Shoes

by Lucy Pratt, Linda Woolley, Linda Wolley

From very long pointed toes in the Middle Ages to exotic creations of the 1990s, the story of footwear is a lively and evocative reflection of styles, fashions and moments in history. In Henry VIII's time, for example, exaggerated shapes and wide toes mirrored the aggressive social climate, while engravings of Queen Victoria showed impossibly narrow slippers in pursuit of nineteenth-century ideals of daintiness.
Engravings, paintings and advertisements help to tell the story, and the specially commissioned photography reveals the glorious colours and styles in stunning detail.

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Tittirossa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molto english-fashion concerned (posto che esista una moda inglese, a esclusione della bolla MaryQuant-WivienneWestwood), ma abbastanza esaustivo e documentato.
Mi ha fatto riflettere sul mutare dei miei acquisti dell'ultimo quinquennio (grazie al mio libro mastro delle scarpe), e anch'io sono stata vittima più che di mode di stati d'animo e mutamenti economici.
2010 +6 sandali col tacco (sto ancora pagando emotivamente questo attacco idiota vietandomi di comprare sandali di qualsiasi tipo, e non mettendomi quelli col tacco)
2011 +5 ballerine (sempre utili, comode, belle checché ne dicano i maschi)
2012 +5 decolleté, la riscoperta della classica pump, in tutti i colori e materiali, sling back e/o open toe.
2013 +4 stivali, stivaletti, anklebooties perchè in inverno le decolleté io non riesco a portarle, e lo stivale è così rassicurante
2014 .... ci sto lavorando!

[WORN Fashion Journal]

SHOES is just over 120 pages, but it spans the evolution of western shoes from medieval poulaines to modern Louboutins. With such a lot of ground to cover and so little space, this book is more a quick reference guide than a detailed resource or a riveting read. As such, it is an excellent little publication.

The book includes 80 images of shoes from the V&A collection. The photos are not always pretty, but they are detailed and informative. The text is all business with little in the way of fascinating anecdote, but never brief to the point of abstraction. The writers even manage to include glimpses into the politics of fashion through the ages. The beginning of chapter two, “Heels, Buckles, and Bows,” explains how shoes became more elaborate during the reign of James I, describing a court that was “riddled with scandal and disorder and dominated by James’ posturing favourites.” (Leading one to suspect the world of fashion never really changes much.) The volume concludes with a decent glossary, a selected bibliography (for those interested in more information), and an easily navigated index. A nice final touch is a short list entitled “Major UK Dress Collections Featuring Shoes” (a nice thing to have if you’re hopping the pond).

All in all, this is never going to be my favourite shoe book (I’m in it for the romance, you see), but it’s a no-fuss resource and I’m happy to have it on the shelf between Strunk and White and my Dictionary of Fashion. (reviewed by G. Stegelmann)