ONTARIO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2025--
In celebration of Nurses’ Week, Alegria ™, a leading California-based women’s comfort footwear brand, is recognizing the dedication of medical professionals. Known for crafting high-quality shoes, some of which are American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Accepted, that unite style, durability and unparalleled comfort, Alegria addresses the challenges of long shifts by providing dependable footwear. This year, Alegria proudly announces Liquid Shell™ technology, an innovation that provides advanced fluid-resistant protection.
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Liquid Shell™ is a protective barrier between the upper and lining of the vamp that repels liquids and helps to keep the feet dry. This technology comes in addition to Alegria’s signature ergonomic support and modern design.
“It’s rare to find shoes that balance fashion-forward, of-the-moment designs with all-day support, but Alegria does exactly that. I wear them during my shifts and love how they keep me comfortable while staying on trend,” explained Dr. Porscha Bailey, DPM. “I confidently recommend them to my colleagues and patients who want shoes that perfectly combine style and reliable support."
Medical Professional Essentials
These styles, some of which are American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Accepted, are crafted with the needs of health care professionals in mind, providing the all-day comfort, support and durability required in their demanding roles.
Duette: Designed for health care workers who value lightweight comfort, the Duette is a sleek slip-on vegan casual shoe that is American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Accepted. It features elastic gores, a padded collar and a lightweight slip-resistant sport rocker outsole for flexibility and support during long shifts. Its removable cushioned footbed ensures lasting comfort. COMING SOON: Excitingly, the Duette will soon include Alegria's innovative Liquid Shell™ technology for enhanced protection and performance. (Pictured in color Swirl Wind Navy. Also available in multiple other colors.)
Keli: An American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Accepted leather slip-on that serves as a wardrobe warrior for health care professionals on demanding shifts. The Keli includes elastic side gores and gentle padding at the instep and collar for a secure yet cozy fit. Its rounded toe design enhances comfort, while the removable ergonomic footbed made of memory foam and cork provides outstanding support. The slip-resistant career casual outsole ensures stability and all-day wearability. (Pictured in color Slickery. Also available in multiple other colors.)
Liber8: The perfect fusion of natural comfort and modern style, the Liber8 is a go-to choice for health care professionals. It features a lightweight and ultra-flexible rubber outsole designed for exceptional slip resistance on a variety of surfaces. Alegria Fit™, with its natural-shaped toe box, provides room for toes to move freely, enhancing overall comfort. Additionally, its water-repelling Liquid Shell™ upper ensures durability and versatility, no matter the environment. (Pictured in color Digi Navy. Also available in colors Digi Lilac, Black, Static Blush, Digi Rose and Static Grey).
"Alegria deeply values the dedication and hard work of medical professionals who spend countless hours on their feet,” said Irene Chen, vice president of operations at Alegria. “Nurses’ Week offers us a special opportunity to shine an even brighter light on their tremendous impact. We are committed to designing footwear that combines fashion-forward styles with the superior comfort and support. Our shoes are crafted to empower nurses, podiatrists and all health care workers to feel confident, comfortable and cared for as they care for others."
Alegria also extends this commitment beyond health care workers, staying true to its promise of making women and their feet happy. With over 20 years of experience in designing women’s footwear, Alegria offers clogs, sneakers and other styles with footbeds that provide robust arch support and heel cushioning to alleviate discomfort. These thoughtful designs reduce strain on the legs, hips and back, offering dependable and stylish options that meet the demands of all women.
Alegria Shoes offers an extensive selection of footwear designed to support the needs of medical and nursing professionals. To explore the collection, visit www.alegriashoes.com/collections/medical-nurses. For a complete overview of styles and colors available, please visit www.alegriashoes.com.
About Alegria™
Alegria™ is a leading women’s comfort shoe brand headquartered in California. Living up to its name of happiness, Alegria™ designs shoes made to be comfortable and supportive to provide women with the happiness their feet deserve. As a shoe company that has been awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Seal of Acceptance, Alegria™ takes great pride in its interchangeable patented footbed technology. The Alegria™ footbeds are the foundation of our shoes, which is the secret behind every pair. With supple leathers and vivid prints, Alegria™ pairs style with comfort, creating the ultimate shoe for every woman. To learn more about Alegria™ and the shoes it has to offer, visit alegriashoes.com.
Featured popular styles for nurses and medical professionals include: Duette (APMA-accepted) in color Swirl Wind Navy, Keli (APMA-accepted) in Slickery and Liber8 in color Digi Navy. Photo Credit: Alegria Shoes.
RHO, Italy (AP) — No ice is colder and harder than speedskating ice. The precision it takes has meant that Olympic speedskaters have never competed for gold on a temporary indoor rink – until the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.
In the pursuit of maximum glide and minimum friction, Olympic officials brought on ice master Mark Messer, a veteran of six previous Olympic speedskating tracks and the ice technician in charge of the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Canada — one of the fastest tracks in the world with over 300 records.
Messer has been putting that experience to work one thin layer of ice at a time since the end of October at the new Speed Skating Stadium, built inside adjacent trade fair halls in the city of Rho just north of Milan.
“It’s one of the biggest challenges I’ve had in icemaking,’’ Messer said during an interview less than two weeks into the process.
If Goldilocks were a speedskater, hockey ice would be medium hard, for fast puck movement and sharp turns. Figure skating ice would be softer, allowing push off for jumps and so the ice doesn’t shatter on landing. Curling ice is the softest and warmest of all, for controlled sliding.
For speedskating ice to be just right, it must be hard, cold and clean. And very, very smooth.
“The blades are so sharp, that if there is some dirt, the blade will lose the edge,’’ Messer said, and the skater will lose speed.
Speedskater Enrico Fabris, who won two Olympic golds in Turin in 2006, has traded in his skates to be deputy sports manager at the speedskating venue in Rho. For him, perfect ice means the conditions are the same for all skaters — and then if it's fast ice, so much the better.
"It's more of a pleasure to skate on this ice,'' he said.
Messer’s first Olympics were in Calgary in 1988 — the first time speedskating was held indoors. “That gave us some advantages because we didn’t have to worry about the weather, wind blowing or rain,’’ he said. Now he is upping the challenge by becoming the first ice master to build a temporary rink for the Olympics.
Before Messer arrived in Italy, workers spent weeks setting up insulation to level the floor and then a network of pipes and rubber tubes that carry glycol — an antifreeze — that is brought down to minus 7 or minus 8 degrees Celsius (17.6 to 19.4 degrees Fahrenheit) to make the ice.
Water is run through a purification system — but it can’t be too pure, or the ice that forms will be too brittle. Just the right amount of impurities “holds the ice together,’’ Messer said.
The first layers of water are applied slowly, with a spray nozzle; after the ice reaches a few centimeters it is painted white — a full day’s work — and the stripes are added to make lanes.
“The first one takes about 45 minutes. And then as soon as it freezes, we go back and do it again, and again and again. So we do it hundreds of times,’’ Messer said.
As the ice gets thicker, and is more stable, workers apply subsequent layers of water with hoses. Messer attaches his hose to hockey sticks for easier spreading.
What must absolutely be avoided is dirt, dust or frost — all of which can cause friction for the skaters, slowing them down. The goal is that when the skaters push “they can go as far as possible with the least amount of effort,’’ Messer said.
The Zamboni ice resurfacing machine plays a key role in keeping the track clean, cutting off a layer and spraying water to make a new surface.
One challenge is gauging how quickly the water from the resurfacing machine freezes in the temporary rink.
Another is getting the ice to the right thickness so that the Zamboni, weighing in at six tons, doesn’t shift the insulation, rubber tubing or ice itself.
“When you drive that out, if there’s anything moving it will move. We don’t want that,’’ Messer said.
The rink got its first big test on Nov. 29-30 during a Junior World Cup event. In a permanent rink, test events are usually held a year before the Olympics, leaving more time for adjustments. “We have a very small window to learn,’’ Messer acknowledged.
Dutch speedskater Kayo Vos, who won the men’s neo-senior 1,000 meters, said the ice was a little soft — but Messer didn’t seem too concerned.
“We went very modest to start, now we can start to change the temperatures and try to make it faster and still maintain it as a safe ice,’’ he said.
Fine-tuning the air temperature and humidity and ice temperature must be done methodically — taking into account that there will be 6,000 spectators in the venue for each event. The next real test will be on Jan. 31, when the Olympians take to the ice for their first training session.
“Eighty percent of the work is done but the hardest part is the last 20 percent, where we have to try to find the values and the way of running the equipment so all the skaters get the same conditions and all the skaters get the best conditions,’’ Messer said.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Serpentines are set on the ice of the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Workers clean the ice surface during a peed skating Junior World Cup and Olympic test event, in Rho, near Milan, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
