Virtually shoes

Shoes occupy an unusual space in our minds. They’re functional items, without which the soles of our feet would surely be as thick as rubber tyres, and probably as resilient. But their function is not purely protective: it’s also aesthetic. We adorn our feet with shoes that are as attractive as we can afford. In many cases (so many cases) the beauty of shoes is very much in the eye of the beholder. Their functionality, however, does not end there, with many artists finding inspiration in footwear. Inventors and visionaries have also found their muse in the humble shoe.

If you’re looking for examples of the myriad ways in which mankind puts shoes to use, a visit to the online Virtual Shoe Museum will more than satisfy your curiosity. It may, in fact, provide you with a host of new questions, such as why anyone would consider making a shoe out of beef so thinly sliced you could spit through it.

The site contains a navigation panel on the left that allows you to view the virtual collection from a variety of perspectives. You can choose from colour, shoe type, material, special use, designer and style.

The colour spectrum that you can choose from includes rather more than the basic red, blue, yellow, black and brown. You can choose to view shoes that are magenta, sienna, turquoise, and orchid in colour, not to mention apple, aqua and sand.

Materials include beads, brass, glass, feathers, lace and edible. The beef shoe is classified under edible material, as well a shoe made of cheese, and one that consists of garlic cloves and a crucifix shaped heel. The base of the heel is extra pointy so that it doubles as a stake. The shoe is called the Mina Harker (those who know their Dracula lore will understand the significance of that) and would make Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, proud.

The special use category has sections for birth, death, props, dance and furniture, where you can see shoes balancing table tops, and serving as stereo speakers and chairs.

There are also frighteningly realistic animal-style shoes, such as a pair of moles that are too hideous to bear description. Far easier on the eye, though lacking true practical value, are the Cleopatra shoes, which are fanned with peacock feathers.

Whether you favour laces, zips, buckles or jewellery, like the extreme or experimental, or prefer the minimalist approach, you’re virtually guaranteed to get a kick out of this online museum.

Highly recommended site:

http://www.virtualshoemuseum.com/vsm/r.php?col=style&sub=minimal

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Phineas Products quality shoe hanger manufacturers one of the leading manufacturers of shoe hangers and shoe related products in the UK.