). This seems correcting the less openness of Canada market for this type of contracts rather reaching a balance with EU in standards, common definitions and policies. More probably this will be a key-issue for further discussions between EU and Canada. 

Few conclusions for footwear sector.
First, among the main CETA targets the reduction of tariffs and custom duties could risk to act as a disincentive to trade by EU: low tariffs, indeed, could work as a competitive disadvantage towards diverting trade. Despite CETA provisions on tariffs, for EU private sector Canadian duties still remain in place on, among others, textile/apparel (18% vs 17% EU tariffs faced by Canadian private sector. These EU data refer also to footwear and leather), other manufactures (18% vs 16% EU tariffs for Canadian products), and leather (20%). Canadian enterprise had no preferential access to European market before CETA which then puts the basis to improve this (Assessing the cost and benefits of a closer EU - Canada economic partnership - A joint study by the EU Commission and the Government of Canada). Consequently, EU shoes are quite cheaper in Canadian market.
Many of EU-Canadian divergences in terms of technical standards and regulations on health and safety, and environmental protection seem still affecting merchandise trade (despite CETA provisions on compliance and some previous agreements on specific sectors, i.e. pharmaceutics).
Many open issues, therefore, still remain even in footwear sector. The following comment by John Saunders,CEO of the BFA (British Footwear Association) well shows different and sometimes divergent interests (depending on economic and political evaluations) to the new EU - Canada CETA: