readinglist's review against another edition
It was interesting, but it seemed to focus on shoes for white people (generally Americans). People of color were mentioned once or twice as an aside, and I don't think that fashion trends would have totally aligned. Could be wrong.
sophiecatherine's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
3.5 stars. Liked reading it. It mostly covers the history of American shoes in the 20th century and their relationship with the movie industry.
arfserra's review against another edition
3.0
O livro faz um bom trabalho em associar as mudanças sociais e econômicas nos EUA com a moda, porém poderia não limitar-se apenas às mulheres na sua apresentação (inclusive, um dos capítulos mais interessantes é sobre Tony Manero e a moda Disco).
Além disso, para um livro sobre moda e visual, tem apenas pequenas ilustrações de sapatos no início de cada capítulo. Vi-me usando o celular para pesquisar as referências citadas mais vezes do que gostaria.
A tradução também prejudica a experiência por nem sempre clarificar termos culturais específicos e por algumas vezes fazer traduções equivocadas de expressões idiomáticas.
Além disso, para um livro sobre moda e visual, tem apenas pequenas ilustrações de sapatos no início de cada capítulo. Vi-me usando o celular para pesquisar as referências citadas mais vezes do que gostaria.
A tradução também prejudica a experiência por nem sempre clarificar termos culturais específicos e por algumas vezes fazer traduções equivocadas de expressões idiomáticas.
adrielleshay's review against another edition
2.0
I was hoping for something much more decadent; the cover certainly implies that this book is dessert! The reality is that this chronological collection of the histories of important shoes is constantly veering off course. Worse, there's not a single picture of a single shoe anywhere within the pages.
tonireads's review against another edition
2.0
The title and premise of this book are a little misleading. Or maybe my expectations were a little off. This was really a mini-history of shoes from the 20th century, beginning with the arrival of Salvatore Ferragamo on the scene and in America. Bergstein chooses to tell this story mainly through the tales of some iconic shoes: Dorothy's "ruby" slippers, stilettos (of course), Birkenstocks, Chuck Taylor's, etc.
While I did learn a few things (Ferragamo's history was really interesting), this felt more like a collection of anecdotes, insider tales and Hollywood stories about shoes. And the chapter on 70's shoes and platforms was mainly about men. Certainly not the book I was expecting, but a decent read nonetheless.
While I did learn a few things (Ferragamo's history was really interesting), this felt more like a collection of anecdotes, insider tales and Hollywood stories about shoes. And the chapter on 70's shoes and platforms was mainly about men. Certainly not the book I was expecting, but a decent read nonetheless.
meganmiller's review against another edition
3.0
my goodness.
basically a history textbook of shoes.
too much for a fun read. but i know so many more 'fun facts' that will be so useful....
but don't get me wrong I liked the book.
basically a history textbook of shoes.
too much for a fun read. but i know so many more 'fun facts' that will be so useful....
but don't get me wrong I liked the book.
recktb6397's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book for a dissertation about sneakers. It wasn't too great for that but I know a ton about the history of shoes in connection to the entertainment industry. It was a pretty entertaining read too and anybody interested in the history shoes this is a great book for that.
abookishaffair's review
4.0
"Women from the Ankle Down" is a history of shoes with a focus on the 20th century. While it's mostly about women's shoes, there's some about men's footwear as well. I'm not a shoe person by any means (jewelry and purses are my personal poison) but I think the off-the-beaten-path history is always really fun to read about.
This book isn't purely just a history of shoes. It's an engaging book full of anecdotes and pop culture. I thought it was really cool how Bergstein was able to show how shoes changed with the culture and times in the United States. Admittedly, I think of fashion and current events often being completely separate entities whose only ties are that they happened to be around at the same time. Bergstein shows how fashion and current events really are much more aligned than they seem at first glance.
This book is grouped by chapters, which each focus on a different era of the 20th century. I sometimes felt like the author was trying to squeeze in too many things at once. I really wish that the book would have been a little bit longer so that there could have been some more detail around the things that Bergstein discusses in the book.
Overall, if you have an interest in shoes (or fashion for that matter) and pop-culture, this book is for you.
This book isn't purely just a history of shoes. It's an engaging book full of anecdotes and pop culture. I thought it was really cool how Bergstein was able to show how shoes changed with the culture and times in the United States. Admittedly, I think of fashion and current events often being completely separate entities whose only ties are that they happened to be around at the same time. Bergstein shows how fashion and current events really are much more aligned than they seem at first glance.
This book is grouped by chapters, which each focus on a different era of the 20th century. I sometimes felt like the author was trying to squeeze in too many things at once. I really wish that the book would have been a little bit longer so that there could have been some more detail around the things that Bergstein discusses in the book.
Overall, if you have an interest in shoes (or fashion for that matter) and pop-culture, this book is for you.
karamello's review
3.0
This is a well-written, perfectly enjoyable read, but not really what the title suggests. As another reviewer notes, this book really only covers shoes in America during the 20th century. It also tends to focus on a few major brands and their rise and fall from decade to decade. Worst of all -- no pictures! Not what I was hoping for.
More...