The Joy of Shoes - Photo Gallery - National Geographic Magazine

Current Issue September 2009
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The Joy of Shoes

Baby booties to orthopedic sandals, we spend most of our waking lives in shoes, and from them we may learn something about our culture, our history, and ourselves.

/2006/09/joy-of-shoes/img/1-platform-shoe-chopine-714.jpg /2006/09/joy-of-shoes/img/1-platform-shoe-chopine-60.jpg Photograph by Mitchell Feinberg Shoes: Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]]> /2006/09/joy-of-shoes/img/2-stiletto-heels-475h.jpg /2006/09/joy-of-shoes/img/2-stiletto-heels-60.jpg Photograph by Mitchell Feinberg Shoes: Courtesy Nancy Knox ]]> /2006/09/joy-of-shoes/img/3-track-shoes-prefontaine-475h.jpg /2006/09/joy-of-shoes/img/3-track-shoes-prefontaine-60.jpg Photograph by Mitchell Feinberg /2006/09/joy-of-shoes/img/4-high-heels-fur-714.jpg /2006/09/joy-of-shoes/img/4-high-heels-fur-60.jpg Photograph by Mitchell Feinberg Politically correct or not, there is an irresistible urge to pet this shoe; put it on a leash; take it to bed. It is a Manolo Blahnik high heel, and for more than 30 years, Blahnik has designed shoes that are the accessory to a fairy tale: Shoes made of rhinestones, feathers, sequins, buttons, bows, beads, grommets, rings, chains, ribbons, silk brocade, bits of coral, lace, fur (from farm-raised animals, he adds), alligator, ostrich-everything, perhaps, but woven unicorn forelock. ]]> /2006/09/joy-of-shoes/img/5-lace-up-boots-714.jpg /2006/09/joy-of-shoes/img/5-lace-up-boots-60.jpg Photograph by Mitchell Feinberg Marro learned shoemaking in London and started designing boots for films like Star Wars and pop stars like Christina Aguilera. Now she sells through the House of Harlot in North London, where an accessory is defined as a leather wristband with steel spikes. ]]>