Shoes…What Every Woman Should Know, by Stephanie Pedersen ISBN 0-7153-2234-6; David & Charles Publishers

What we wear on our feet speaks volumes about our personality and attitude to life. Shoes is a sumptuously illustrated history of shoes, from the first modest moccasin to the latest Burberry boot, revealing how women have been and will be forever shaped by their shoes. From the Victorians to Vogue, from the sexual revolution to Sex and the City, shoes have always played a vital part in every woman’s self-image, and can make or break just about every situation, from a first date to that all-important interview.

*An exuberant exposé of the history of shoes revealing how women’s attitudes to life and love have been shaped by their footwear

*Exceptionally illustrated with scrummy shoe photographs, intriguing vintage advertisements, and stunning fashion and celebrity images

*The history of shoes is discussed in a witty and fun tone, while imparting genuine information on social and fashion history and nuggets of self development

So what do your shoes say about you? Should you put an end to your love affair with loafers? Should stilettos be your soulmates instead?

Author Stephanie Pedersen is a writer and journalist who specialises in fashion, beauty and health. Her articles have appeared in many American magazines. She is the author of nearly 20 books, including Bra (also by David & Charles, 2004) and teaches creative writing. She lives in America and is happy to do telephone interviews.

Continued…

BOOK’S CONTENTS:

The World at your Feet – The shoe: a brief history – Cultural attitudes towards feet – Shoe fetishes

Shoes of Yore – The BC years (Before Cobblers) – The Crackow – ‘High’ Renaissance – The royal heel – Buckle up! – The Victorian influence

La Belle Epoque – 1901: Prim and proper – 1904: Small is big – 1914: War on waste – 1916: Shoes get sporty

The Jazz Years 1920: Shoes on show – 1922: Walk like an Egyptian – 1923: The charleston – 1927: Art Deco elegance – 1930: Down at heel – 1936: Going for gold – 1939: Red shoes

The Hollywood Years – 1941: Keeping up appearances – 1942: Crocodile shoes – 1949: Shoes of the silver screen – 1951: Arrival of the stiletto – 1953: By royal appointment – 1955: Blue suede shoes

The Pop Years – 1962: The Jackie influence – 1966: These boots are made for walkin’ – 1967: Space-age fashion – 1972: Heels reach new heights – 1976: Doc Martens – 1977: Saturday Night Fever – 1979: Shoes as art

The Designer Years – 1982: Crimson tide – 1986: Upwardly mobile – 1989: Personal trainers – 1991: Smells like teen spirit – 1993: The perils of pedestals – 1996: Clearly superior – 1998: Shoes, sex and the city

The Shape of Things to Come – 2000: Objects of desire – 2001: Making a point – 2003: The highs and lows – 2004: Anything goes

Specifications: 170 x 170mm, 128 pages, 120 colour illustrations, 90 b/w illustrations

Book Jacket: a colour jpeg of the book jacket is available via email upon request.