Last but not least: New shoes for France's wonder feet

The public ennoblement of an athlete does not take place through the awarding of trophies or titles: An athlete can only call himself a star when he has his own shoe made. And once such stars have been chosen and fitted with shoes, the advertising budget of their outfitter often knows no bounds. Just think of basketball stars such as Michael Jordan or Charles Barkley, whose Nike shoes were advertised in lavish commercials. The former still benefits from this today, years after his retirement as an active ball thrower. Thousands of people are still putting several hundred francs on the table to be able to strap at least a hint of the sportiness of "His Airness" to their feet. Competitor Puma is currently making a name for itself. For the new finches of the French football stars Franck Ribéry (FC Bayern Munich) and Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) the sporting goods manufacturer had two original commercials filmed. Striker Anelka falls under the control of a countrywoman working as a dominatrix. Her condition: "Only if Anelka is allowed to play in the Champions League against Bordeaux with the new shoes will he be released." We are assuming that Chelsea coach Felipe Scolari will go along with this deal.