Walking and gait. A history of footwear.
Museum of Decorative Arts| N° d'inventaire | 22270 |
| Format | 20.5 x 25.5 |
| Détails | 244 p., hardcover with dust jacket. |
| Publication | Paris, 2019 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782916914886 |
From the end of the Middle Ages to the present day, this book offers a journey through the practical and symbolic functions of footwear and ways of walking, in the West and in non-European cultures. We will learn that the small foot, a symbol of nobility and an object of desire, was as appreciated by the French as by the Chinese, that in the 17th century men adopted heeled shoes to demonstrate their power, that in the 18th century the shoes worn by the aristocracy were considered more as ornaments than as walking tools, that in the 19th century comfort was a sign of suspicious slackness in the eyes of high society... Shoes, walking and gait have been transformed in step with the evolution of mentalities, medical progress and technical innovations. From children's shoes to ballet slippers, from the high-platform Spanish chopine to the unwearable shoes of contemporary designers, including seven-league boots and clown shoes, this book shows to what extent pumps, ankle boots and sneakers are essential fashion accessories, which give rhythm to the movement of clothes and contribute to the development of the look.
From the end of the Middle Ages to the present day, this book offers a journey through the practical and symbolic functions of footwear and ways of walking, in the West and in non-European cultures. We will learn that the small foot, a symbol of nobility and an object of desire, was as appreciated by the French as by the Chinese, that in the 17th century men adopted heeled shoes to demonstrate their power, that in the 18th century the shoes worn by the aristocracy were considered more as ornaments than as walking tools, that in the 19th century comfort was a sign of suspicious slackness in the eyes of high society... Shoes, walking and gait have been transformed in step with the evolution of mentalities, medical progress and technical innovations. From children's shoes to ballet slippers, from the high-platform Spanish chopine to the unwearable shoes of contemporary designers, including seven-league boots and clown shoes, this book shows to what extent pumps, ankle boots and sneakers are essential fashion accessories, which give rhythm to the movement of clothes and contribute to the development of the look.