Journal articles on the topic 'Women's footwear'

Shoes have been implicated as being responsible for the majority of foot deformities and problems that physicians encounter in women. In our original study of 356 women, the majority of women studied wore shoes that were too small for their feet, had foot pain and deformity, and had increased in shoe size since the age of 20. The women without foot pain or deformities also wore shoes that were smaller than their feet but to a lesser degree. In the present study, data on 255 of the original 356 women are evaluated. Tracings were made of the standing foot and the shoe. Measurements were made of forefoot and the heel width. An index of forefoot width to heel width was developed. The indices do not vary much among women. Based on linear measurements, as forefoot width increases, so does heel width. As foot length increases, forefoot width increases to a greater extent than heel width.

AbstractThis article focuses on women's luxury footwear to examine issues of economic, material, and familial life in Renaissance Italy. It uses graphic work by Albrecht Dürer to explore footwear design, and draws from disparate sources to propose a new method for evaluating its cost. The article argues that sumptuous footwear was available for a range of prices that are not reflected in surviving payment records, and that it was largely less expensive than moralists and legislators implied. In conclusion, it employs Minerbetti documentation to consider the role particular shoes may have played in developing personal subjectivity.

In Indonesia, there are three industrial sectors with the largest number of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from 2010 to 2014: food, clothing, and wood. Klastik Footwear is one of the SMEs in Indonesia that focuses on the footwear industry, especially women's shoes. Klastik Footwear brings classic and ethnic themes to its products. In order to be well received by the market, Klastik Footwear wants to identify potential consumer groups formed from market segmentation and assess the preferences of each group on Klastik Footwear products. In this study, the choice based conjoint analysis method is used to determine potential consumer preferences for Klastik Footwear products. From the results of the conjoint analysis, the importance and part-worth level of each attribute will be known. Next, a cluster and market simulator analysis is performed to see the profile of the formed segments. The results showed that there are 3 groups of potential consumers. After conducting market simulation on the three groups, it is predicted that the most ordered Klastik Footwear products by consumers are Galuh, Ara, Srikandi, and Gendhis 2 (in group 1); Brastagi, Telaga, and Gendhis 2 (in group 2); and Rinjani, Galuh, and Soko (in group 3).

This article provides a detailed overview of the role and importance of women's participation in the light industry of Uzbekistan. The history of human society is unthinkable without light industry. With the development of a person, his needs grew, and in particular his needs for clothes, shoes, fabrics. The textile, sewing, leather and fur and footwear industries developed. The impetus for industrialization and the development of capitalism was the development of textile production.

Menstruation - called haid in Islamic fiqh, is not seen as merely physical, biological function of women's bodies. According to most traditional societies, this very exclusive women's experience is apparently perceived to be a symbol signifying specific meaning and myth. Unsurprisingly almost all societies have conceptualized what so called menstrual taboo in an anthropological tradition within their cultural systems. One of the major implications of these ideas of menstrual taboos is the emergence of devices signifying the event of menstruation, such as cosmetics, high heel footwear, and jilbab. Another significant impact is the restriction of women's social role and engagement. This article is addressing these two mythical and social implications of menstrual taboos and compare them with Islamic doctrines of haid.

Toehold Artisans Collaborative (TAC) is a project launched by the Asian Center for Entrepreneurship Initiatives (ASCENT), a non-profit organization based in Bangalore, to build entrepreneurial capacity in a community of footwear artisans of the small southern Indian town of Athani. Prior to ASCENT's involvement, which began in 1998, the artisans of Athani were making a subsistence wage, which did not even guarantee them two square meals a day. They could not send their children to school and were thus suffering from economic stagnation. TAC is an established Group Enterprise of 14 women Self Help Groups (SHG). Even though women's SHGs are the direct stakeholders, the men are not left out — they are treated as co-preneurs for all inputs, exposure to international fairs and production purposes. The front end of TAC is a customer-centric business enterprise that has taken the exquisite footwear brand 'ToeHold™' to challenging international mainstream markets. The backend is an artisan-centric social enterprise striving for improvement in the quality of life of about 400 artisans' families. The case documents how TAC was set up and evolved during the 1998–2006 period, the challenges it faced and continues to face, and the impact it has had on the artisan community. It is useful for examining the effective organization and running of social enterprises.

Diabetic wounds are injuries that occur in patients with diabetics involving disorders of the peripheral and autonomic nerves. Every year more than one million people with diabetes lose one of their legs as one of the complications of diabetes, this means that every 30 seconds one leg is lost due to diabetes somewhere in the world. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge of patients in the treatment of diabetes mellitus wounds in PTPN II Hospital Binjai Departure in 2016. The method of this study was descriptive observational. The population in this study were all patients treated at the Women's Room at PTPN II Bangkat Binjai Hospital, totaling 20 people. The sample in this study amounted to 10 people with accidental sampling techniques. The results of this study indicate that the Knowledge Level of Patients About Diabetes Wound Care in the Women's Room of PTPN II Hospital Binjai Departure in 2016 which is interpreted is good knowledge as many as 6 people (60%), enough as many as 2 people (20%) and less than 2 people (20%). 3. It is expected that patients will be able to prevent Diabetes Injuries by controlling blood glucose, using footwear, treating toenails, foot care and foot exercises. If Complications with Diabetes Injuries have occurred, the patient is expected to be able to treat diabetic wounds properly.Keywords: Patient Knowledge, Diabetes Melitus Wound Care

The conservative management of foot deformities often requires the use of a modified shoe. A higher toe box is one of the most common variations required when the abnormality is located in region of the forefoot. High toe boxes are available in a variety of footgear, including athletic sneakers, comfort shoes, and prescription footwear. A rational approach to accommodating a deformed forefoot would be to first measure the maximum height of the abnormal toes in a weightbearing position. Then, by referring to a table listing shoes and available toe box space, the physician could match the foot with a shoe. The purpose of this study was to collect and tabulate measurements of toe box height for a variety of shoes. Impressions were taken from various shoes using a moldable plastic material. Toe box height was then measured and recorded. Results were tabulated for various types of men's and women's shoes. The depth of shoes at the point 5 cm from the tip of the toe was about 44 mm for most styles. The sagittal profile (i.e., vertical height available) of extra-depth shoes, comfort shoes, and athletic shoes was similar.

This article traces feminist affinities across images of shoes as signifiers of women’s precarious mobilities on the screen. Inspired by Catherine Russell’s methodology of parallax historiography, it investigates compelling images of shoes in women’s activist filmmaking from two different time periods and national cinemas. The footwear of Eva from Lois Weber’s Shoes (1916) and Mona from Agnès Varda’s Sans toit ni loi (Vagabond, 1985) lends itself to reflection on practices of feminist historiography and a figurative reconfiguration of the flâneuse as a feminist historian who critically revisits knowledge of the past and of the present to set both in motion.

Abstract Shoes are probably one of the most difficult products to sell online due to the high need-for-touch (NFT) displayed: people need to experiment the product before buying it, more than in any other item. On another hand, women are more prone than men to buy fashion and apparel products through the web channel. This paper investigates the factors driving women consumers to shop footwear products online. A qualitative research method was used grounded on semi-structured, in-depth interviews that were conducted to corroborate the constructs defined in the proposed conceptual model namely: convenience, recreation, NFT and social e-shopping. The interviews were focused on the demand side to understand the female consumers’ perspective and on the top managers of women’s shoes companies representing the suppliers’ viewpoint. The results show that women highly appreciate the convenience that shopping shoes online provides as well as its recreational nature. The NFT also stands out in the shoe market context mainly due to the particularities related to shoe size. Additionally, social e-shopping was found not be as important for women as anticipated as they see social networks more as a communication platform for brands, and less as a factor that influences their predisposition to shop shoes online. On the suppliers’ side, the interviews revealed that managers believe in bloggers and social media influence and its consideration as part of the overall marketing strategy.

This paper focuses on the creation of a beaded kente ladies shoe (stilettos – women’s shoe with a long heel) for contemporary Ghanaian traditional weddings. The research sought to identify some of the types of footwear brides use for traditional weddings, and improve the design through the integration of beads and kente. Research questions posed were as follows: 1. What are some of the footwear used by brides for traditional weddings? 2. How can the design of one of the shoe types be improved with the integration of beads and kente? The descriptive research method was used to give details on the tools and materials used for the footwear, types of beads and kente, and the processes for making the ladies footwear for traditional weddings in Ghana. The participatory product design method was used, where the would-be users of the footwear were involved in the design process. The population for the study was 150 residents of Manhyia, a suburb of Kumasi. It was realised that, in terms of footwear for traditional weddings, the preference today’s woman has is for the flat or the stiletto kind. The target price, target users and product features were established based on which intended designs/sketches were made. The creation stage saw the use of six (6) operations: pattern cutting, closing, lasting, attaching, arrangement of beads, and finishing. Techniques employed were user friendly and can be practiced by many a person.

Footwear terminology demonstrates interesting cross-linguistic differences and is, consequently, also a problematic area for non-native speakers. In order to arrive at a more accurate picture of a subset of footwear terminology in present-day Polish, 82 native speakers were asked to name a range of six contemporary women’s boot styles. No style showed a complete agreement in the preferred head noun, although a clear trend was evident for each one, with kozaki being the most commonly used overall. The possibly uniquely Polish use of a military metaphor for tall riding-style boots (oficerki) and the special subcultural case of Dr. Martens-style boots are discussed in particular. The choice of modifiers within noun phrases for boots is also examined. Some contrastive data are presented from speakers of Greek and Russian.

Background: The countermovement jump (CMJ) is used to monitor short- and long-term changes in neuromuscular performance, where practically relevant alteration may be subtle, requiring detailed and consistent testing protocols to limit error and allow detection of meaningful change. Collegiate basketball players often wear different types of footwear depending upon the training activity, potentially influencing CMJ performance outcomes. Objective: This study evaluated the influence of footwear on key CMJ variables used for routine performance assessments in a cohort of 11 NCAA women’s collegiate basketball players. Method: In a cross-over repeated measures study design, players performed three CMJs in Basketball-, Training-(Trainers), and Olympic Weightlifting (WL) shoes, in a randomized order during one testing session. One-way repeated measures analyses of variance (p ≤ .05) and effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were used to discern differences in CMJ variables among shoe conditions. Results: WL demonstrated greater Eccentric Mean Force (p ≤ .014, d ≥ 0.03) and lower Flight Time:Contraction Time (p ≤ .029, d ≥ 0.31), Jump Height (p ≤ .040, d ≥ 0.32), and Reactive Strength Index-Modified (p ≤ .032, d ≥ 0.40) than both Basketball and Trainers. Additionally, WL exhibited lower Concentric Mean Force (p = .018, d = 0.19), Concentric Mean Power (p = .008, d = 0.29), Eccentric Peak Force (p = .050, d = 0.19), and Flight Time (p = .036, d = 0.31) compared to Trainer. No significant differences and only trivial effects appeared between Basketball and Trainers (p > 0.05, d < 0.1). Conclusion: These findings suggest footwear significantly influences CMJ performance. WL shoes appear to negatively impact CMJ performance; however, Basketball and Trainers appear to exert negligible effects that should allow clinicians and practitioners to feel confident about measurement and data quality when performing short- and long-term CMJ measurements in either Basketball or Trainers.

Abstract Ms. I.33 is not only the oldest of the known fencing treatises in European context, it is also the only one showing a woman fighting equally with contemporary men. The author presents her research about the garments this female fencer wears, including her shirt, dress and overdress, hairstyle and footwear. Special consideration is given to the questions whether Walpurgis wears a belt, the length and hem circumference of her garments as well as the methods of draping them in the way depicted. The results of the analysis are compared with contemporary pictorial and archaeological sources of the early 14th century. Some personal insights gathered by the author while fighting in this kind of clothes shed light on the possibilities of moving without being disturbed by them. The clothes and hairstyle worn by Walpurgis, give clues about her social status and thus help to understand the context and dating of the whole manuscript.

Production planning is one of the most important administrative decisions a company can make, as it involves achieving the lead times set by the customers while taking advantage of the resources the organization has. Over time, different strategies using mathematical models have been implemented in production planning, aimed at finding the best solution for optimizing the available resources. In recent years companies throughout the world have successfullly implemented Lean Manufacturing, aimed at improving their production processes and eliminating everything that does not add value to the product. This article exemplifies a new strategy for production planning, using basic concepts from Lean Manufacturing and mixed integer linear programming models by stages. We took a women’s footwear factory in the city of León, Guanajuato, México, as a case study. The results show that it is possible to get planning that optimizes the organization’s resources and shortens the products’ lead times by shrinking inventories, from a Lean Manufacturing perspective.

Economic specialization of the peoples of Dagestan was conditioned by natural environment and it influenced the process of social differentiation of labor, thus, most peoples consider all kinds of work connected with agriculture and cattle breeding to be men’s occupations, and household chores and most domestic crafts (spinning, production of carpets, palaces, woolen cloth, cotton and silk fabrics, linen, felting, bagging, making of woolen socks, stockings and outdoor woolen footwear) to be women’s occupations. Men’s crafts were sheepskin processing and metalwork. In the mountainous area, there was no strict gender differentiation of labor, as women’s labor was used quite widely, and independence of women was conditioned by men’s leaving for seasonal work. The traditional regulation of the gender differentiation of labor, adopted in the pre-revolutionary Dagestan society, has gradually lost its positions. During the Soviet period, the gender stratification of labor was leveled: women’s labor was not limited to the household, but was widely used in enterprises. Accelerated transformation of economic specialization took place in the post-Soviet period. The boundaries between what men can do and what is not permissible for them have actually erased, and this process began in the 1990s - the time of total men’s unemployment. Men began to explore new spheres and successfully realized their potential in the areas that had been considered exclusively women’s occupations. Changes in economic specialization could not but affect the intra-family relations of the Dagestan people. In a traditional society, the head of the family was always the father as the breadwinner and provider of the family, but in the present circumstances the head of the family is the one whose share in the family budget is greater. Recently, there have been cardinal changes in the employment of the population and in the minds of the Dagestan peoples, and the changes have significantly affected the gender differentiation of labor and gender stratification.

Background: Prevalence and severity of symptoms related to muscle and joint pain seem to be high in most dancers. Hypothesis: There will be a worse quality of life related to foot health for ballet dancers compared with nondancers. Study Design: Case-control study. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: A sample of 156 women was recruited from a clinic of podiatric medicine and surgery. Self-reported data were measured by the Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ), which has 33 questions that assess 8 health domains of the feet and general health, namely, foot pain, foot function, general foot health, footwear, general health, physical activity, social capacity, and vigor. Results: Statistically significant differences ( P < 0.05) were shown for foot pain, foot function, foot health, and general health, which together revealed a worse foot health–related quality of life (lower FHSQ scores) but a better general health (higher FHSQ scores) for ballet dancers compared with nondancers. The remaining domains did not show statistically significant differences ( P > 0.05). According to multivariate linear regression models ( P < 0.05), the practice of ballet dance (group) was the only independent variable that predicted the dependent variables, such as foot pain ( R2 = 0.052;β = +8.349), foot function ( R2 = 0.108; β = +11.699), foot health ( R2 = 0.039; β = +10.769), and general health ( R2 = 0.019; β = −6.795). Conclusion: Ballet dancers showed a negative impact on quality of life related to foot health but better overall quality of life (general health) compared with nondancers. Clinical Relevance: Paying attention to a dancer’s foot health could provide important benefits for the dancer’s foot health and physical practice of dance.

Background: Walking in high heels presents biomechanical challenges, yet they remain part of many women’s attire. However, women with a lower limb amputation are limited in available footwear options. Case description and methods: This case study is in response to one patient’s assertion that she walked better and more symmetrically in heels than flat shoes with her below-knee prosthesis. She underwent gait analysis in athletic shoes and 10-cm stiletto high heels worn with a pediatric running foot to determine if these claims could be substantiated through biomechanical measures. Global gait asymmetry indices were calculated. Findings and outcomes: Asymmetry indices were nearly identical between athletic shoes and heels but joint-level findings differed substantially. Ankle mechanics were more symmetrical in heels but hip mechanics were less. Conclusion: The maintenance of symmetry in stiletto high heels does not imply maintenance of gait quality, as high heels are known to adversely affect some components walking mechanics. Clinical relevance Returning to high-heel wear is achievable for prosthesis users. Accommodations can be made using creativity in prosthetic foot selection to enable successful ambulation; however, attention to gait mechanics may be important for patient safety.

Several foot deformities have been identified in Malaysian women due to wearing shoes which do not fit the size and shape of their feet. Hallux valgus (bunions), corn, cellules and ingrown toenail are among the common deformities experienced by Malaysian women. The root of this issue is that the Malaysian footwear market has adopted foreign shoe size standards such as those from the US and UK. This means that Malaysian women face difficulties in obtaining correctly-sized shoes. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop and propose a standard shoe sizing system for women in Malaysia based on anthropometric measurements of Malaysian women’s foot sizes and shapes. Women from Malaysia’s primary ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese, and Indian) aged 20 to 60 years old participated in this project, where the anthropometric measurements for their foot size and shapes were obtained using a 3D foot scanner. Regression analysis in the form of Generalized Linear Model (GLM) was performed to determine the association between a few attributes including foot measurements and the existence of the foot deformities. Foot length and Ball girth circumference have significant association with the foot deformities (FL: p = .028 and BG: p = .045). The new standard shoe sizing system has been developed ith more accurate sizes and shapes, it is hoped that the foot deformities problem could be solved or at least reduced the foot pain.

This translation is based on the work “Notes Relating to the Manners and Customs of the Crim Tartars…” by the English traveler Mary Holderness. This work was published in London in 1821. It contains detailed information about the way of life of the Crimean Tatars, among whom Mary Holderness lived for four years in the village of Karagoz (Karagoss, at present the village of Pervomayskoye, Kirovsky district of the Crimea) since 1816 to 1820. The work is based on the author’s personal testimonies about the conduct of marriage, funeral and many other ceremonies of the Crimean Tatars: their customs, traditions, methods of housekeeping and education, especially intra-family relations. In her notes, Mary Holderness describes the development of women’s handicrafts and leather production. The author notes that all the Crimean footwear production was made in Bakhchisarai and Karasubazar, and subsequently sent to other Crimean cities. The author provides information on the development of sheep breeding among the Crimean Tatars. Lamb skins, after appropriate processing, were highly valued and exported to Moscow. Jewelry production was also well developed. Various jewelry decorations were made by them: jewelry made of silver, glass, brass, lead, as well as gold with colored stones. The significance of work lies in the fact that it provided the modern reader with the opportunity to get acquainted with the way of life and customs of the Crimean Tatars of the period described. An abundance of background information: food prices, Russian equivalents of British measures, indication of the distance between settlements make it possible to assess the standard of living of the Crimean Tatar people in the period under review.

В статье рассмотрены два предмета из Сибирской коллекции Краковского этнографического музея – женская шуба из оленьего меха и шапка из шкуры росомахи. В ходе исследования удалось выяснить имя дарителя – Исидора-Александра Собанского, сосланного в Сибирь участника Польского восстания 1863 г. Была обнаружена не известная ранее специалистам литография русского художника В.Д. Сверчкова, изображающая, в частности, женскую шапку и шубу, схожие с рассматриваемыми предметами из собрания Собанского. Установлено, что шапки из шкур росомахи были повседневным головным убором ненецких женщин на всем пространстве расселения этого этноса. Иногда такие шапки носили шаманы. Кроме того, сегодня известно, что женские шубы, аналогичные тем, что носили ненцы Канинского п-ова, до начала XX в. бытовали также в Приуралье и в низовьях Оби, куда их привозили из-за Урала невесты. В статье также затронуты малоизученные темы польских ссыльных в Западной Сибири и изображения ненцев в работах русских и зарубежных художников. Благодаря ссыльным, вернувшимся на родину из Сибири, в Польшу попали предметы, составившие основу Сибирской коллекции музея. Она насчитывает более 350 экспонатов, среди которых одежда, обувь, головные уборы, изделия из бересты, меха, кожи и костей животных. Почти все вещи были изготовлены в XIX в. разными народами Севера и Сибири – ненцами, селькупами, эвенками, эвенами, чукчами, коряками, алеутами. Two objects from the Siberian collection of the Krakow Ethnographic Museum are discussed in the article – a women’s fur coat from deer fur and a hat from wolverine skin. In the course of the study, the name of the donor was found out – Isidor-Alexander Sobansky, a Polish rebel of 1863, exiled to Siberia. A previously unknown to specialists lithography by the Russian artist Vladimir Sverchkov was discovered; it depicts a woman’s hat and a fur coat similar to objects from the Sobansky collection. It is known that hats from wolverine skins were part of everyday clothes of Nenets women throughout the territory of the Nenets settlement. Sometimes they were worn by shamans. The article proves that until the beginning of the 20th century women’s fur coats of the Nenets of the Kaninsky peninsula were also worn in the Urals and in the lower Ob, having been brought there by brides. In addition, the article touches on poorly studied topics of the Polish exile in Western Siberia and the depiction of the Nenets in the works of Russian and foreign artists. Thanks to the exiles who returned to their homeland from Siberia, the items that formed the basis of the Siberian collection came to Poland. The collection contains more than 350 items, including clothing, footwear, hats, products from birch bark, fur, leather and animal bones. Almost all of them were made in the 19th century by different peoples of the North and Siberia – Nenets, Selkups, Evenks, Evens, Chukchi, Koryaks, Aleuts.

Garbage is a part of people's lives. Especially plastic waste that continues to accumulate and also endangers environmental life, especially waste generated by an industry. Especially PVC plastic waste in the Footwear Industry. The amount of plastic waste is waste and the decomposition of plastic waste takes a very long time. To overcome these problems, it is necessary to carry out activities that make plastic waste can be reused properly. Using the experimental method can provide some new ideas and opportunities, in utilizing PVC plastic waste in the footwear industry. This can give rise to several new things and ideas such as designing a women's footwear with plastic waste of the type Mica Plastik (PVC) which is relatively rarely applied to functional products. The benefits of research activities on people's lives are creating new job opportunities and new businesses.

Abstract Finding alternatives to what is generally used in companies allows a different strategic vision to be built, which can lead to different results. In this context, the present study applied the Autonomous Maintenance pillar (AM) of the Total Productive Maintenance tool (TPM) in an unusual context. The AM is used to involve the various actors of the company in the conservation of equipment with the aim of improving their performance concerning a reduction of failures and an availability and reliability increase. In the present study, the AM had the objetive of mitigating the generation of waste in the production of a women's shoes industry, installed in a Local Productive Agglomeration (LPA). This APL is composed mostly of micro and small enterprises (MPE) that do not have the culture to using maintenance tools, but in its process generate hazardous waste. It is important to highlight that this kind of company does not typically use the concepts of industrial maintenance. In conclusion, with the implementation of the AM pillar, it was possible to reduce the volume of waste generated in the cutting sector, contrary to the fact that the company does not use the concepts of industrial maintenance in its strategic decisions, thus opening up new strategic possibilities for discussing the use of widely disseminated tools in some areas for other purposes.

Abstract This study analyzed the changes in the structure of the political network of the footwear Local Productive Cluster (LPC) of Jaú, São Paulo in the period from 1996 to 2016. Network theory was used as theoretical basis because it has gained space in organizational studies in the last decades, besides providing explanations for various phenomena, especially to the study of productive arrangements. The sample involved 90 actors divided into three periods: 1996-2001, 2002-2010 and 2011-2016. For construction of the networks, the software Ucinet and Gephi were used. In addition to a contextual analysis, the ARS metrics (centrality, density, geodesic distance and subgroups) made it possible to identify the interactions among the actors. The results identified structural changes in the network. The number of actors that increased from 29 in the first period to 70 actors in the second period (+141%) and reduced to 39 in the following period (-44%). As for density, it was identified a dense network in the period 1996/2001 and later a diffuse network and pulverized access of information and resources in the periods 2002/2010 and 2011/2016. The central actors were Sindicalçados, Sebrae and directors of the employers' union. The participation of Sebrae and other entities influenced the creation of bonds and provided economic gains to the companies of Jaú, especially in the period 2002/2009, since the entities and the partnerships signed, not only sought the articulation of the entrepreneurs, they often became the protagonists of the changes. However, the decrease in Sebrae's shares as of 2010, has potentiated the reduction of economic indicators such as the number of companies and jobs, when compared to other shoe producing regions in Brazil.

Introduction: Foot ulcers cause women in Indonesia to lose opportunities to participate in religious and cultural activities due to the inability to wear certain footwear. This study examined body image as a mediator in the relationship between gender and quality of life (QoL) among patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) in Indonesia. Method: A cross-sectional design with convenience sampling was used to recruit participants at the Surgical Outpatient Department and Wound Care Clinic in Bali, Indonesia. The Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale–Short Form and the body image domain of the Body Investment Scale were administered. Results: We found gender differences in participants’ ( n = 201) QoL and body image ( p < .05). Body image fully mediated the effect of the relationship between gender and QoL (B = 6.68; 95% confidence interval [3.14, 10.52]) and explained 39.13% of the variance. Discussion: Health care providers should consider patients’ religious beliefs in DFU education and consider women’s body image issues. Diabetes foot ulcer may prevent women from performing religious rituals, thus, influencing their QoL. Protective strategies to prevent DFU among women in Indonesia warrant further development.

Postmodernism is supposed to identify the conditions of contemporary cultural production when human affairs in general, and the dissemination of prevailing ideas in particular, have become fully enmeshed in relations of commodity exchange. (Martin 2002, p. 30) The accumulation of capital within industrial economies keyed on the surplus value derived from the production of raw materials into mass manufactured products, and their subsequent exchange in the capitalist marketplace. Within what Poster (1990) described as the contemporary mode of information , surplus capital is generated from the manufacturing of product’s symbolic values, which in turn substantiate their use and ultimately exchange values within the consumer market. This, in essence, is the centrifugal process undermining the brand (Klein 1999), promotional (Wernick 1991), or commodity sign (Goldman and Papson 1996), culture that characterizes contemporary capitalism: Through the creative outpourings of “cultural intermediaries” (Bourdieu 1984) working within the advertising, marketing, public relations, and media industries, commodities—routinely produced within low wage industrializing economies—are symbolically constituted to global consuming publics. This postmodern regime of cultural production is graphically illustrated within the sporting goods industry (Miles 1998) where, in regard to their use value, highly non-differentiated material products such as sport shoes are differentiated in symbolic terms through innovative advertising and marketing initiatives. In this way, oftentimes gaudy concoctions of leather, nylon, and rubber become transformed into prized cultural commodities possessing an inflated economic value within today’s informational-symbolic order (Castells 1996). Arguably, the globally ubiquitous Nike Inc. is the sporting brand that has most aggressively and effectively capitalized upon what Rowe described as the “culturalization of economics” in the latter twentieth century (1999, p. 70). Indeed, as Nike Chairman and CEO Phil Knight enthusiastically declared: For years, we thought of ourselves as a production-oriented company, meaning we put all our emphasis on designing and manufacturing the product. But now we understand that the most important thing we do is market the product. We’ve come around to saying that Nike is a marketing-oriented company, and the product is our most important marketing tool. What I mean is that marketing knits the whole organization together. The design elements and functional characteristics of the product itself are just part of the overall marketing process. (Quoted in (Willigan 1992, p. 92) This commercial culturalization of Nike has certainly sparked considerable academic interest, as evidenced by the voluminous literature pertaining to the various dimensions of its practices of cultural production (Donaghu and Barff 1990; Ind 1993; Korzeniewicz 1994; Cole and Hribar 1995; Boje 1998; Goldman and Papson 1998; Lafrance 1998; Armstrong 1999; Denzin 1999; Penaloza 1999; Sage 1999; Lucas 2000; Stabile 2000). Rather than contribute to this body of work, our aim is to engage a sporting shoe company attempting to establish itself within the brand universe defined and dominated by Nike. For this reason we turn to German-based Puma AG: a dynamic brand-in-process, seeking to differentiate itself within the cluttered sporting landscape, through the assertion of a consciously fractured brand identity designed to address a diverse range of clearly-defined consumer subjectivities. Puma’s history can be traced to post-war Germany when, in 1948, a fraternal dispute compelled Rudolf Dassler to leave Adidas (the company he founded with his brother Adi) and set up a rival sports shoe business on the opposite bank of the Moselle river in Herzogenaurach. Over the next three decades the two companies vied for the leadership in the global sports shoe industry. However, the emergence of Nike and Reebok in the 1980s, and particularly their adoption of aggressive marketing strategies, saw both Adidas and Puma succumbing to what was a new world sneaker order (Strasser and Becklund 1991). Of the two, Puma’s plight was the more chronic, with expenditures regularly exceeding moribund revenues. For instance, in 1993, Puma lost US$32 million on sales of just US$190 million (Saddleton 2002, p. 2). At this time, Puma’s brand presence and identity was negligible quite simply because it failed to operate according to the rhythms and regimes of the commodity sign economy that the sport shoe industry had become (Goldman and Papson 1994; 1996; 1998). Remarkably, from this position of seemingly terminal decline, in recent years, Puma has “successfully turned its image around” (Saddleton 2002, p. 2) through the adoption of a branding strategy perhaps even more radical than that of Nike’s. Led by the company’s global director of brand management, Antonio Bertone, Puma positioned itself as “the brand that mixes the influence of sport, lifestyle and fashion” (quoted in (Davis 2002, p. 41). Hence, Puma eschewed the sport performance mantra which defined the company (and indeed its rivals) for so long, in favour of a strategy centered on the aestheticization of the sport shoe as an important component of the commodity based lifestyle assemblages, through which individuals are encouraged to constitute their very being (Featherstone 1991; Lury 1996). According to Bertone, Puma is now “targeting the sneaker enthusiast, not the guy who buys shoes for running” (quoted in (Davis 2002, p. 41). While its efforts to “blur the lines between sport and lifestyle” (Anon 2002, p. 30) may explain part of Puma’s recent success, at the core of the company’s turnaround was its move to diversify the brand into a plethora of lifestyle and fashion options. Puma has essentially splintered into a range of seemingly disparate sub-brands each directed at a very definite target consumer (or perceptions thereof). Amongst other options, Puma can presently be consumed in, and through: the upscale pseudo-Prada Platinum range; collections by fashion designers such as Jil Sander and Yasuhiro Mihara; Pumaville, a range clearly directed at the “alternative sport” market, and endorsed by athletes such as motocross rider Travis Pastrana; and, the H Street range designed to capture “the carefree spirit of athletics” (http://www.puma.com). However, Puma’s attempts to interpellate (Althusser 1971) a diverse array of sporting subjectivies is perhaps best illustrated in the “Nuala” collection, a yoga-inspired “lifestyle” collection resulting from a collaboration with supermodel Christy Turlington, the inspiration for which is expressed in suitably flowery terms: What is Nuala? NUALA is an acronym representing: Natural-Universal-Altruistic-Limitless-Authentic. Often defined as "meditation in motion", Nuala is the product of an organic partnership that reflects Christy Turlington's passion for the ancient discipline of Yoga and PUMA's commitment to create a superior mix of sport and lifestyle products. Having studied comparative religion and philosophy at New York University, model turned entrepreneur Christy Turlington sought to merge her interest in eastern practices with her real-life experience in the fashion industry and create an elegant, concise, fashion collection to complement her busy work, travel, and exercise schedule. The goal of Nuala is to create a symbiosis between the outer and inner being, the individual and collective experience, using yoga as a metaphor to make this balance possible. At Nuala, we believe that everything in life should serve more than one purpose. Nuala is more than a line of yoga-inspired activewear; it is a building block for limitless living aimed at providing fashion-conscious, independant women comfort for everyday life. The line allows flexibility and transition, from technical yoga pieces to fashionable apparel one can live in. Celebrating women for their intuition, intelligence, and individuality, Nuala bridges the spacious gap between one's public and private life. Thus, Puma seeks to hail the female subject of consumption (Andrews 1998), through design and marketing rhetorics (couched in a spurious Eastern mysticism) which contemporary manifestations of what are traditionally feminine experiences and sensibilities. In seeking to engage, at one at the same time, a variety of class, ethnic, and gender based constituencies through the symbolic advancement of a range of lifestyle niches (hi-fashion, sports, casual, organic, retro etc.) Puma evokes Toffler’s prophetic vision regarding the rise of a “de-massified society” and “a profusion of life-styles and more highly individualized personalities” (Toffler 1980, pp. 231, 255-256). In this manner, Puma identified how the nurturing of an ever-expanding array of consumer subjectivities has become perhaps the most pertinent feature of present-day market relations. Such an approach to sub-branding is, of course, hardly anything new (Gartman 1998). Indeed, even the sports shoe giants have long-since diversified into a range of product lines. Yet it is our contention that even in the process of sub-branding, companies such as Nike nonetheless retain a tangible sense of a core brand identity. So, for instance, Nike imbues a sentiment of performative authenticity, cultural irreverence and personal empowerment throughout all its sub-brands, from its running shoes to its outdoor wear (arguably, Nike commercials have a distinctive “look” or “feel”) (Cole and Hribar 1995). By contrast, Puma’s sub-branding suggests a greater polyvalence: the brand engages divergent consumer subjectivities in much more definite and explicit ways. As Davis (2002, p. 41) emphasis added) suggested, Puma “has done a good job of effectively meeting the demands of disparate groups of consumers.” Perhaps more accurately, it could be asserted that Puma has been effective in constituting the market as an aggregate of disparate consumer groups (Solomon and Englis 1997). Goldman and Papson have suggested the decline of Reebok in the early 1990s owed much to the “inconsistency in the image they projected” (1996, p. 38). Following the logic of this assertion, the Puma brand’s lack of coherence or consistency would seem to foretell and impending decline. Yet, recent evidence suggests such a prediction as being wholly erroneous: Puma is a company, and (sub)brand system, on the rise. Recent market performance would certainly suggest so. For instance, in the first quarter of 2003 (a period in which many of its competitors experienced meager growth rates), Puma’s consolidated sales increased 47% resulting in a share price jump from ?1.43 to ?3.08 (Puma.com 2003). Moreover, as one trade magazine suggested: “Puma is one brand that has successfully turned its image around in recent years…and if analysts predictions are accurate, Puma’s sales will almost double by 2005” (Saddleton 2002, p. 2). 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