Men march to support sexual assault awareness

Walking in four-inch high heels is something even many women have an issue with, but 200 men took on the daunting task of walking a mile in women's shoes Saturday for the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center.
The LRCC planned Walk a Mile in Her Shoes to raise money for the support the center provides to sexual assault survivors in Lubbock and the surrounding counties.
“I hope this brings awareness that sexual assault occurs and it’s a very serious thing,” said Leslie Timmons, community educator and volunteer coordinator for LRCC. “Most of our assailants are males, so we really want to get guys involved in prevention of sexual assault.”
The event began at the Lubbock County Courthouse with a men’s march, followed by a women’s stiletto “dash for cash.” Saturday evening the LRCC hosted a dinner and an auction.
Liza Hooser, a senior social work and music major from Houston, serves as an on-call advocate at the LRCC. She said she enjoyed watching the march because of all the men who supported a cause with which she is very involved.
“You have guys that are repeaters who come every year, and they are pretty comfortable and have the strut down,” she said. “We try to help the (first-timers) out and tell them how to walk in heels.”
Men of all ages participated in the event to support the LRCC during the month of April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Hooser said. The women’s event consisted of four heats of four women, with the winner receiving a $500 cash prize.
At the after party, the LRCC honored four Lubbock police officers — Bill Carter, Ross Hester, John Lofton and John Thomas Gomez — for their involvement with sexual assault prevention in the community.
Timmons said the LRCC honors men each year who have spoken out against rape.
“I always tell the victims your body is like the church, and it’s very sacred; nobody should be abusing your body in any means or forms,” said Bill Carter, a detective with the Lubbock Police Department.
Carter said he works in the crimes against persons unit and is a supporter of sexual assault prevention in Lubbock and on the Tech campus. He emphasizes that male students need to set the example for other students about how to treat women.
“It’s a big deal to be able to stand up and say no and know what’s right,” Hooser said.
The LRCC provides a 24-hour hotline to assist sexual assault survivors and their family and friends, assistance at hospital visits following a crisis, and free counseling. These services are available to Tech students as well as residents of Lubbock and the surrounding areas, Timmons said.
Last year the LRCC helped more than 300 survivors and plans to provide their services in the future with funds raised at the event on Saturday.
“(The LRCC) is important because we have to support the victims,” Carter said. “They need a support system through family, counselors, the police department and anybody that knows about the situation.”

Clay Court notes: Sweeting takes dive after victory

Making a splash

Ryan Sweeting made a flying leap into the River Oaks pool after Sunday's victory, soaking a number of the camera-ready onlookers with a perfect cannonball.

This champions "tradition" goes back only to 2008, when the ATP returned to River Oaks after a quarter-century hiatus. Apparently one of the Tour trainers convinced doubles champions Ernest Gulbis and Rainer Schuettler they had to take the plunge because all the winners had done it at River Oaks for decades.

Not knowing any better, they jumped in, and so did singles champion Marcel Granollers the next day. Now it's expected.

All that River Oaks officials ask is that the players take their clay-caked shoes off first.
Going forward

Only the 2012 tournament remains on River Oaks' five-year contract with the USTA to host the Clay Courts. Tournament director Van Barry admitted he has had no discussions yet with the governing body for American tennis, which owns the century-old competition, about extending the relationship, saying talks don't need to begin before next spring. But Barry said he fully expects the relationship to continue.

River Oaks was affiliated with the ATP from the early 1970s through 1983, then continued hosting an independent exhibition tournament through 2007, when Westside Tennis and Fitness decided to give up the Clay Courts after a seven-year run.

Hoping the keep it in Houston — it's Texas' only major tournament for men or women - despite strong interest from at least three other cities, the USTA entered into talks with River Oaks and the deal got done by early May. Originally, it was for one year with a four-year option to follow if both parties were pleased with how the 2008 tournament went. They were, and they remain so, according to Barry.

"It's been a great partnership," he said.
Across the pond

The European clay court season kicks off in Monte Carlo this week. American tennis will be represented there only by the Clay Courts champions Bryans, Bob and Mike, in doubles.

Eight tournaments on clay follow leading into the French Open, the season's second major, at the end of May. The Bryans won the first of their 10 doubles majors there in 2003, but they've been shut out since.
By the numbers

2 Americans given wild cards who have gone on to win the tournament: Sweeting and Mardy Fishin 2006.

4 Americans to have won the clay courts title since it moved to Houston in 2001.

Protect your feet: Best road bike shoes for men

All road bike shoes are not created equal. Depending on what you're looking for, they can range from the fairly simple (and therefore less expensive) to the most technologically advanced, and it all depends on what you're willing to invest.

If you're a beginner or more casual cyclist, you don't really need to go high-end necessarily. If, however, you spend time on your bike pretty much every day, the shoe you buy ends up being incredibly important.

Like the shoes themselves, not all manufacturers are created equal.

Sidi
The best-selling and most popular bike shoe on the planet, the Sidi Genius 5 leads the pack. You should be able to get last year's model for under $150, especially if you shop online, but if you want the latest and greatest, expect to pay upwards of $250 for a pair. The Genius 5 features water-repellent Lorica, which also allows for a more breathable shoe.

The company also makes the high-end Ergo 2, which they claim is the most technologically-advanced shoe on the market. It retails for upwards of $450.

Shimano
One of the reviewers for the LiveStrong Foundation endorsed this year's Shimano SH-R132 road bike shoe, which retails online starting at around $120, although it's easy to find sites that charge upwards of $150 for the same model. The shoe apparently is a heavyweight, though, so only the hardcore cyclist will want to jump for this one.

Dromarti
The folks at Bicycling magazine are big fans of this company's Eroica Nero model, which is due to make its debut for 2011 this month. A simple aesthetic and adjustable fit are hallmarks of this shoe, which is made of old-fashioned leather to boot.

Dromarti set a starting price of $210 for this shoe, but you may be able to find them for less if you shop around.

Pearl iZumi
Customers at Best Bike Apparel are in love with this company's Men's Select Road Road Cycling Shoe, which retails starting at around $80 pretty reliably. People seem to enjoy the look of this shoe a great deal, with its white and silver motif, and many informal reviews mention the shoe's comfort right out of the box.

Good for the casual to moderate cyclist.

Specialized
The S-Works Road Shoe seems to have gotten high marks from just about everybody who has reviewed the 2011 redesign. Definitely a high-end shoe, these retail anywhere from $300 to $350 and sometimes more. The shoes feature two dials that allow you to adjust fit at both the arch and the ankle, and are made of Micromatrix on top and carbon fiber on the bottom.

Specialized claims that this is the lightest shoe on the market.

Prom Project gives away dresses, tuxes to Tehama County students

As she swung the girls' bathroom door open, Kassie Fuchs, 16, emerged wearing a long prom dress with overlapping shades of purple to show her mother and younger brother. Then her sister, Jade Milligan, 18, came out in a halter black dress with vertical silver beading on the chest. They twirled around, made sure everything snapped in place or tied together.

Both sisters tried on several dresses, but the search for the perfect attire for Red Bluff High School's senior prom proved to be worth it after they made their final decisions.

This week, many girls and the occasional boy found everything they needed for prom from the new or gently used dress and matching shoes to the tuxedo and tie at the Tehama County Department of Education on Lincoln Street in Red Bluff. Prom Project has accepted donations and given dresses and other necessities free of charge to students at Red Bluff, Los Molinos and Corning high schools for five years.

"In Tehama County, we really lack resources that our kids should have access to," said Jo Kee, the foster and homeless youth coordinator for the county Department of Education. "When I moved up here, I found a need since so many kids don't get to experience the prom. We wanted to create an atmosphere and a place where they feel comfortable and beautiful on just one special night at their school."

Since its inception, Fuchs and Milligan have found formal dresses for events starting with their eighth-grade graduation. With their father away as a military recruiter and their mother staying at home, they said Prom Project has definitely lifted the financial burden prom may bring to many families like theirs across the country.

"It means a lot because prom dresses are a few hundred bucks and that's a lot for my family," Fuchs said. "On top of getting my hair done and the price of the ticket itself."

During its five-year existence, Prom Project has given away more than 500 dresses with donations soaring to the point the organizers are looking into a larger storage outlet. They gave every girl a box of Bumpits after a donation overload of the hairstyle aid this year. But as the inventory disappears, more is needed. Along with dresses and suits, other items include men's and women's shoes, jewelry, makeup samples, handbags, corsages and boutonnieres.

"I think it's really cool they're giving dresses and tuxes for guys," Milligan said. "It helped out last year when I had to go to a formal." She and her sister plan to donate their gowns back to Prom Project, she added.

After starting a similar program at a Chico teen center in 2001, Kee decided to create another program after arriving at the education department.

"Prom is an easy 500 bucks. I just wanted kids to have one less barrier to go to prom," Kee said. "If a girl needs a dress, we won't turn them away. I had a girl looking for a quinceañera dress. We have girls who need graduation dresses, so it's whoever needs a dress."

Students who participated in the five-minute discussion in the Prevention Lounge on avoiding risk factors associated with prom such as sex, drugs and alcohol, also entered a raffle to win a tuxedo rental, manicure, salon appointment and other prom delights.

After this week, the education department will take the boutique on the road to Los Molinos High School and Corning High School.

As of early Tuesday night, students already walked away with 54 dresses and seven tuxedos.

Men invited to Walk a Mile in women's shoes

In an effort to further involve men in bringing awareness to violence against women, Sexual Assault Support Service for Women of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry and Akwesasne is inviting men to walk a mile in a woman's shoes. Literally.

On Sunday, May 15, at noon, men will be stepping into high heels in order to participate in Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, an international men's march to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence, which will be held in support of SASS.

"It's never been done before in Cornwall," explains Lisa Montroy, special events co-ordinator with SASS.

"It's been done in other communities, in the United States and in Canada," communities such as Toronto, Edmonton and Halifax.

"There's sort of a new paradigm shift about the fight in violence against women, that men should be involved and want to be involved," says Montroy. "In the past, it's been a women's issue, and a women's cause."

Montroy says SASS used to hold Take Back the Night, an internationally held march and rally intended to protest and direct action against rape and sexual violence.

Want to tell us what you think. Then send a letter to the editor or post a comment on this article on our website: "But we got a lot of criticism from the community because we didn't involve men," explains Montroy. "We were really conscious of the fact there were men out there who really wanted to support it and didn't have an opportunity. There really wasn't any other event men could take part in."

So when Montroy heard about the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event, she thought this idea was "brilliant."

"This is really a chance for men to step up and say we want to be a part of the solution," she says. "We wanted to speak to the criticism that men aren't involved."

Montroy says SASS will be partnering with Kinsmen Club of Cornwall for the event.

"They're absolutely on board," she says. "They're giving us money to buy all of the shoes."

Shoes for the walk will be provided. Montroy estimates the actual walk will be less than a kilometre.

Currently, Montroy says about eight men are registered, but hopes 40 will sign up for the walk.

"We'll have a couple of police officers come out in full uniform," she says. "It's not a drag show. Men will be wearing regular clothes. We don't want any group of people to feel demeaned by this."

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes will begin at around noon at the Lamoureux Park clock tower on Water Street. A barbecue will also be held to raise funds for SASS. The entire event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"We plan to make this an annual event," says Montroy. "This could be a really large community event. It's a good, fun, positive experience and event. And, it's a lot of fun."

Men may register for this event as individuals, or as part of the team. Pledge forms are available, and participants are encouraged to set personal fundraising goals.

Step right up for ugly shoes

This spring, putting fashion's best foot forward could get ugly. The meta-trend of inexplicably hideous shoes continues apace with the introduction of Prada Creepers, $795 (U.S.) men's-style brogues set atop several layers of multicoloured soles, one of which is raffia, like an espadrille. The fashion press is calling them "flatforms." I call them educated-clown chic. On vacation.

These shoes are so coveted, though, that there are waiting lists for them at Prada stores across North America. For those who can't get their hands on them (or afford the hefty price tag), there's no need to worry. Knockoffs abound.

But who would want these?

Leandra Medine of the popular satiric fashion blog ManRepeller.com is one enthusiast who has already ordered a pair. "The Prada flatforms are a great example of the manipulative power that designers have over the industry and the consumer," Medine says. She stresses, though, that she does not consider Creepers ugly.

"Fashion to me is more about wearing art and it so happens that intriguing and [many] complex shoe styles are considered conventionally ugly." To Medine, wearing supposedly unattractive shoes sends a strong message. "They say, 'I wear what I want.' " And that is the message fashion is supposed to send."

Ken Thomas, an economist and the hobby blogger behind UglyShoes.com, agrees that such footwear can also be fashionable.

"What is the purpose of fashion?" he asks. "It's to attract attention. Lots of the shoes we feature as being 'ugly' are very unique. You may not like them but they are attention-getters." The only negative feedback he gets, Thomas says, is from readers who disagree when he deems a shoe they like ugly. "Ugly is in the eye of the beholder," he laughs.

But it isn't just high-end, high-cost shoes that challenge our notions of taste and aesthetics. At first, Uggs looked odd; Crocs did, too. Both, however, have become mainstream hits. Even Birkenstocks, considered the height (or depth) of Deadhead schlubbiness, circled back from their uncool past to hit runways in recent years.

My own arguably ugly shoe purchases for spring include clogs from Sweden and Warishofers, best described as orthopedic granny sandals, from Germany. Neither pair would win pretty points in a pageant. But I love them for their comfort and, yes, their fashionability.

In truth, the only really ugly shoes are shoes that are irrelevant, like your white workout sneakers or the wacky statement shoe that references or appeals to nothing.

Picking the "ugly shoe" of the season is participating in the fashion game. Wearing them says you've embraced an alternative to gravity-defying high heels, to jacking your foot, heel and posterior, as flattering as that may be.

Of course, Uggs are notoriously bad for feet and some clogs are as high as stilettos, but they are the exception. With many ugly shoes, the comfort factor may be the most stylish thing about them.