Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers & More

Many people do care about their choice of footwear for a variety of good reasons, and some of us retain a favorite and memorable "shoe anecdote" to bring out of its box on occasion. As for an affinity for shoes in general, this reader tends to remain slightly sanguine on the matter, possibly because as an adolescent so many repetitive speeches were drummed into my young crown on how one's shoes define 'a lady', that it was enough to be reduced to a state of torpor. Having said this, today in New York there is a lively revival and trend of eye-catchers on the streets of the city in a festival of attractive, decorative, comfortable and sensible shoes to be seen: flats, sandals, spikes, platforms and all.Occasionally one finds an interesting and fun book that provides not only a rewarding read, but can be interpreted as a work of art, or curiosity. "Shoes" by Linda O'Keeffe, recommended by another reviewer, is such a one. A gem in a boxy design format, it is both highly creative and entertaining. To put this together was no small feet on the part of the author, to make an obvious pun . Not only is it a mini-album with a collection of colorful photos, but it is also an intriguing, fascinating, and sometimes alarming read on the history of shoes and other foot artifacts throughout the centuries.A small, sturdy and comfortable book to hold in one's hands, flip-flopping it at random you may find yourself looking at the original and beautiful pair of sequined red pumps, worn by Judy Garland in the magical 'Land of OZ', or a bed of Indian Nail Sandals in the 19th century, causing you to do a double-take and say 'ouch'!.For a better idea on the topic of shoes in this small book, with just the right amount of short text, here is a listing of the title chapters: The Sandal, the Heel, Slippers, the Pump, the Sensible (*I need a pair of simple sneakers which I keep forgetting.), the Boot, the Platform, Fetish & Lotus ones, Art Sole and One-of-a-Kind.All to say, you might wish to treat yourself to a copy while keeping "Shoes" in mind as an original gift for readers of books, magazines, and collectors of engaging items to enjoy, entertain and learn from. It may also inspire some present and future cobblers in our midst (the actor Daniel Day-Lewis is apparently a fine one). Some of these creations are simply exquisite, artistic, and reminiscent of jewelry at times.After trying on a few samples of the above, this one is for Julie with some jazzy shoes to dance the night away, and my appreciation to Linda O'Keeffe from whom I have just purchased two additional 'pairs', at a moderate price to boot. Enjoy!

This book contains fluent, erudite words about shoes, but who cares? The point of the book is the luscious photography -- beautiful, enticing images of a large number of shoes.If you have friends who also love shoes, get a copy for each one and you can sit around for hours saying "omigosh, look at page 501!" and "wow, Carly Jane, page 347 is just what you need!" This is a whole lot more fun than it sounds, actually.And you can always place the book on your coffee table where it will (a) take up very little physical space and (b) end up enticing everyone who sits down in your living room into developing a shoe fetish.Seriously, this is a well-researched, beautifully photographed, elegantly written gem of a book. If you happen to like shoes, you really owe it to yourself to obtain a copy of it.

Everyone is surprised to see what shoes have been made to do!

I'd consider giving this 4 stars if it was bigger. Its far too small which makes me just want to quickly flick through the pages rather than have a read. There are lots of nice photographs and the book could be of more value if it was updated and reprinted with more recent designs. Its old and out of date. There wasn't really anything in this book that made me go back and take another look. I flicked through it once and thought 'meh'

Packed with information. Full of exquisite pictures! It filled me with inspiration and admiration for all those creative people who have created such amazing shoes. This book would be of interest to anyone who is interested in art, design and/or shoes.I bought it as a gift for a friend and found it hard to let it go!

Super cute little book (6" x 4" and 1" thick) with beautiful pictures and informative notes of different styles through the years. Ordered used in "good condition" and it's in as almost good of shape as if I bought it at the book store. Bought for a gift but think I'll have to read it first.

I love shoes of all kinds, and this book was so much fun to read. It not only tells the history of shoes through the decades, it has pictures of different shoes on every page. It is one of those books that I will read a second time.

What a wonderful little book on shoes. I originally bought this for myself but lent it to a friend. She loved it so much tha tI let her keep it and I ordered 1 for myself! easy to read and beautiful photos, and a great history of shoes.

Flipping through the book with always yield an interesting find. Fully coloured photos all placed on white space to isolate the shoe from the background. A great reference.

I am very impressed with the content of this book. It is full of pictures accompanied by text, related to the history of each shoe. The pocket size was a beautiful surprise as it makes it easy to carry in a handbag and read. It is a fun and easy read that will give you lots of insight on the history of shoes. Definitely a keeper!

A found this book as I subscribe to an email called "The Daily Shoe" and have become an absolute shoe fanatic because of it. Loved the content! Great delivery from Amazon too - book arrived the next day as expected. I was surprised by the tiny size of the book itself - it is little bigger than a postcard, but nice and satisfyingly thick. Not exactly a coffee-table book but a wonderful addition to one's collection. An absolute must for anyone who loves and follows "The Daily Shoe".[...]

何度繰り返して見ても飽きないです。製作年の記載があり、デザインに古さは無いんだなぁと感心させられます。つくづく思ったのは文化の違いですね。この本からは　靴を脱がないことが前提の文化なんだなぁと・・・日本が直線の美であるならヨーロッパは曲線の美(主観ですが)時代背景も一緒に考えると１９４５年の製品には泣けました。日本が竹やりを持っている頃、ヨーロッパはこんな楽しいデザインで愉しむ余裕を持っていたのかと思うと、日本が勝てる筈がないとしみじみ想いました。サイズもバッグに入れるには丁度良い大きさで、時間があれば眺めています。読んだり見たりよりは　眺める本です。本当に飽きないです。

Le livrei n'est pas tres propre. Et mon livre n'est pas exactement comme l'image sur le site, je ne sais pas s'il exist deux examplaires differentes?