adidas Men's Samba Classic Soccer Shoe

Adidas' legendary indoor shoe, the Samba Classic Soccer Shoe, features soft leather and a low-profile gum rubber outsole to give the elite player ultimate control. They also offer a full-grain leather upper for comfort and a soft feel, die-cut EVA for lightweight comfort. Better yet, they have a non-marking outsole for use on polished indoor surfaces.

Can you picture yourself on a summer's day with clear, blue skies floating overhead in a hot air balloon? It's a great way to see the landscape; having an unobstructed view and feeling the wind blowing around you is an entirely different sensation than looking out of a small window as you zoom across the planet in a jet. Balloon flights are very popular as gifts for family and friends. Companies that run flights usually provide some champagne at the end of the journey to celebrate and participants receive a certificate authenticating the experience. Some couples choose to get married in a wicker basket high up in the sky. This is not a legal ceremony in the UK as yet but it is possible in Florida.

The hot air balloon transport was invented by two Frenchmen, the Montgolfier Brothers. There is a model of their original balloon from 1783 on display at the Science Museum in London. In 1960 Ed Yosk took his design skyward in Nebraska. That is essentially the version used today, and the material has evolved from the light nylon used by Yosk to balloons of a nylon or polyester material.

Most ballooning has been done as a pleasant, leisure activity. In later years the business world has begun to book hot air balloon companies for corporate hospitality and staff outings. Now there are many sport-type competitions and some adventurers have set out to make balloon flights for the record books. The world record for altitude was broken in India in 2005,when a balloon ascended to 21,290 meters (69, 852 feet). This isn't a safely recommended height; at that level oxygen is required.

Designers and pilots have invested a lot of time and money into making the activity as safe as possible and reputable companies who take the public on balloon flights have very good safety records. There have been accidents, most of which resulted from coming into contact with power lines. Rarely have accidents been solely due to pilot error.

When you are booking a hot air balloon flight, you should know at least five things.

1. Are the pilots FAA certified? FAA certified pilots renew their ratings twice per year by passing a flight review given by a commercial balloon pilot.

2. Is the balloon equipment FAA certified? FAA regulations require periodic inspections by FAA certified inspectors.

3. Has the company ever had any FAA incidents? These would be public records. Also ask if there have been any accidents at all. Before flight you should see the crew doing a thorough safety check. They will inspect the rigging, envelope, gondola and balloon. They will also know the weather report. If any single thing is wrong the flight should be aborted.

4. Does the company have insurance? Unfortunately a few in the past have not. Hopefully that will not be a problem for anyone now.

5. Is there an adequate crew? You are on the balloon ride to have fun, not to assist with take-offs, landings, or anything in between.

If you find you really love ballooning, you are not alone. Enthusiasts like to come together at the many events organized in America, Canada, the UK and Europe. There are annual hot air balloon festivals where the public can enjoy a great day out and competitors take part in races. The US National Hot Air Balloon championship has a different location each year and was in South Carolina in 2006. There is also a world championship and this took place in Japan in 2006.

I almost forgot. Do not forget to take a camera!

K.Petit

K. Petit is an adventure travel enthusiast. See more at http://www.playourplanet.com

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adidas Originals Men's Goodyear Race Driving Shoe

Because cars shouldn't have all the fun, try on these Goodyear-inspired race shoes that embody all the speed and flair of a race car, and get ready to roll. Redesigned for 2008 to include air intakes and extra high-speed impact.

Running shoes have evolved throughout its history, both in design and in performance.

The earliest pair of running shoes were called plimsolls. It was created using vulcanization, wherein rubber and clothe are fused together using heat. This is a technique still in use these days. These plimsolls were lightweight and comfortable, and were actually called "sneakers". In 1917, the Keds shoe company started mass producing and selling them to America.

While Keds was the first to sell trainers on the market, specialist running shoes have been around for a long time.

For example, in the late 1890's, J.W. Foster and Sons (now known as Reebok) created one of the earliest running shoes that were equipped with spikes on the underside of the shoe. The British founder of Reebok, Joseph William Foster, wanted to develop a shoe that would increase speed while running, as running and racing were his passion and primary goal driver. Thus spikes were added to the design.

The German Adi Dassler (founder of Adidas) further improved the spike technology in 1925. He created a range of shoes with hand forged spikes, with different spikes for different types of running shoes. He also used lightweight materials for easier usage and faster speed in running.

Today's running shoes are a combination of technology from its earliest conception and the demands of present day athletes. Now that podiatrics or foot medicine is integrated into the picture, running shoe designs incorporate foot health into its features. Primarily, different shoes are designed for different foot types. Today's technology have allowed vast improvements in comfort, design and performance.

To discover additional little known tips about The Evolution of Running Shoes, check out my FREE guide at The Running Advisor

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adidas Women's Microbounce+ FH 08 Running Shoe

Because running should equal fun, there's no place for stiffness in the equation. This shoe has a fanned heel design that's less stiff. Plus full heel-to-toe Bounce that returns energy with each step for a supercharged ride.

There seems to be an endless stream of idiotic things professional athletes do. I guess if you put a bunch of young men together, give them a boat-load of money and lots of free time, what can you expect? When beautiful women, the media and the luxuries of life are thrown at them, their cockiness and stupidity are only amplified. Here are my top ten, but of course there are lots more. However, we must always remember, they are only human too.

1. Me Make Good Play!

Ever see NFL players beat their chest like a gorilla after they just made a good play? I guess its a Tarzan thing or something, but they look kinda ridiculous. Maybe if I was out there on the field and I was a 170-pound kicker watching a defensive lineman beating his chest after a sack, I may be a little intimidated, but overall, they look really silly doing it. (I attended a professional all-womens football game this year and saw a 350-pound woman do this, which was particularly scary.)

2. The God Factor, Part I

I hate it when players point up to Heaven and thank God after a good play too. Bear in mind however, that I am not criticizing religion or anyone for having faith in God. But this just looks lame. It happens a lot in MLB for some reason. A strikeout will cause Pedro Martinez to do the chest-touch and double-index-finger-point to God as if he and God were chatting earlier about possible pitching strategies in the locker room, and the strategy they chose together worked, so he had to personally thank God using his direct line.

3.The God Factor, Part II

Locker rooms, sidelines, dugouts, bullpens, and court sides are often full of praying men. One question: If you are praying to win, and your opponent is praying to win, who does God choose?

4. Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

Why do pro jocks get arrested for drug and/or gun possession so much? Of course, lots of people do this one unfortunately, we just happen to hear about the famous athletes who do. Cmon guys, keep the drugs at home, stop driving while high, and for crying out loud, stop packin! You dont need a gun. Whos going to harm you? Youre six six and weigh 275 pounds!

5. It Wasnt Me!

Telling Congress you dont do steroids, then getting caught doing steroids is pretty dumb. I loved watching the clips where Rafael Palmero sat pointing a finger at the Congressional hearing stating with disgust and confidence, I do not take steroids. And then the next clip showing him apologizing profusely for taking steroids.

6. I Love You To Death

Murdering ex-lovers doesnt happen very often fortunately, but my list wouldnt be complete without at least mentioning O.J.

7. Rabbits

It seems that there are a lot of NBA players out there who use the phrase, My babys mom a little too often. And theres too many pro athletes offspring introducing their buddies as My brother from another mother. Ever hear of a condom?

8. How Much Bling Bling Do You Need!?

Its fascinating to watch professional athletes blow through all their millions in their first year or two and then have nothing left at retirement, which is usually only a few years later. How many fifty-year-olds are still playing pro sports? Not many (minus golfers of course, who will drag their canes and oxygen tanks with them on the fairway). So why dont pro athletes save a couple of bucks?

9. Love My Hog

Its not too smart to get injured off the job when youre a pro athlete. Cleveland Browns Kellen Winslow Jr. crashed his motorcycle recently and will now miss the 2005 NFL season. Jay Williams, a number one draft pick of the Chicago Bulls, also got into a motorcycle accident and has not played since. Whats with motorcycles anyhow? Talk about killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

10. When You Come To a Fork in the Road, Take It Yogi Berra

Saying really dumb things in the media seems to be a particularly easy thing to do if youre a professional athlete. I looked in a lot of places online to come up with a good list here. My problem was that there were so many good ones, I wasnt sure which ones to pick. But here are a few gems:

a. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."

b. Baseball player Tito Fuentes, after getting hit by a pitch: They shouldn't throw at me. I'm the father of five or six kids."

c. Football coach Ray Malavasi: "I don't care what the tape says. I didn't say it."

d. Baseball player Dizzy Dean, after a 1-0 game: "The game was closer than the score indicated."

e. Boxing Analyst: "Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious."

f. Soccer commentator: "Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the field."

g. Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh Steelers coach: "We're not attempting to circumcise rules."

h. Jim Wohford: "Ninety percent of the game is half mental."

i. Joe Theismann: "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."

j. Charles Shackleford of the NCSU basketball team: "Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious."

k. Shaquille O'Neal, on his lack of championships: "I've won at every level, except college and pro."

As I already asked before, what can we expect from professional athletes? They often reflect society as a whole. Too much time, money and fame at a really young age can augment stupidity, simple as that. We all say and do dumb things, but thankfully, we dont have microphones and video cameras pointed at us all the time. As Norman Einstein used to say, Really smart athletes stay away from problems because they can predict the future with their ESPN.

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Copyright: 2005

Jason OConnor runs http://www.BestShowTicketsLasVegas.com where you can buy cheap online tickets to the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA & NASCAR Tickets for NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA & NASCAR.

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