Women from the Ankle Down

"A fleet-footed social history." -- Liesl Schillinger, New York Times "A lively look at the history of stilettos, sneakers and sundry other leather- and rubber-soled objects of swoon." -- Olivia Barker, USA Today "If style defines the woman, and shoes a woman's style, then ooh la la, here's the definitive history and guide-everything from Chinese bound feet to Ferragamo, from Hollywood favorites to running up one's credit card on the sine qua non of fashion." -- Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don't Get Fat "If you could glimpse the passing parade of the last hundred years or so from behind a slightly raised curtain, you'd have a pretty good idea of what's going on in this richly anecdotal history of shoes." -- Amanda Lovell, More Magazine "Every woman who loves her shoes should read this book-hell-every man who loves women's shoes should read this book...Informative, interesting, and just plain fun." -- New York Journal of Books "[Bergstein's] entertaining book wears its research as lightly as a pair of strappy sandals." -- Tricia Springstubb, Cleveland Plain Dealer "Fun." -- Susannah Calahan, New York Post "At last someone has dared to probe one of the most mystifying phenomena in our culture: what's the deal with women and shoes? Rachelle Bergstein starts from the ground up and tells us-with wit and brio-a lot about society from an unusual and original perspective." -- Ron Rosenbaum, author The Shakespeare Wars and How the End Begins:The Road to a Nuclear World War III "As a woman who walks, I've often wondered why I don't wear more sensible shoes. Now I know. Rachelle Bergstein has written a compulsively readable history: it won't keep you from buying an absurdly uncomfortable and expensive pair, but it will make you understand why you're doing it." -- Ruth Reichl, author of Garlic and Sapphires "[An] engaging, toe-to-heel study...From flats a la Audrey Hepburn, Keds and white go-go- boots, Tommy-era platforms, and Jane Fonda's Reebok Freestyles, to Sex and the City's pricey Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choo's, Bergstein ably runs the gamut of styles over the decades..." -- Publishers Weekly "An illuminating study of the history of women's shoes in the 20th century...Wickedly provocative." -- Kirkus "An entertaining journey through the social history of shoes and the people who have worn them...Well-written and well-referenced...Recommended to all fashion followers as well as those who enjoy the ankle-down approach to studying our high-end material culture." -- Holly Hebert, Library Journal "Engaging...A charmingly interwoven story of the past 100 years, detailing a bit of the psychology behind different styles as well as the fame that drives the fates of a variety of soles and heels." -- Booklist