Shoes

From very long pointed toes in the Middle Ages to exotic creations of the 1990s, the story of footwear is a lovely and evocative reflection of styles, fashions and moments in history. In Henry VIII's time, for example, exaggerated shapes and wide toes mirrored the aggressive social climate, while engravings of Queen Victoria showed impossibly narrow slippers in pursuit of nineteenth-century ideals of daintiness. Contemporary shoe styles have an instant impact. Naomi Campbell made Vivienne Westwood's 'mock croc' 12-inch platforms infamous when she stumbled on the catwalk (the shoes are now in the V&A collection), while the 1990s love of DMs and trainers challenged long-held stereotypes about elegance and sophistication.
Engravings, paintings and advertisements help to tell the story, and the specially commissioned photography reveals the gorgeous colours and styles in stunning detail.