Best known for his trademark use of unique materials, including cork, vinyl, Lucite and wallpaper, and his creation of one-of-a-kind, 'million dollar'shoes for Oscar nominees to wear at the Academy Awards (including the diamond encrusted platinum sandals worn by Laura Harring in 2002), Stuart Weitzman's own private collection of historic shoes, features a similarly eclectic range of styles and materials. An introduction by Weitzman explains why his collection is both a celebration of unusual and elegant detail and construction, and an inspiration in the creation of his own designs. This is followed by an exploration of how 20th century design and culture architecture, popular dances, Hollywood, politics and the emerging feminist movement influenced shoe design and manufacture, wonderfully illustrated with examples from the Weitzman collection and contextual images. Contents: Foreword; Standing for Women / Stand and Conquer: My Collection of Historic Shoes and My Career by Stuart Weitzman; Standing in Heels, Standing on Principle? By Valerie Paley; Fashion, Performance, and Politics: An Introduction to the Stuart Weitzman Collection by Edward Maeder; Sentimental Survivors; Politics and Prosperity from the Ground Up; Popular Dances Focus on Feet; Skyscraper Moderne and Streamlined Designs; Films and Other Images; Conflicts and Mothers of Invention; Postwar America and New Celebrity Shoe Designers; Pop and Popular Styles in the 1960s; The Turn-of-the-Century Stance; Bibliography; Index.