On style, she rules

Published: 12:00am, 7 May 2006

I'm a walk-aholic and am looking for the right shoes. They must be health promoting (with air-cushion soles) so as to support the feet and knees. Now comes the difficult part: I prefer to wear these shoes without socks and do not want laces. They must be the easy, slip-on type with air vents. You are the only one who can help me.

Step Class, Kowloon

The Dictator rules: 'Health promoting?' Calm down, strolling man. You're not running a marathon, but you will need socks for your health and the olfactory comfort of your loved ones. That is, unless you're wearing sandals such as Tevas ($455 to $665; Marathon Sports, shop 125, Pacific Place, Admiralty, tel: 2524 6992). Alternatively, try Teva's souped-up laceless shoes with shock pads in the heels and antibacterial treatments ($699). Also at Marathon Sports is the Reebok Pump series ($1,089 to $1,299), which is made with ventilating mesh materials and has adjustable fit and cushioning depending on performance needs. It also stocks the Columbia brand ($599 to $699). Check out the Free line (about $699) by Nike (shop 2612, The Gateway Arcade, Harbour City,

Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2895 5912), which mimics barefoot movement and is made with breathable mesh on top. And if you're so fit, walk over to Mongkok and search for your ideal footwear among the many trainer shops.

My daughter loves the Von Dutch brand. I recently saw a nice fake Von Dutch belt in a shop in Causeway Bay, but I would like to buy her a real one. Where can I go?

Von and Only, Causeway Bay

The Dictator: Von Dutch had its 15 minutes of fame quite a while ago. So, tell me, which one of you is slow? It probably runs in the family. Some Von Dutch products have become classics. You can find the brand's tops, jeans, caps and, yes, a few belts at Bauhaus (shop 2, Island Beverley, Causeway Bay, hotline: 3513 1800). Prices range from $695 to $1,000, which might challenge your ethics. Stay strong, be a good role model and don't buy fakes. If it doesn't have what you want, go to the online store at www.vondutch.com, which ships to Hong Kong.

I'd like to try StriVectin for my wrinkles. Where can I buy some - immediately?

Face First, Black's Link

The Dictator: I'm in the wrong business. A few celebrity endorsements and you people will try anything on your faces: mercury, bubonic plague injections, haemorrhoid lotion. Now, you're into stretch-mark cream? StriVectin-SD by Klein-Becker was originally created to reduce the appearance of stretch marks (yup, another cream meant for your bottom). I don't want to know how the discovery was made, but it is also said to diminish wrinkles and make the face look more firm. It's something to do with oligopeptides, but we don't know what they are. Anyway, it's claimed to work better than vitamin C and retinol. At $1,550 for 170ml or $900 for 57ml (at Lane Crawford, Pacific Place, Admiralty, tel: 2118 3668), it had better be good.

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