Special insoles that add a few centimeters to the wearer’s height are growing in popularity, with sales in Taiwan estimated at more than a million pairs per year.
Angus Kuo, a Taiwanese artist, recently showed off his 4cm insole during a TV variety show. He is now recognized as an “insole aficionado,” and many insole makers use his name to promote their products.
Japanese TV actor Takuya Kimura, whose official height is kept secret, recently took a role in a soap opera with top Taiwanese model Lin Chi-ling, who stands at 174cm. When they showed up in public to promote the new show Kimura appeared a little bit taller than Lin. It is believed that he also added a few centimeters under his feet.
Lin Pei-hong, an online insole retailer, said that the majority of his clients are men, with many of them using the elevator insoles on their wedding day, while female clients sometimes put them in their boots. These insoles are considered the secret weapon for looking taller than you really are.
Lin explained that the four main kinds of insoles on the market are air cushioned, silicone, plastic and full-foot sized. The advantage of the silicone insoles is that they are made of seven layers that can be added or removed according to the wearer’s preference. Each layer is 0.9cm thick, and if all seven are worn at once the wearer can add 6.1cm to his height.
However, such insoles might not be as comfortable as people imagine because the insole is higher at the heel. Air cushioned insoles might be more comfortable, but their height cannot be modified.
Pan Yen-chie, a 168cm-tall masters student at Min-Chuan University, said that being over 170cm could make a man feel more confident.
Another way to appear taller is to wear shoes with thick insoles. A woman surnamed Wang who has used such shoes said that they feel more like sports shoes, and they are convenient to wear.
An orthopedist warned that overuse of such insoles can cause bunions, calluses, inflammation of the tissue under the foot, and backaches. He suggested that the insoles shouldn’t be worn for too long, and that the back of the shoe should be properly designed to accommodate the insole.(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)
心機增高鞋墊正夯！越來越多人在鞋底下功夫，放進隱形增高鞋墊，瞬間增高。業者粗估一年全台的增高鞋墊銷售量至少達到一百多萬雙以上，增高鞋墊已成火紅商品。
藝人郭彥甫在綜藝節目上拿出鞋內近四公分增高鞋墊，成了「鞋墊達人」，許多鞋墊廠商還直接拿他名字打廣告。
近來日本一哥木村拓哉和林志玲合演日劇，二人出席造勢時，各界都認為木村應該有做「足底功課」，讓自己比身高一七四公分的林志玲再高一點。
網路商店業者林沛宏指出，選購增高鞋墊的客群男性多於女性，很多男性會用在婚禮穿著的皮鞋裡。不少女生則是放在平底雪靴、踝靴或短筒靴，當成增高秘密武器。
林沛宏說，市售增高鞋墊約可分為「氣墊式」、「矽膠材質可組合」、「全腳掌式」及「塑膠材質」等，「矽膠材質可組合」增高鞋墊由左右腳各七片增高墊、共十四片的透明矽膠果凍後跟墊組成，每片約０．九公分，可自行組合，七片全放可長高六．一公分。
矽膠增高鞋墊的優點是可依個人需求調整高度，但因為只有後腳跟的增高設計，前後腳掌的落差大，穿來並不舒服；氣墊式增高鞋墊有氣囊設計，吸震效果好，缺點是無法微調高度。
身高一百六十八公分的銘傳大學傳管所研究生潘彥捷表示，一百七十公分對男生來說是個關卡，使用增高鞋墊可讓自信加分。
一樣要增高，隱形增高鞋是另一種選擇。使用過鞋墊，也買過增高鞋的王小姐則認為，增高鞋一體成型，穿起來感覺與一般運動鞋較接近，穿上就能出門比較方便。
骨科醫生提醒，過度使用增高鞋墊的男性可能會出現女性高跟鞋症候群，包括大拇趾外翻、起繭、足底筋膜炎以及膝腰背痠痛等症狀。建議不要長時間使用增高鞋墊，配合的鞋子後腳部分的包覆性也要夠。
（自由時報記者林嘉琪、陳慧貞與東京特約述曹姮綜合報導）
Some 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, the “International Space Station” (ISS) operates as both a home and office for astronauts living and working in space. Astronauts typically stay aboard the station for up to six months and engage in groundbreaking research projects in various fields, such as biology, physics and astronomy. These projects help scientists understand life in space and contribute to advancements that benefit people on Earth. The ISS has experienced significant growth since construction began in 1998. The station’s design and assembly represent an extraordinary international collaboration among Canada, the European Union, Japan, Russia and the United States.
A: While hit musical Les Miserables’ concert tour kicks off, South Korean drama Squid Game 3 will be back at the end of this month. B: New Taiwanese dramas The World Between Us 2 and Zero Day Attack have also gained attention. A: I heard that Zero Day Attack is a story about the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army trying to attack Taiwan by force. B: The drama’s subject is so sensitive that it has sparked a lot of controversy in society. A: I just hope that such a horrible story will never happen in
The UN Ocean Conference wrapped up in Nice, France on Friday last week with world leaders taking major steps toward marine protection and vowing a showdown when nations meet to negotiate rules for deep-sea mining next month. But a lack of funding pledges and the total omission of fossil fuels disappointed some observers. The summit was just the third — and largest yet — dedicated entirely to what the United Nations calls an “emergency” in the world’s oceans. The High Seas Treaty, or Global Ocean Treaty, is also known as the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Living on the ISS is challenging due to the absence of gravity. Astronauts must strap themselves into sleeping bags to prevent floating away while they sleep. They also spend about two hours exercising daily using specialized equipment. Despite this, microgravity can cause muscle loss, bone density reduction and cardiovascular changes. As a result, astronauts require extensive rehabilitation upon their return to Earth. In spite of these difficulties, astronauts often describe their experience on the ISS as life-changing. One of the most awe-inspiring aspects of living aboard the space station is the unparalleled view of Earth. Traveling at
RSS