FASHION Q & amp;A

Q. I heard a rumor that my all-time favorite shoes are back. I refer, of course, to Earth shoes. Yes?
A. Yes indeed. Earth shoes have been relaunched. They're still chunky and comfortable, but their styling has definitely been updated for the new millennium.
For those who missed out on Earth shoes the first time around, a little history:
The shoe was designed by Anne Kalso, a Danish yoga instructor, and introduced in Copenhagen in 1968. Called the Kalso Minus Heel shoe for the way the wearer's heel rested lower in the sole than the toes, it was intended to promote a more natural stride and better posture.
Two years later, the shoe crossed the Atlantic and made its debut in New York as the Earth shoe. The date, fortuitously, was April 1 -- Earth Day. The shoe was an instant success and became the must-have footwear of every self-respecting hippie east of San Francisco.
Earth shoes were advertised for the first time in 1974, and chaos resulted. Lines formed outside Earth stores coast-to-coast, the Los Angeles store changed its phone number four times to avoid incessant customer calls, and the mail-order operation was backlogged by 3,500 pairs. By 1975, there were 135 Earth stores in the United States.
Just a year later, however, the company closed, a victim of lawsuits by store owners squabbling over store locations and upset that the factory could not fill orders fast enough.
Now Earth shoes are back -- in a range of trendy colors and 32 styles for men and women, including clogs, slip-ons, sandals, oxfords and boots.
XJean Patteson is the fashion writer for the Orlando Sentinel. Fashion questions of general interest should be sent to Patteson at the Orlando Sentinel, 633 North Orange Ave., Orlando, Fla. 32801. Or send e-mail to jpatteson@orlandosentinel.com. Individual replies are not possible.
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