A Century of Shoes [Hardcover]

Angela Pattison (Author), Nigel Cawthorne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

This pictorial history of the last century of footwear explores the function and evolution of the shoe in all its glory. From elegant ankle boots, Perugia pumps, and David Evins' shoes for the stars, to Patrick Cox "wannabe" loafers and Nike sneakers. Includes over 250 color photographs.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Every one of us has, at some point, forged a strong bond with a pair of shoes. Perhaps the relationship was with a gnarly old pair of Converse All-Stars (complete with an aroma that would make a grown man cry), or maybe it was with a pair of leather-lined Italian moccasins that were so expensive your credit card went into convulsions.

A Century of Shoes features a feast of shoes from throughout the 20th century. Every imaginable shoe is here--photographed in full color and accompanied with a vignette of soulful information. Here are loafers, winklepickers, stilettos, platform shoes, Dr. Martens, Wellington boots, and sandals--some are practical, others purely fashionable. Shoes were first recognized as a fashion accessory in 1919, when Vogue magazine ran a story entitled "New Shoes for Cinderella." Shoes and fashion were now inextricably linked--and the next few decades witnessed an explosion of new styles and new designers. The book previews the most famous fashion innovators--Andrea Pfister, with his unique brand of fun but feminine designs; Roger Vivier, who reinvented the court shoe; and Joan Halpern, who created fashionable but comfortable women's shoes. Of course, in the latter part of the 20th century it is the sports shoe that has become a fundamental fashion statement for the younger generation. The phenomenal rise of Nike and other manufacturers makes for a fascinating read.

It's okay to admit that you have a shoe fetish--and A Century of Shoes will make this obsession all the more pleasurable. --Naomi Gesinger

Product Details

• Hardcover: 162 pages
• Publisher: Chartwell Books; First edition. edition (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785808353
• ISBN-13: 978-0785808350
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,342,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good source of background history of shoes., October 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Century of Shoes (Hardcover)

If you want to know the history of shoes, then this is he book one should read. However, it is not as informative as I expected. This book will become dated soon as there are not much information on the future of the shoe industry. It would be more informative if the author also includes history of shoes from other parts of the world like the Asian region.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great reference book on contemporary footwear fashions, October 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Century of Shoes (Hardcover)

Although many of the images are familiar to footwear 'sweeties' this book offers the shoe novice a great insight into 20th century footwear design. It is easy to follow and a welcome piece of coffee table literature. Every home should have one. And I look forward to future publications in this design series. Well done!

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So last century!, April 16, 2000

By 

Rhonda - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Century of Shoes (Hardcover)

Great book, but slowly becoming out of date. Great pictures. Divided into sections which include stillettos and loafers. The more "modern" shoes featured are definitely more interesting. Good review of the shoes of last century, not much insight into future design although the last two pages are dedicated to this topic.