Publisher's Weekly Review
The evolution of women's shoes since WWII becomes the story of women's self-empowerment in this engaging, toe-to-heel study by editorial consultant Bergstein. Aside from some fluffy conclusions about shoes offering women the requisite "incomparable opportunity for self-expression," Bergstein takes some iconic styles over the decades, such as Salvatore Ferragamo's cork-soled wartime wedgie, and provides minibios and fascinating informational tidbits: e.g., Ferragamo's 1938 sandal ingeniously employed material readily available on the eve of war, such as foil and cork, combined with a style dating back to ancient Greece, to create a shoe that was wonderfully comfortable and modern-feeling for new women on the go. Shoes can help women achieve their dreams, or so Dorothy Gale via Judy Garland learned in The Wizard of Oz by clicking thrice her bowed ruby slippers (changed from silver in the book), while Wonder Woman, first appearing in her own comic book in 1942, wore high-heeled red boots designed to be assertive yet still feminine. Or shoes seduce, like Barbara Stanwyck's pom-pom satin pumps in Double Indemnity. From flats a la Audrey Hepburn, Keds and white go-go boots, Tommy-era platforms, and Jane Fonda's Rebok Freestyles, to Sex and the City's pricey Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choo's, Bergstein ably runs the gamut of styles over the decades, high and low, and women's eager embrace of "personal agency." (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
An illuminating study of the history of women's shoes in the 20th century. In her debut, Bergstein examines the fascinating and surprisingly complex relationship between women and their shoes--"the average woman owns upward of ten, twenty, fifty pairs of shoes, some of which have very little practical use and languish in the back of the closet until just the right occasion arises." Bergstein traces the origins of this modern-day mania to Salvatore Ferragamo, who, by the 1930s, had "put Italy on the footwear map" by becoming shoemaker to Hollywood stars like Carmen Miranda and Lana Turner. Ordinary women who were used to more mundane styles suddenly became aware of the allure and erotic potential of a pair of beautiful, well-crafted shoes. After the privations of World War II, the fashion industry emphasized abundance through a greater diversity of styles, including stilettos, which "were meant to be decadent, not useful." As haute couture fell out of favor in the '60s, popular designers like Mary Quant made the footwear-buying public aware of new possibilities that included shoes and boots made of disposable materials like Corfam and vinyl. "[F]antasy and self indulgence" became the watchwords of the '70s, when women and men took to the streets and discotheques in gender-bending platform shoes. The gains that feminism made for women during this decade eventually translated into a desire for high-end footwear by such contemporary designers as Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin. Bergstein concludes by suggesting that greater social and economic mobility among women has ultimately created "the age of great variety, when shoes are as diverse as the women who wear them." Like Dorothy's ruby red slippers, modern shoes are a way for women to express their hopes and dreams, but without "question, fear or apology." Wickedly provocative.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
If an author's claim to fame rests on a long-term relationship with shoes, plus a full-time gig as an editorial consultant, then this author's first book hits the mark for reader appeal. Her history of shoes, laced with celebrity sightings, is an engaging narrative. She zeros in on brand names, launching her discussion with Salvatore Ferragamo's beginnings, in Bonito, Italy, and tracking through fads and fashions, ranging from Dorothy's ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz to a current court case about the patentability of red soles. It's 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. The ruby slippers are seen as a visual metaphor for the character's needed strength from within, while gamine Audrey Hepburn's flats in Funny Face symbolize the hip-beatnik, youth-oriented culture of the film. Jane Fonda's aerobics wear, Travolta's boots in Saturday Night Fever, and even the different-colored laces on a pair of Doc Martens can reveal the deeper meanings we bestow on our shoes.--Jacobs, Barbara Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
In her first book, Bergstein takes readers on an entertaining journey through the social history of shoes and the people who have worn them from the early 1900s to the present. From Salvatore Ferragamo, who opened his first Hollywood shoe shop in 1914, to Manolo Blahnik, from Cecil B. DeMille to Marilyn Monroe and on to Sarah Jessica Parker, Bergstein brings to life famous designers, politicians, and glamorous movie stars and their footwear. In this well-written and well-referenced account, readers will discover how economics, war, and the collective mood of society affected the design of women's and also men's shoes. While other recent shoe books (e.g., Jonathan Walford's The Seductive Shoe: Four Centuries of Fashion Footwear) are more comprehensive and full of photos, this book stands out for its discussion of several favorites, including the ruby slippers from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. VERDICT Although readers coming at this strictly for shoe history will bemoan the absence of pictures (there are only a few black-and-white illustrations and no glossy color photos), they are sure to enjoy this book, recommended to all fashion followers as well as those who enjoy the ankle-down approach to studying our high-end material culture.-Holly Hebert, Brentwood Lib., TN (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
