THE LEFT LANE
Code Red packs a punch

Best foot forward?

More than half the women in America admit to willingly sacrificing their feet for fashion, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Dr. Robin Ross and Dr. Kathleen Stone, podiatrists and members of the APMA, recommend the following compromises to maintain foot health and style:

• Choose slippers made of natural material, such as leather, and ensure the foot doesn't hang off the edge. Slippers are known to cause irritation between toes where strap fits and callus and dead skin build up around the heels because of friction.
• Moisturize feet at bedtime instead of the morning if you're likely to be wearing mules or slides. This allows the cream more time to absorb into the skin. Then use a pumice stone in the shower to gently slough away dead skin.
• Pay particular care to fit when buying slingbacks, which can cause blisters, toe pain, and twisting of the heel and ankle. The tight strap chafes the back of the heel, and the foot slides forward in the shoe, cramping the front of the foot. A well-fitting, low-heeled shoe with a wide- or square-toe box may alleviate some of the problems.

Right on the ball

Honolulu magician Monty Witt has earned a spot in the Guinness World Records with his vanishing and reappearing balls trick.

Monty, who performs weekends at Monty's Magic Theater in downtown Honolulu, has been doing card and fire and other close-up tricks for several years. His feat of making 15 sponge balls, each measuring 2 inches, vanish then reproducing them in his hands — all at the same time — has merited recognition from Guinness. The ball trick originally was done last Nov. 10.

For information about Monty's theater, call 524-1791.