In Paris, the Museum of Decorative Arts (Musée des Arts Décoratifs) from November 7 to February 23 hosts an exhibition entitled "Marche et démarche, une histoire de la chaussure", which introduces the history of shoes.
The curators of the exhibition asked about the place of shoes in our culture, as an important accessory in people's daily lives, and showed how shoes were built into various styles from the Middle Ages to the present day, both in Western and non-European cultures.
The exhibition features about 500 objects, including not only shoes, but also paintings, art objects, photographs, advertising posters from public and private collections. The theme of the exhibition arose after studying a collection of shoes belonging to the French queen Marie Antoinette in 1792. Her shoe size was 21 cm long and 5 cm wide.
It seems unbelievable how such a tiny boot could fit the foot of an 37-year-old woman. Studies have shown that the aristocrats of the 18 and the representatives of the bourgeoisie of the 19 centuries walked very little, so their shoes were not so much for walking as for impressing.
The exhibition also tells about what residents of different continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and America go to today in different periods of their lives - from childhood to old age. It presents the most diverse forms of shoes.
The cult of small feet in China and cramped feet in France of the 16 and 17 centuries is revealed with the help of photographs, stucco decorations, caricatures and shoes.
Visitors are also given the opportunity to try on one of the extraordinary shoe models recreated by shoe maker Fred Rollan.
In Paris, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, an exhibition is being held from November 7 to February 23, entitled “Marche et démarche, une histoire ...