Synopses & Reviews
No matter how many pairs you have, no matter how closely you follow the trends, you’re bound to discover something new in this savvy and irreverent study of contemporary women’s shoes. All the top styles and major players are here—from Manolo Blahnik, master of the skyscraper heel to Tom Ford, the designer who sparked the resurgence of the famous Gucci loafer. Not limited to designers and trends, the book also explores the shoe’s relationship to sex and gender roles. Are high heels a symbol of subordination or empowerment? What is the fascination that shoes hold for fetishists? Nothing is left unsaid here, with candid commentary ranging from Rupaul to the Wall Street Journal. Written with wit and style, and sumptuously illustrated with 200 color photos, Shoes: A Lexicon of Style is a book for the well-shod of every persuasion.
Synopsis
There is a bit of Imelda Marcos in many women, begins the fascinating, energetic text of Shoes. This chic book taps into the obsession, the fetish, and the fashion of footwear, from the pump to the sneaker, the boot to the stiletto. There are no ancient Roman sandals in this book. Instead, noted author Valerie Steele speaks directly to modern shoe enthusiasts and delves into their soles.
Highly illustrated with cutting-edge photos and filled with quips and quotes from Tom Ford, Manolo Blahnik, Ann Magnuson, and other aficionados, this book stirs up the debate over high heels, bows to the joys of athletic footwear, and probes the power of shoes to convey status and sex appeal. This is an exuberant, often irreverent, contemporary history of shoes for the well- shod of every style tribe.