Shoes A-Z: Designers, Brands, Manufacturers and Retailers

by Jonathan Walford

A brilliantly illustrated compendium of shoe designers, brands, manufacturers, and retailers since 1950. “I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes. I had one thousand and sixty.” ―Imelda Marcos

In recent years shoes have become objects of fanatical devotion, as covetable designs have gained iconic status and shoe designers have become heroes of popular culture. From Christian Louboutin’s signature red sole and the Manolo Blahnik heels that helped to define Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw to the eco-friendly footwear of the future, shoes are now a fashion statement all their own.

Is there such a thing as a leading shoe fashion anymore? The silhouettes, colors, and details on the feet of models and in the pages of fashion magazines used to be the ultimate in style, but they no longer represent all fashion footwear any more than haute couture represents all fashionable clothing. Renowned fashion specialist Jonathan Walford recounts the fascinating history of more than 350 leading women’s shoe designers and manufacturers who have shaped modern footwear over the last sixty years. A rich array of sketches, photographs, and advertisements highlight superlative craftsmanship and lasting trends.

Featuring designs by Bally, Beverly Feldman, Camper, Charles Jourdan, Chie Mihara, Christian Louboutin, Ferragamo, Herman Delman, Jimmy Choo, Joan & David, Kenneth Cole, Manolo Blahnik, Maud Frizon, Roger Vivier, Rupert Sanderson, and Sergio Rossi. 350 color and 50 black-and-white photographs and illustrations

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2010

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a book to flip through with two browser tabs open: Google, so you can see the current collection of any designer that catches your eye; and eBay, so you can bid on that designer's last year shoes.

Because OH. Chelsea Cobbler. Egbert Van der Does. Eject. Jan Jansen. Irregular Choice! Tracey Neuls. Nicole Brundage. LUICHINY.

In addition to exposing you to fabulous luxury and art brands that you'd never heard of before, the author has done a terrific job finding vintage ads. I mean, in the first place, shoe ads can be weird. An ad for the Maud Frizon boutique at Bergdorf Goodman has a model's legs coming up out of a bubble bath, wearing $500 purple and black pumps. But also, most of these ads are totally pegged in their time. A glowering Mario Valentino ad could not be more mid-80's if it were accompanied by a Cyndi Lauper soundtrack. A lady wearing a tan and black striped dress is practically sitting in my parents' front hall circa 1972.

Truly one for the fetish file.

[Evanston Public Library]

This book called out to me as I passed it in the stacks. I love shoes. All kinds. Even ones that I couldn't wear in a million years. The book knew that and just called to me. Author Walford, retired shoe designer and owner of a trendy shoe boutique in Soho, shares his vast knowledge of women's footwear history focusing on the evolution of style starting in the 1950s and taking us to the present. He also delves into the business of shoes--the shift in manufacturing from the U.S. to Italy and Spain and then to China, the marketing ploys, the innovations in design.

Barb L.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice listings of shoe brands, designers, and manufacturers. Skimmed a bit into each of the above and enjoyed reading about the companies/brands that may have been acquired or those of yesteryear as well as those around still today. Hoping for a little more about the companies/brands being tied in through being acquired/bought out/expanded/having acquired others, but overall nice to look through in those being referenced and organized within the a-z type glossary/listing type setting where you could always go back or check into the one(s) you may have been looking to read about again or for the first time. Overall really enjoyed reading and looking into ;)

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed but I don't know what I was expecting. Basically, there's usually one sometimes two shoes pictured per designer and a few lines written about each. I would have liked to see a collage of several shoes per designer with more written, but that's a totally different book, isn't it?

[Siobhan O' Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

good coffee table book but not enough pictures, you can never have enough pictures of shoes!!!