Shoes!

Beth Levine Shoes -- If you love shoes—and who doesn't?—you know that nothing says as much about a woman’s style as her taste in footwear. Long before Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin, Beth Levine was designing shoes that were objects of desire and even lust.

Levine, who introduced mules, stilettos, and fashion boots to the American market, was a visionary. Born a farmgirl, she took her design inspiration from nature—and everything else: auto racing, patchwork quilts, even the 1969 moon landing. Fashion-forward and exquisitely constructed, Levine’s shoes were worn by stars like Marilyn Monroe and Barbra Streisand, favored by designers like Halston, Oscar de la Renta, and Geoffrey Beene, and collected by Azzedine Alaïa and Manolo Blahnik.

This book’s full-color photos of Levine’s creations—from vinyl cowboy boots to sublime black silk pumps—display her shoes as touchstones of glamour and, ultimately, works of art.

About the author: Helene Verin is a designer of shoes, wallpaper, rugs, pillows, and tiles, and her work has appeared in countless books and publications. Verin is an adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where she lives, and is a recognized expert on Beth Levine.