A Century of Shoes
Every one of us has, at some point, forged a strong bond with a pair of shoes. Perhaps the relationship was with a gnarly old pair of Converse All-Stars (complete with an aroma that would make a grown man cry), or maybe it was with a pair of leather-lined Italian moccasins that were so expensive your credit card went into convulsions.A Century of Shoesfeatures a feast of shoes from throughout the 20th century. Every imaginable shoe is here--photographed in full color and accompanied with a vignette of soulful information. Here are loafers, winklepickers, stilettos, platform shoes, Dr. Martens, Wellington boots, and sandals--some are practical, others purely fashionable. Shoes were first recognized as a fashion accessory in 1919, whenVoguemagazine ran a story entitled "New Shoes for Cinderella." Shoes and fashion were now inextricably linked--and the next few decades witnessed an explosion of new styles and new designers. The book previews the most famous fashion innovators--Andrea Pfister, with his unique brand of fun but feminine designs; Roger Vivier, who reinvented the court shoe; and Joan Halpern, who created fashionable but comfortable women's shoes. Of course, in the latter part of the 20th century it is the sports shoe that has become a fundamental fashion statement for the younger generation. The phenomenal rise of Nike and other manufacturers makes for a fascinating read.It's okay to admit that you have a shoe fetish--andA Century of Shoeswill make this obsession all the more pleasurable.--Naomi Gesinger