David, a new assistant at Comics Grinder marched right into the offices of CG. He had a rather sheepish grin on his face. I wasn’t sure what to make of his quick familiarity. Like past friends of CG, he had a treat for us to consider. But he wasn’t going to give it up until he gave me a little grief. “Alright then,” David said, “you have a thing for feet, don’t you?”
I looked at David with a slight shake of the head. We’re doing some remodeling and I didn’t necessarily want the help to overhear. Then again, I have nothing to hide. “Okay, I have made a comment now and again. No big deal, really. That’s what I advocate, a healthy foot fancy. I mean, I like the look of a nicely turned heel. A woman with a pretty pedicure, sure, that’s a lovely thing to behold. You probably agree.”
“Well, I understand. Maybe I like that sort of thing myself. You take it seriously don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. There’s more to it. I think our feet are gateways to our souls. This can get rather involved. Then you bring shoes into the equation, and you’re talking fashion and style…”
“Oh, I know. Tell me about it. Reflexology alone is a subject worthy of detailed study. It has been on more than one occasion that a good foot massage has saved my bacon.”
“Really? How so?”
“It’s a long story that I’ll have to tell you sometime. But we’re digressing terribly. Here, take this book. Enjoy.”
And, with that, David walked over to the lounge to make himself a Moscow Mule. Rather cheeky of him, being all new. However, that seemed fitting considering the book he delivered covers a whole plethora of lovely women’s shoes: pumps, heels, and mules. It’s actually quite a dandy book. It’s definitely dandy, as in “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” as we observe the first example above. This book is “Art & Sole” by Jane Gershon Weitzman. The shoes on display in these pages are not meant to be worn but simply enjoyed as works of art. There’s quite a story behind this.
Jane Weitzman oversaw the look and feel of the first retail store on Madison Avenue for her husband, famed shoe designer Stuart Weitzman. Starting in 1995, Jane Weitzman began a series of window displays for the store that featured shoe art by artists from around the world. It was a wonderful tradition and led to more than a thousand displays that appeared in Stuart Weitzman stores over the years.
This unique book collects some of the best work from those years. It makes for a perfect gift any time of year. Inside, you’ll find a remarkable selection of shoe art. What follows are some examples that caught my eye. There are plenty more to enjoy in this 208-page book.
“Art & Sole” is available now. You can find it here. “Art & Sole” is published by Harper Design, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. You can visit them here.
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You can reach Henry Chamberlain at comicsgrinder@gmail.com
Thanks for a shoe book lead! Guilty pleasures those little feet darlings. 🙂
For sure. Glad you enjoyed the post!