Women from the Ankle Down: The Story of Shoes and How They Define Us
&#8220;A fleet-footed social history.&#8221; (LieslSchillinger,New York Times)&#8220;A lively look at the history of stilettos, sneakers and sundry other leather- and rubber-soled objects of swoon.&#8221; (Olivia Barker,USA Today)&#8220;If style defines the woman, and shoes a woman&#8217;s style, then ooh la la, here&#8217;s the definitive history and guide&#151;everything from Chinese bound feet to Ferragamo, from Hollywood favorites to running up one&#8217;s credit card on the sine qua non of fashion.&#8221; (MireilleGuiliano, author ofFrench Women Don't Get Fat)&#8220;If you could glimpse the passing parade of the last hundred years or so from behind a slightly raised curtain, you&#8217;d have a pretty good idea of what&#8217;s going on in this richly anecdotal history of shoes.&#8221; (AmandaLovell,More Magazine)&#8220;Every woman who loves her shoes should read this book&#151;hell&#151;every man who loves women&#8217;s shoes should read this book&#8230;.Informative, interesting, and just plain fun.&#8221; (New York Journal of Books)&#8220;[Bergstein&#8217;s] entertaining book wears its research as lightly as a pair of strappy sandals.&#8221; (TriciaSpringstubb,Cleveland Plain Dealer)&#8220;Fun.&#8221; (SusannahCalahan,New York Post)&#8220;At last someone has dared to probe one of the most mystifying phenomena in our culture: what&#8217;s the deal with women and shoes? Rachelle Bergstein starts from the ground up and tells us&#151;with wit and brio&#151;a lot about society from an unusual and original perspective.&#8221; (RonRosenbaum, authorThe Shakespeare WarsandHow the End Begins:The Road to a Nuclear World War III)&#8220;As a woman who walks, I&#8217;ve often wondered why I don&#8217;t wear more sensible shoes. Now I know. Rachelle Bergstein has written a compulsively readable history: it won&#8217;t keep you from buying an absurdly uncomfortable and expensive pair, but it will make you understand why you&#8217;re doing it.&#8221; (RuthReichl, author ofGarlic and Sapphires)&#8220;[An] engaging, toe-to-heel study....From flats a la Audrey Hepburn, Keds and white go-go- boots, Tommy-era platforms, and Jane Fonda&#8217;s Reebok Freestyles, to Sex and the City&#8217;s pricey Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choo&#8217;s, Bergstein ably runs the gamut of styles over the decades&#8230;&#8221; (Publishers Weekly)&#8220;An illuminating study of the history of women&#8217;s shoes in the 20th century&#8230;.Wickedly provocative.&#8221; (Kirkus)&#8220;An entertaining journey through the social history of shoes and the people who have worn them....Well-written and well-referenced&#8230;.Recommended to all fashion followers as well as those who enjoy the ankle-down approach to studying our high-end material culture.&#8221; (HollyHebert,Library Journal)&#8220;Engaging&#8230;.A charmingly interwoven story of the past 100 years, detailing a bit of the psychology behind different styles as well as the fame that drives the fates of a variety of soles and heels.&#8221; (Booklist)