Picture: Alex Lentati
The agony and the ecstasy of fabulous footwear as worn by Kylie Minogue, the Duchess of Cambridge and the ancient Egyptians is explored in an exhibition opening this week.
More than 250 pairs of shoes are included in the show at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It investigates footwear as a symbol of status and empowerment.
Kylie has lent some Prada heels inspired by Fifties cars while a private collector has provided a pair of Marilyn Monroe's shoes, which dispel the myth she had one heel shorter than the other to accentuate her bottom wiggle. The show also includes a pair of the LK Bennett courts made famous by the Duchess of Cambridge.
Shoes: Pleasure and Pain at the V&A
Curator Helen Persson said her starting point was: "Why are we so obsessed with shoes and why do they hold such power over us?" She added: "We've got rid of corsets, everything that is impractical, painful or stupid, but we don't have practical shoes."
Art from Greece and Rome shows that some people had always worn footwear that had nothing to do with functionality, she said, explaining: "We don't seem to have changed in our relationship to shoes. There's a sculpture from ancient Greece dated about 1st century BC with a woman in sandals which are extremely high."
Historical examples on show include shoes made for bound feet in China and ancient Egyptian sandals decorated in gold leaf.
Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, sponsored by Clarks, opens on Saturday and runs until January 31 next year, admission £12.
