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Northampton Museums present Shoe of the Month for August
Shoe Collection. At the beginning of the year these trainers with another pair were found abandoned at a petrol station in Long Eaton, Derbyshire. A member of the public handed them in and an appeal went out to find their owner. Police believe the red and white Nike basketball trainers could have been imported from America. After one last try to reunite them with their owner, (though do you know anyone with size 21 feet?) the trainers were due to be destroyed or sold after being in police storage for several months. We read about them in the paper and thought they were be a great addition to our trainer collection. We are delighted that Derbyshire Police donated them to the Shoe Collection.Northampton Museums present Shoe of the Month for July
n exchange of information. Last year we were on a train journey to London and began a conversation with the passenger opposite. We talked about the Museum and the Shoe Collection and her own passion for research. If I recall correctly she was researching the life of a Georgian man in Macclesfield. We said our goodbyes at Euston and got on with our own lives until a year or so later when she made contact with the offer of this pair of shoes as a donation. She purchased them in the spring of 1962 on Streatham High Road, London for a friend’s wedding. The stiletto heeled court shoe was a popular style at that time and they are decorated with inserts of Swiss lace. What is nice is they have their original box.Northampton Museums present Shoe of the Month for June
g of the Second World War a number of crocodile, snake and lizard skin shoes came onto the market, the last stocks of these valuable leathers, which were not suitable for footwear for the Forces. Wartime shortages produced a large number of practical and sensible shoes. Wedge heels made fashionable in the 1930s were seen on many women’s shoes. Wedges were often made of cork or wood to save on leather. Shoe designs at the time were under strict rules. In Britain two inches (5cms) was the maximum heel height allowed. The heels on these shoes are just two inches, but their leather soles slightly increase their height! Peep or open toes also gained popularity, though Vogue in 1939 likened peep toes to going naked! Vogue maintained that footwear for the street should have a certain integrity and that women who have taste should not wear them on the streets, but only for evening or formal afternoon occasions. Needless to say Vogue were over riled and open toed and open heeled shoes became very popular at all times of the day.Northampton Museums present Shoe of the Month for May
MC Yan in partnership with Nike. They created this liner-less Air Max 1 based on Chinese culture and traditional Chinese medicine. The upper is constructed from several different materials including suede, ostrich skin and snakeskin. The transparent plastic on the toe box allows the foot to be seen and not be over shadowed. The insole reveals the meridian map of the lower limb, ending in the bottom pressure point known as Yongquan, located precisely on the bottom of the foot. Chinese medicine considers this pressure point to be the regulatory centre of the body, exchanging Chi with the earth. The outsole depicts Yongquan’s precise location. Chinese martial arts see it as the centre of gravity for the person. Western acupuncture knows it as KI1: the code for it within the discipline. The shoe therefore protects each individual owner and preserves the well being of the Yongquan. Purchased as part of the Sneaker project fund by Heritage Lottery Collecting Cultures.
