One of the most innovative versions of a plastic shoe is the Imprint Therapeutic Shoe, made by Andrew Poynton, a high-tech farrier who works in Malmesbury, England.

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Attendees in Shanghai included a production executive at Nike's close-by Suzhou Sports subsidiary, which makes the rigid plastic support of its shoe's sole using Huntsman's diphenylmethane diisocyanate, or MDI.

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Attendees in Shanghai included a production executive at Nike (nyse: NKE - news - people )'s close-by Suzhou Sports subsidiary, which makes the rigid plastic support of its shoe's sole using Huntsman's diphenylmethane diisocyanate, or MDI.

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An hour before his Emporio Armani presentation, the designer slipped on a pair of plastic shoe covers and stood on the pristine white runway to give the 70-odd models his ritual pep talk.

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