Women From the Ankle Down: The Story of Shoes and How They Define Us
Rachelle Bergstein brings readers along on a unique and delightful romp through the history of shoes, the women who wear them, and the profound impact they have on our lives.
Women from the Ankle Down includes interviews and cameos with influential figures ranging from Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava to Oscar Award–winning costume designer Patrizia van Brandenstein, from Doc Martens historian Martin Roach to Fashion Institute of Technology museum director Valerie Steele; from Marilyn Monroe and Jane Fonda to Salvador Ferragamo and Christian Dior; from Judy Garland to Wonder Woman.
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REVIEWS
“A fleet-footed social history.”
— Liesl Schillinger, New York Times
“Every woman who loves her shoes should read this bookhellevery man who loves women’s shoes should read this book….Informative, interesting, and just plain fun.”
– New York Journal of Books
“A lively look at the history of stilettos, sneakers and sundry other leather- and rubber-soled objects of swoon.”
– Olivia Barker, USA Today
“If style defines the woman, and shoes a woman’s style, then ooh la la, here’s the definitive history and guide—everything from Chinese bound feet to Ferragamo, from Hollywood favorites to running up one’s credit card on the sine qua non of fashion.”
– Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don't Get Fat
“If you could glimpse the passing parade of the last hundred years or so from behind a slightly raised curtain, you’d have a pretty good idea of what’s going on in this richly anecdotal history of shoes.”