What is our fascination with shoes?  Learn more about shoe history.  Why do certain people prefer certain shoes.

What goes into making a shoe? How one becomes a shoe designer? Name the most costly shoes today or ever.

Shoes - More than Just Footwear

There’s just something about shoes … for a product that is required to have certain elements in its design in order to function,
there is an amazing variety of styles and designs available for people to choose.   It seems that shoes have been created
for all occasions, and yet at the same time they have become much more multi-functional than ever before. The right shoes
can not only make or break an outfit, but also can prevent a wide range of health problems and pains.   Take a moment to
consider how vital shoes are not only to your everyday activities but also to the way that you dress and your overall well-being.

Style Meets Functionality

The primary function of shoes is to protect the feet, but it was realized long ago that just because shoes had a function
to serve it didn’t mean that they couldn’t look good as well.   Even in the Middle Ages, nobles and merchants
wore shoes which matched their clothes and were highly decorated.   A number of different styles of shoes
have developed over the years to serve a variety of different purposes, though through it all they still maintain
some sense of fashion as they fill their specific niches.   Shoes can protect the feet from impact, make up for differences in
height, accentuate the curves of the body, or provide traction and support during exercise and sports… but they still
maintain their fashion aspect, regardless of their role.

Shoes and Mainstream Fashion

Shoes have become as much a part of mainstream fashion as the dresses, jackets, and other pieces that
fashion designers make. The shoes that are chosen to go with an outfit can either accentuate the look of the
outfit wonderfully, or they can drag it down.  Designers carefully choose the shoes that they
want to accompany their clothing at fashion shows and in photo shoots, making sure that they can get the
biggest impact out of their designs by considering the total look of the model and not just the clothes item
that they’re trying to sell. Because of this many designers have shoe lines as well as other clothes,  or if they
don’t design shoes themselves then they have preferred shoe manufacturers that they work closely with in
order to get the perfect look out of their models’ footwear.

Modern and Retro Styles

It’s been said that what is old will become new again, and that’s definitely true in the world of designer footwear.
Styles from decades past keep coming back as the inspiration for new product lines, often with new features added
to make the shoes more comfortable and functional while not ruining that perfect retro look.
Of course, many of these shoes are sold right alongside a number of decidedly modern counterparts by the same designer
so that they can offer a wide range of designs to potential customers and making sure that they are at the
front lines of the next major fad in footwear no matter what it might be.

Choosing the Right Shoes

Buying new shoes shouldn’t be an arbitrary decision… after all, wearing shoes that don’t fit right or that aren’t
comfortable can lead to blisters, sprains, and pain in your feet, knees, and hips.
Make your decisions on what shoes you buy based on how well the shoes fit, how they look when you have them on
(instead of just how they look on a shelf or in a picture), and how comfortable they are to walk around in.
Remember that the primary role of the shoe is to keep your feet safe and make walking over rough terrain comfortable,
so there’s no reason to choose a shoe that isn’t comfortable just because you like the way that it looks.

Popular Shoe Designers and how to reach them:

Anne Klein New York
Badgley Mischka 800-796-0903 or 703-838-8583
Boulmiche 310-273-6443
Caparros at select Marshall Field’s
Carlos Santana800-766-6465
Celine 866-600-4121
Charles Jourdan 305-864-0621
Christian Louboutin
Christian Lacroix 404-841-0215
Colin Stuart for Victoria’s Secret 800-888-8200
Coloriffics 888-763-6300
Constanca Basto 800-423-6335
Delman 800-233-6462
Entrata 877-823-1500
Fenaroli 617-350-6556
Givenchy 212-688-4338
Grace  650-588-8677
Guess Footwear 800-394-8377
Heroes by Cesare 212-452-1222
Impo 800-367-4676
Jimmy Choo 866-524-6687
Kate Spade 212-274-1991
Nine West  800-999-1877
Nina 800-233-6462
Oscar de la Renta 212-354-6777
Paul Smith Shoes  323-951-4800 (8221 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles CA 90046)
Richard Tyler Couture 310-274-7867
Special Occasions 718-231-2865
Valentino 212-772-6969
Vanessa Noel 212-906-0054
Walter Steiger 212-826-7171
Yoriko Powell 212-764-3040
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