A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function. Additionally fashion has often dictated many design elements, such as whether shoes have very high heels or flat ones. Contemporary footwear varies widely in style, complexity and cost. Basic sandals may consist of only a thin sole and simple strap. High fashion shoes may be made of very expensive materials in complex construction and sell for thousands of dollars a pair. Other shoes are for very specific purposes, such as boots specially designed for mountaineering or skiing.

Shoes have traditionally been made from leather, wood or canvas, but are increasingly made from rubber, plastics, and other petrochemical-derived materials.

Until recent years,^[when?] shoes were not worn by most of the world's population — largely because they could not afford them. Only with the advent of mass production, making shoes available very cheaply, has shoe-wearing become predominant.

Shawn Dwayne Marion (born May 7, 1978) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion attended the junior college Vincennes University for two years. In 1999, the Phoenix Suns drafted Marion, who was the ninth overall pick and would remain with the Suns until midway through the 2007-2008 season. The Suns traded Marion to the Miami Heat, and Marion joined the Toronto Raptors for the 2008-2009 season. Marion joined the Dallas Mavericks in 2009 and was the team's starting small forward when the Mavericks won the NBA Championship in June, 2011.

Nicknamed "The Matrix" by TNT analyst Kenny Smith during the pre-season of his rookie year for his seemingly bionic athleticism, he is widely regarded as one of the most versatile players in the league thanks to his athleticism and ability to play and defend many positions.

Gregory Keith Monroe, Jr. (born June 4, 1990 in Harvey, Louisiana) is a professional basketball center for the Detroit Pistons. He was drafted by the Pistons in the 2010 NBA Draft with the 7th overall pick. In his freshman season at Georgetown University he was named Big East Rookie of the Year.

Monroe attended Helen Cox High School in Harvey, Louisiana. As a senior in 2008 he was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team and earned Parade Magazine All-America first team honors.

He was selected as the 7th pick by the Detroit Pistons at the 2010 NBA Draft. On July 7, 2010, Monroe signed with the Pistons. Monroe will be the last Pistons player to wear the #10 jersey, as the Pistons retired the number for Dennis Rodman at halftime of a game against the Bulls on April 1, 2011.

Greg Monroe made his NBA regular season debut on October 30, 2010 against the Chicago Bulls. He came off the bench to score 2 points and 3 rebounds in 7 minutes. After coming off the bench for the first month of the season, Monroe made his first career start on December 10, 2010 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In this game, Monroe recorded eight points, fifteen rebounds and a block in 35 minutes of action. Despite a slow start to the season, Monroe's production increased in 2011 as he became a solid scorer and rebounder for the rebuilding Pistons. On February 23, 2011 against the Indiana Pacers, Monroe had his best game thus far with 27 points and 12 rebounds on 11-17 shooting.

Nyjah Imani Huston (born November 30, 1994) is an American professional street skateboarder. On July 30, 2011, Huston won gold for skateboard street at X Games 17.

Huston started skating when he was around 2 years old and rides goofy. Huston was raised vegan by his parents from birth. He was the youngest-ever X Games competitor and has been competing against professionals since August 2009. He is featured in the Element Skateboards videos This is My Element and Elementality, as well as the Silver Trucks video Silver in Barcelona. On November 11, 2011, Huston released a video Rise & Shine under Element Skateboards.

In December 2008, Huston left Element Skateboards and in July 2009, started his own skateboard company I&I Skateboards. In January 2011, Huston went back to Element. Huston won the inaugural Kentucky Unbridled Spirit Award for Action Sports. Huston is a featured character in the video games Tony Hawk's Project 8, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, Tony Hawk: Ride, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD. Huston is sponsored by Element Skateboards, Silver Truck Co, FKD Bearings, Diamond Supply Company, Ricta Wheels, Mob Grip Tape and DC Shoes.

Dirk Werner Nowitzki (German pronunciation: [ˈdɪʁk ˈvɛʁnɐ noˈvɪtski]) (born June 19, 1978) is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An alumnus of Röntgen Gymnasium and DJK Würzburg basketball club, Nowitzki was drafted ninth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1998 NBA Draft, and was immediately traded to the Mavericks, where he has played ever since. Standing 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), Nowitzki plays the power forward position but also has the athleticism and shooting ability to play the other frontcourt positions, center and small forward.

Nowitzki has led the Mavericks to 12 consecutive NBA Playoffs (2000–01–2011–12), including an NBA Finals appearance in 2006 and the franchise's first championship in 2011, making him one of only 5 players in NBA history to win a championship while being the only NBA All-Star on the team. He is an 11-time All-Star and 12-time member of the All-NBA Teams, and the first European-born player in NBA history to receive the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. He is the first Maverick ever to be voted into an All-NBA Team and also holds several all-time Mavericks franchise records. Only Nowitzki and three other players have ever averaged more than 25 points and 10 rebounds in the NBA playoffs, and only Nowitzki and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have managed 4 consecutive 30-point, 15-rebound games in the playoffs. Additionally, Nowitzki is the only player in NBA history to get 100 blocks and 150 3-pointers in a single season.