Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras (1 of 26)

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Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras by V&A Publishing. Copyright 2009 by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
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Shoes, Bags and Tiaras: Highlights from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

With material from:

Bags Claire Wilcox

Shoes Lucy Pratt and Linda Woolley

Tiaras Geoffrey Munn

Shoes: A Brief History

[‘Pirelli’, printed leather shoe by Manolo Blahnik. English, 1985. T.487-1985.]

Shoes are one of the most evocative areas of dress. Often beautiful and sculptural objects, they can be powerful indicators of the social and economic status of the wearer. The more elaborate and decorative, the less likely they are to be functional or easy to wear, and these very qualities have often resulted in their survival. Shoes have also been kept for aesthetic or sentimental reasons, and a number have survived by being buried, hidden or simply as an accident of fate.

Whether fashionable or functional, the shoe has excited as much comment in the past as it does today. The toes of medieval poulaines grew so long and pointed that laws were passed to limit their size, while women who staggered on chopines – the Renaissance equivalent of the platform sole – were compared to Venetian prostitutes. The beauty of the foot has also been admired. Richly embroidered mules of the seventeenth century and delicate Georgian shoes sought to enhance an elegant ankle or complement the clothes with which they were worn. In the early Victorian era, shoes became so restricting that writers complained of how women were prevailed upon to ‘pinch’ their feet into tiny satin slippers. Less extreme and more comfortable designs have also made an impact. A simpler style of shoe was adopted during the French Revolution in keeping with the ideals of equality, and by the end of the nineteenth century the growing popularity of sports encouraged a more practical approach to footwear.

The twentieth century witnessed the rise of the designer shoemaker. During the 1920s and 1930s names like Salvatore Ferragamo, André Perugia and Roger Vivier focused the eyes of fashion on jewel-encrusted heels, chunky wedge soles, surrealistic shapes and startlingly sleek silhouettes. The designer shoemaker continues to make an impact. Exploring elements from the past, combining traditional craftsmanship with technological advances and uniting function with art, contemporary designers have created innovative styles which continue to inspire and often surprise. Creations by Vivienne Westwood, Jimmy Choo, Patrick Cox, Christian Louboutin, Armando Pollini, Oliver Sweeney and Manolo Blahnik suggest that shoes of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century will shape the future of footwear design and push the boundaries of the what is possible.

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