V&A to deliver the low-down on shoe addiction in summer 2015 show Shoes: Pleasure and Pain
This article originally appeared on Culture24.
From parakeet creations to sandals recovered from the depths of an Ancient Egyptian tomb, the V&A's summer show reveals how people have been taking the pain for centuriesClick on the picture to launch
Evening shoe, beaded silk and leather, France, 1958-60. Roger Vivier (1907–98) for Christian Dior (1905–1957). © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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a photo of a pair of pink shoes with high heels
One sandal, gilded and incised leather and papyrus, Egypt c30 BCE- 300CE © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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a photo of an old leather sandal with decorated insole and built up sole
‘Parakeet’ shoes. Caroline Groves (b.1959) © Photography by Dan Lowe
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a pair of blue high heeled shoes with blue parakeet feathers on the heels
Red ballet shoes made for Victoria Page (Moira Shearer) in The Red Shoes (1948), silk satin, braid and leather, England 1948 Freed of London (founded in 1929) © Photograph reproduced with the kind permission of Northampton Museums and Art Gallery
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a photo of a pair of red ballet shoes
RiRi, Spring Summer 2013, Sophia Webster © Image Courtesty of United Nude
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a photo of a colourful pair of leather high heels with beaded heels
Wedding toe-knob paduka, silver and gold over wood, India 1800s
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a pair of whit black and gold shoes with platform soles
Chopines, Punched kid leather over carved pine, Venice, Italy. c 1600s © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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a photo of two lace slippers with improbably impractical concave heels
InvisibleNakedVersion 2011, Andreia Chaves © Photo by Andrew Bradley
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a photo of a high heeled shoes contained within a metal-like mesh
Mens’ shoes, gilded and marbled leather, Northamptonshire, England, 1925 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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a photo of a pair of flat toed Gibson styled shoe with blue marbled decoration and Ancient Egyptian styled gold scroll work
High & Mighty shoot, American Vogue, February 1995, (model: Nadja Auermann) Dolce & Gabbana suit, Summer 1995 © Estate of Helmut Newton / Maconochie Photography
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a photo of two men in dark suits and glasses assisting a blonde model with long legs, black dress, high heels and crutches up a set of steep concrete steps against a brilliant blue sky
NOVA, Zaha Hadid for United Nude © Image Courtesty of United Nude
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a photo of a black shoe made of interlocking spheres
More than 200 pairs of historic and contemporary shoes from around the world will be on display, many for the first time. And as well as exploring the pleasure and the pain of donning these exotic creations the exhibition explores the euphoria and obsession shoes can inspire.
Shoes worn by or associated with high-profile figures make an appearance including those worn by Marilyn Monroe, Queen Victoria, Sarah Jessica Parker and the Hon Daphne Guinness together with famous shoes such as the ballet slippers designed for Moira Shearer in the 1948 film, The Red Shoes.
Among the 70 named designers is the inevitable roll call of Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Prada. Their shoes will be displayed in a exhibition that travels from historic lotus shoes and silk mules with vertiginous platforms - designed to lift skirts above the muddy streets of Tudor England - to the world of contemporary shoe collecting.
- Shoes: Pleasure and Pain is at the V&A from June 13 2015 – January 31 2016. Visit vam.ac.uk/shoes for more and use the hashtag #vamShoes on Twitter.
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