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Shoes

An Illustrated History
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Shoes: An Illustrated History by Rebecca Shawcross offers a lively and comprehensive journey through the evolution of footwear from antiquity to the present. Detailing styles from chopines to stilettos and designers from Louis XIV to modern icons like Louboutin and Sophia Webster, the book explores shoes as cultural artefacts reflecting social power, fashion, and eroticism. This updated edition includes discussions on environmental and sustainability issues alongside inclusive coverage of contemporary designers, enriched with lavish illustrations and historical insights.
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Format: Hardback
$9400
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for enthusiasts of fashion history, cultural studies, design, and anyone fascinated by the social narratives embedded in footwear. Suitable for readers seeking an intelligent, richly illustrated reference on shoes’ cultural and historical impact.

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"With 20% new content, and a new 24-page closing chapter, this beautifully illustrated revision maintains and consolidates the book's position as the leading reference work and overview of the history of shoes from the ancient to the contemporary"--

With 20% new content, and a new 24-page closing chapter, this beautifully illustrated revision maintains and consolidates the book’s position as the leading reference work and overview of the history of shoes from the ancient to the contemporary.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

[A] lively journey through the evolution of footwear - The i

Handsomely illustrated and meticulously assembled - Shahidha Bari, author of Dressed: The Secret Life of Clothes

An exuberant romp through footwear evolution ... a cornucopia of footwear delights - Flora McLean, Royal College of Art, UK

A memorable walk through a story of innovation, fashion, invention and eroticism - Giorgio Riello, European University Institute, Italy

An elegantly updated and illustrated edition of an invaluable reference book - Alicia Kerfoot, The College at Brockport, SUNY, USA

From chopines to stilettos, Louis XIV to Louboutin, Shoes: An Illustrated History is the definitive guide to footwear. This revised, updated edition expands the classic work to include new content on environmental and sustainability issues, and increased coverage of more diverse, inclusive and contemporary designers – such as Rupert Sanderson, Sophia Webster, Nicolas Kirkwood, Charlotte Olympia, Amina Muaddi, and Noritaka Tatehana.

Shoes have always been more than just a practical necessity. They reveal the culture of the times in which they were worn – the sexual morals, the social power play, as well as the endless shifting of fashion. Rebecca Shawcross takes the reader on a fascinating journey – packed with social and historical detail – of making and wearing, of the spectacular and the everyday, of conforming and rebelling.

Lavishly illustrated with a dazzling array of shoes from all over the world and now including a new closing chapter covering the latest developments in design and technology, the influence of social media and celebrity endorsement, this revision consolidates the book’s position as the leading reference work and overview of this ultimate object of desire, from antiquity to the present.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The i praises it as "a lively journey through the evolution of footwear" featuring an impressive global and historical array. Shahidha Bari lauds it as "handsomely illustrated and meticulously assembled," essential for all seeking a thorough history, from prehistoric sandals to space-age sneakers. Flora McLean describes it as an "exuberant romp through footwear evolution," highlighting Shawcross's extensive archival knowledge and thoughtful analysis of form, function, and social significance.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781350266476

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 17 November 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Visual Arts

Edition: 2nd Revised edition

Illustration: 350 colour illus

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 258.0mm

Height: 256.0mm

Weight: 1580g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Rebecca Shawcross is Senior Shoe Curator at The Shoe Collection, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, UK.

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