Word: tracks
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...ropey rags in search of that perfect Pucci dress? You could either resign yourself to wearing contemporary clothing, or contact Palette London, a sleek boutique based in fashionable Islington. Palette offers a "finder service" for shoppers from all over the world; owner Mark Ellis boasts that he can track down just about any vintage garment or accessory. Supply Ellis with your measurements and the details of the '60s Ossie Clark trouser suit or turn-of-the-century silk kimono you're after, and he'll comb his network of 50 vintage dealerships across the globe. Once he's found...
...steroids. Spira Footwear, a four-year-old company based in El Paso, Texas, makes the world's only shoes with actual springs in the soles. The springs act as shock absorbers, reducing the stress on your feet. Spiras feel so good, they're illegal--at least to some. USA Track & Field, which sanctions some 4,000 road races each year, has banned Spiras for violating Rule 143 (3)(a), which states that "no spring ... may be incorporated in the shoes...
...stand out in a crowded field, such a ban is a boon for business. Who doesn't want the forbidden fruit? The buzz plus a technology that delivers on its promise--the winner of a recent 3,100-mile ultramarathon in New York City, not sanctioned by USA Track & Field, finished the race in Spiras--has helped the company's sales jump, from $650,000 in 2002 to $3.9 million last year. The company now turns a profit and is on pace to double sales, to $8 million in 2005. "Spira is already comparable to the best running shoes...
...retail shops, but they didn't test well at Foot Locker, the 4,000-store giant. "We need to establish ourselves in the small stores where people explain the technology," says Krafsur. "That's where Nike started." The company can't compete with Nike if the USA Track & Field ban isn't lifted; many serious runners won't touch an illegal shoe. Krafsur is fighting the rule. "They're not like steroids," he says. "They're not going to cause your testicles to shrink." Track officials aren't budging. Spira bets you will run at your own risk...
...Superdome has had a lousy track record as a refuge since it was first used in 1998 during Hurricane Georges. The place wasn't prepared for the 14,000 people who showed up there: in the chaos, people stole some $8,000 worth of barstools and artificial plants and did about $46,000 in damage. Seven years later, the city had still not stockpiled enough generator fuel, food and other supplies to handle the job. Over the years city officials have stressed that they didn't want to make it too comfortable at the Superdome since it was safer...