Shoe Innovations: A Visual Celebration of 60 Styles

by Caroline Cox

An illustrated survey of the most iconic shoe designs from the Edwardian Period to today. Shoe Innovations is an enthralling survey of 60 of the most iconic shoe styles of the 20th and 21st centuries, from the Edwardian Louis heel, through the 1940s wedge, to the extreme architectural designs of Pierre Hardy for Balenciaga. It showcases a wide range of the most revered designers and their most sought-after creations. Fashion expert Caroline Cox traces the evolution of high-fashion shoes, placing each benchmark design in its social, historical and cultural contexts and describing the reasons for its popularity (or fall from grace) and in some cases its revival. Along the way, she reviews the pioneering work of key designers and manufacturers, and highlights successful celebrity-brand associations like Kate Moss and Vivienne Westwood, and the stars of Sex and City and Manolo Blahnik. Evocative period photographs of style icons wearing the shoes highlight the informative descriptions. Detail-revealing close-ups and original designer sketches delve deeper into the creative process. For each shoe design, there is also a mini photographic catalog of the style variations available today. Shoe Innovations is an inspirational guide to the history of stylish shoes and a unique catalog of cutting-edge shoe design, proving that shoes are not only a key component of fashion but also an art form in their own right. It is the perfect book for shoe lovers everywhere.

Genres: Fashion

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2012

About the author

Caroline Cox, professor of cultural history at the University of the Arts London, is a leading fashion authority whose work explores the relationship between fashion, beauty, and culture. A lecturer and broadcaster, she is also a cultural trends advisor at Vidal Sassoon.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

In general, a solid overview and very brief history of 60 shoe styles. I've never understood the difference between a brogue, a spectator, and an Oxford, and I'm not sure I would even know now based on how they've each evolved. Using spats as a style of shoe to reach the 60 is stretching it, just a tad! Good photos, interesting layout, and quality binding.

However, there are some issues that keep this from being more than three stars for me.

First, the author mentions many key styles and iconic shoes, but few of these are shown in the photos. Many of the pics are contemporary versions or updates of the style, rather than the iconic designer shoes mentioned.

Second, the typos. Enough said about that.

Third, the text reads as though it was either translated shakily from a different language or simply badly edited. Some information was repetitive, there were virtually no transitions, and much of the information is not supported. A nonfiction book with no footnotes or end notes is troubling to me.

Even with these issues, this is one I'll keep on my shelf as a good shoe book!

[Yinzadi]

Read online here.

[Zhang Stanley]

Had a little more knowledge of shoes.
The author has very nicely arranged the development of the design of shoes.
With every design following and transforming from something that's a few centuries ago.
But really, sneakers is what we've really invented in the last century, so there's every single reason to be a sneakerhead. haha

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty cool book.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book what any shoe lover should have :)

[Elen Ghulam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book to savour.