Shoes: What Every Woman Should Know [Hardcover]

Stephanie Pedersen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2005

From the moment little girls first read about Cinderella's glass slippers or Dorothy's ruby slippers, they are invariably hooked on shoes. This beautifully packaged gift book is a veritable shoe bible, allowing readers to put best foot forward down the footwear hall of fame, pausing at every significant development in the evolution of shoes. From the earliest moccasins of 8000BC to the latest innovations of the 21st century, Shoes: The grace, the glamour and the glory charts the rise of shoes from comfort to couture, and features top designers, trendsetters, celebrity shoeaholics and fashionistas, guaranteed to excite and inspire glamour girls everywhere.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephanie Pedersen is an author and journalist who specialises in fashion, beauty and health. Her articles have appeared in Sassy, Glamour, Teen, Girl, Woman's World, Cosmopolitan, Fit, American Woman and Weight Watchers. She is the author of nearly 20 books, including Bra: A Thousand Years of Style, Support and Seduction (D&C, 2004) and teaches creative writing.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: David & Charles (August 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0715322346
• ISBN-13: 978-0715322345
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #234,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Can't Afford Manolos, This Book is the Next Best Thing!, December 20, 2005

By 

Carla Lynne Hall "Supernova Singer" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shoes: What Every Woman Should Know (Hardcover)

What is it about women and shoes??? Stephanie Pedersen's "Shoes: What Every Woman Should Know" is an awesome history of shoess from past to present. The photos are delicious, and I enjoyed reading about the history of shoes.

One of my favorite sections in the book was "Red Shoes", which was all about the sexual power of scarlet pumps. The adage "red shoes, no knickers may or may not be true, but I ain't tellin'!

If you have more than two pairs of shoes in your closet, you'll love this book!

Carla
www.CarlaLynneHall.com

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a stylish gift, December 11, 2005

By 

Renee J. Restivo (Sicily, Italy) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shoes: What Every Woman Should Know (Hardcover)

I am enjoying Shoes: What Every Woman Should Know so much that I have decided to order a few copies for my more stylish girlfriends as a Christmas gift. The book effectively describes how a woman's image is often shaped by her own shoes. Shoes described range from sexy -- I love the chapter on the stiletto -- to elegant and graceful, such as the chapter on shoes of the silver screen in the 40s.

The author, Stephanie Pedersen explains how shoes have been worn by women as a symbol of sensuality. Not only did I learn about the history of shoes from this stylish and reasonably priced book, but I learned about fashion, design and culture. Pedersen's artful descriptions coupled with the colorful images have really inspired me to consider my own shoe collection and what is says about me. After reading this book, I want to go on a little shoe shopping spree to add a few pairs to my own collection -- the book heps one to understand what shoes can say about one's image.

Now that shoes from the 20s, 30s and 40s are making a comeback in modern fashion, it is even more fun and interesting to read about how those styles were influenced by the trends, attitudes, movie stars and even dances of those decades. My favorite sections are "1923: The Charleston," "1939: Red Shoes," from the chapter "The Jazz Years." Also, "Shoes of the Silver Screen" from the Chapter on the Hollywood Years, and the section on Sex and the City from the Chapter, "The Designer Years."

The first chapter of the book is excellent, and fills you in on the fascinating history of shoes, with interesting bits of information such as the cultural attitudes in Asia and fashion trends in the late Middle ages, when Florence was the fashion capital of the world.

This is a book you will read again and again, and want to keep handy to refer to often to inspire you to consider shoes as a part of your own style, and certainly to show to all your friends. You will learn something about yourself from this book because it helps you to understand what your shoes say about you! Whatever image you want to convey from sexy to confident, graceful to elegant - this book will help you understand which shoe styles could help you make the precise statement you want about yourself and your sense of style and originality!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A REVIEW BY A CLUELESS GUY., August 28, 2011

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shoes: What Every Woman Should Know (Hardcover)

What is a guy like me, who does not particularly have a foot or shoe fetish (although I suppose if I had a fetish, this would be as good as any), and is pretty much oblivious to women's fashions, doing reading and reviewing a book on women's shoes? Well there are a couple or three reasons. First, my wife is a shoe freak. If she had he money, I am sure she could and would have given Imelda Marcos a run for her money. As it is, she has done pretty well for herself anyway. I don't understand this, but figured it was about time, after 47 years of marriage, that I check up on the subject. Secondly, I was ferreting through books at the library and happened to see this one; it caught my fancy and I figured why not. Third, I am a history buff and there can be no doubt that clothing, including shoes, have played a part. Forth, I am simply a curious sort of fellow and to be honest, I have never read a book devoted to women's shoes and felt I might me missing something.

Anyway, I have to tell you that this little book is an absolute delight. I never imagined that there could be so many different (yet, in a way the same) kinds of foot wear for women. This book takes us back to the beginning and gives us a nice little history. The real meat of the book though starts with those shoes worn my ladies Pre-1900. Wow. This work then works its way up through about 2004.

I must tell you that the photography in this work is great and of the highest quality. The ways the shoes are presented here make them into almost art objects rather than utilitarian wear. The book is filled with old magazine adds from the past, and glimpses of some of the accessories that are used.

The text is fun to read. Not only is it funny in places, but is extremely informative. I learned more about shoes reading this thing than I probably wanted to know, but I enjoyed every word.

While and after reading this work there are a few things (as an outside observer) that made an impression on me:

Shoes are quite tied to a person's ego and self image of themselves. Shoes, for the most part, make a very strong sexual statement, or non-statement, as the case may be.

It would appear that styles have changed over the years, but the function has not. Yet...and yet...after looking at the changes in shoes since early times and comparing them year after year, I am not at all sure if styles really have changed all that much. It would seem to me that if you wait long enough, what ever shoe you have in your shoe place will eventually become stylish again. It might take a couple centuries, but back in style it will be.

It would seem to me that women's shoes in general were originally designed and are still designed (we are talking high fashion shoes here folks) by experts in medieval torture. There is no way in the world I could even get my foot into some of these things, much less walk and function in them. My admiration for women's athletic abilities and high pain threshold has risen.

This is a fun and interesting read. It may well not be your cuppa, but I found it fascinating. The only complaint I have about the entire work is that it did not, to my satisfaction, answer the question, "What is it about women and shoes?"

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks