This was an interesting read, but it was quite different than I expected and I didn't feel that Brennan always did the best job connecting her thoughts back to her starting point of high heels and footwear. Worth a read if you like feminist lit (I do), but definitely not any sort of real history of high heels.

From this wildly erratic series comes a stolid, comfortable, supporting kind of read – therefore one totally at odds with its subject. There's an introductory quote from Virginia Woolf about not understanding women, and this cultural study of high heels certainly shows they're a vital cog in the machine of understanding them and what they've been through, no matter the gender of the reader. (Of course, the discourse has to drag in those that try and cross gender, but that's probably par for the course within academe these days.) It pinballs from ancient Chinese precursors to Cinderella's glass slipper, and the foot-binding women in China suffered for centuries, through artists and legends that have some familiarity with the restrictive speed of the high heel wearer, to modern office politics and post-post-feminism. We get their history, their meaning – and of course the debate as to whether they suggest the likelihood of rape. All of that sounds like the summary of a dry, high-falutin' book, but this isn't really one. Yes, it zigzags from topic to topic in a very singular way, but generally this is average-reader-on-the-average-bus friendly, so is worth consideration.

I love books about everyday object like this one. It was engaging and entertaining, a well researched pleasant book.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and Netgalley for this ARC

"A true princess will feel the pea under a pile of mattresses, but not her Jimmy Choos"

This book was interesting, it covered a broad range of subjects, from Sylvia Plath to the Minotaur.
It had some well written one liners and bits of interesting information.
A very fast read

I love this series of books gems about objects we use everyday things like blankets radios and brings them to life. High Heel shoes makes a delicious addition to this series.Love the image in spring young women put aside their flats put on their heels .The discussion of Sylvia Plaths black patent leather shoes, I wonderful addition to this series about objects.#netgalley#bloomsburyacademic #highheels.

As a lover of high heels, I felt this book was a must read for myself. I thought it was well laid-out and written almost as if I were hearing a podcast. history, opinion, and acute observations made this book and enjoyable read. To link Orvid, fairy tales, societal views/norms to 'simple' high heels was fascinating to read. Oddly enough, the book inspired me to wear heels the next day after months of comfy flats. I won't look at heels the same, and I love them just as much.