Text g Shoes

The factors that determine the construction and design of a shoe are the wooden last upon which it is created, the heel and toe shape, the leather, skin and fabric that form the outer shell, and decorative details such as buckles. Good shoes and boots for men are still made primarily of leather, with styles defined by a series of design elements that vary only in detail. Much of women's footwear is also bound by tradition. Many post-war Styles, such as brogues, mules, court shoes, and short elastic-sided and full-length boots have been based on designs with historical precedents. Comfort is of paramount impor­tance to British wearers, who have rarely subscribed to the philosophy that it is neces­sary to suffer to be beautiful; occasionally in town, but never in the country.

The evolution of fashion footwear since the Second World War has been a gradual process. Heavy wartime shoes with thick or high wedge heels were not transformed overnight into the light, poised shoes that characterize 1950s fashions. The late 1940s saw shoes of soft suede and leather with snub toes and high heels, a dramatic- contrast to I he-stout Styles characteristic of most Utility designs. The brown leather and suede lace up shoes with the Utility mark are an example of this transitional shoe silhouette.

Released from Utility constraints in the early 1950s, shoemakers started to refine heels, cut away high vamps, streamline heavily rounded curves and pare clown toes to fine points in a quest for modern, streamlined shapes. As toes became increasingly pointed, fronts were cut lower to look less bulbous and heels were shaved more and more finely. Many women could now indulge in sophisticated and glamorous footwear, espe­cially for evening. By 1956 heels were so thin that a metal spigot had to be inserted to stop them snapping. Holmes of Norwich placed advertisements in Vogue between 1950 and 1959 that variously described shoes as 'slim as a wand', 'light as a wisp of smoke' and 'the sharpest of toe points on a reed slim heel'. At its most extreme this style evolved into stiletto-heels, an exaggerated fashion statement that many regarded as impractical and rather vulgar.

One of the leading designers and retailers of post-war high-fashion footwear was Edward Rayne. The Rayne company was founded in 1886 but it was not until 1918, when Edward's father look over, that it started to become fashion-conscious. When Edward took the helm in 1951 at the age of twenty-eight, the firm was still little known outside Bond Street, but soon the flowering of his special creative talent led Edward Rayne to become the most acclaimed shoemaker in Britain, patronized by royalty and high soci­ety.

Text h Boots

Boots were one of the major fashion footwear .statements of the 1960s, first worn with mini-skirts and then towards the middle of the decade with maxi-skirts. They remain a favourite today. Sold by shoe shops and fashion boutiques, boots became available in a dazzling array of synthetic and natural materials and in many colours. The knee-length tightly fitting boots sold at Biba were so coveted that girls knew when the delivery van was clue to arrive and would queue for hours to be sure of acquiring a pair. Made from fabric as well as leather and suede, these boots were dyed in the same mouthwatering, muted hues of plum, claret, chocolate brown and bottle green as the distinctive Biba clothes.

As early as 1967 shoe designers started to revive 1940s plat form styles. By 1971-72 platform soles had been elevated to between two and three inches high, although in a streetstyle context they readied staggering heights. Some designers exploited the vogue for platforms with a modernist vision, while others sought romantic refuge in retro styles. Barbara Hulanicki, owner and designer of Biba, looked back to shoes worn by the Hollywood Mini stars Betty Garable and Carmen Miranda, which she re-interpreted in a contemporary idiom. Disco and futuristic fantasy fuelled the extrovert platform designs of Terry de Havilland, who exploited metallic leathers and sparkling synthetic materials. His shoes were designed to accompany glamorous clothes by designers such as Antony Price. Perhaps ironically, the bell-bottomed trousers worn by fashion purists were so long that they concealed these extravagant shoes. An alternative, more understated option was wedge heels, which were often featured in magazines like Vogue to complete outfits by Bill Gibb, jean Muir and Zandra Rhodes.

In 1971 Manolo Blahnik opened his Chelsea shop and for over twenty-five years has made highly seductive shoes for an international clientele. Renowned for his use of the most supple leathers, luxurious silks and laces, with exquisite decorative beadwork, embroidery, ornate buckles and clasps, Manolo Blahnik's shoes have occasionally been provocative, but have always been innovative and highly influential. In addition to his own collection, he designs for top international fashion houses.