PEM Presents, Shoes: Pleasure & Pain

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This November, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) presents, Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, an exhibition that explores the creativity of footwear from around the globe. Featuring more than 300 pairs of shoes ranging from an ancient Egyptian sandal decorated in pure gold leaf to futuristic-looking shoes created on a 3D printer, the exhibition considers the cultural significance and transformative capacity of shoes. Examples from famous shoe collectors and celebrities are shown alongside a dazzling range of historic shoes, many of which have not been displayed before. Organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the exhibition will make its U.S. debut at PEM on November 19.

Exhibition Highlights:

The exhibition features 300 pairs of shoes for men and women by over 130 designers and artists, including Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Prada.

Shoes worn by high profile figures such as David Beckham, Elton John, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Queen Victoria, Kylie Minogue and Daphne Guinness will be on view, as well as the now infamous Vivienne Westwood blue platforms worn by Naomi Campbell during her famous runway fall in 1993.

Extraordinary examples of historic footwear range from lotus shoes made for bound feet and 16th-century chopines to men’s shoes with extremely long toes and noisy slap-sole shoes worn in Europe during the 17th century.

The future of shoe design is also explored, with footwear that pushes the boundaries of possibility, including the form-pressed “Nova” shoes designed by Zaha Hadid with an unsupported 6.2 inch heel and Andreia Chaves’ “Invisible Naked” shoes that fuse a study of optical illusion with 3D printing and high quality leather-making techniques.

Designer sketches, embellishments and shoe lasts, such as those created by H. & M. Rayne for Princess Diana will be on view, alongside shoes by Roger Vivier for Christian Dior.

The Victoria and Albert Museum’s unrivaled collection of shoes is complemented by examples from PEM’s collection, which is the largest in the United States.

Shoes from local collectors will be shown alongside shoes and ensembles from fashion icon Iris Apfel the late Boston style maven Marilyn Riseman. This is the first time that the museum will display examples from Riseman’s collections, which PEM acquired in 2014.

The exhibition is organized by the following themes: Transformation; Status (with sub sections “All Eyes on Me”, “Follow Me,” “ The Way You Move, “High Society”); Seduction; Creation (with subsections Craft & Construction, Explore & Experiment, and Supply & Demand) and Obsession. Contextual film clips and videos complement the thematic presentation.

The PEM Shop will feature over 80 shoes for men and women, representing 20 designers from 15 different countries––from Italy to Germany and Pakistan to Columbia––including several designs commissioned exclusively for the store.

Shoes: Pleasure and Pain will be at the Peabody Essex Museum November 19, 2016 to March 12, 2017.