Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, V&A

Below is our preview giving background information to the show 

New exhibition at the V&A

The V&A is embarking on a bumper schedule this year. The much anticipated McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition will be followed by Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, a fashion exhibition which will celebrate the greatest footwear from around the world. The exhibition will present 200 pairs of shoes, ranging from sandals from Ancient Egypt to the best of contemporary fashion.

The exhibition will consider the cultural significance and transformative capacity of shoes and will examine the latest developments in footwear technology creating the possibility of ever higher heels and dramatic shapes. Examples from famous shoe wearers and collectors will be shown alongside a dazzling range of historic shoes, many of which have not been displayed before.

This forthcoming exhibition will promote shoes as sculpture, uncovering the craft and celebrating the ingenuity that goes into adorning one's foot. Given that we are currently in the midst of a footwear revolution, in which trainers are king, this exhibition will be especially relevant.