Shoes

From practical wardrobe accessories to objects of desire, this book is a stunning visual and fascinating historical reference exploring every aspect of shoes. From ancient times to the present, shoes have been so much more than things to walk in. We use them to signal how fashionable we are, but beyond style, shoes can communicate our sexual desires, aesthetic sense, social status, and personality. Within the pages of this lavishly illustrated book you’ll find the cultural mixed with the practical as the story of shoes unfolds from the foot-binding shoes of China to the men’s shoes worn by dandies of the eighteenth century to the move toward conservatism that brought the Wellington boot to the irresistible sex appeal of the high heel to the cult rise of the sneaker. Shoes is a revealing, insightful, and beautifully presented fashion history collection.

Giorgio Riello is an associate professor in global history and culture at the University of Warwick. He has published widely on fashion, textiles, product innovation, and design.

Peter McNeil is a professor of design history in the School of Design at the University of Technology, Sydney, and Foundation Chair of Fashion Studies at Stockholm University.