"This book is a showcase of cutting-edge boots from around the world, designed by the world's greatest footwear designers. The book explores the obsession, the fetish and the fashions associated with this iconic form of footwear. The book kicks off with a historical essay that charts the boot's emergence from a primitive, felt-lined leather hide to a prime fashion artefact. The chapters that follow are contemporary in scope, illustrated by images of edgy, elegant boots described in insightful commentaries. Boot-making fuses cutting-edge contemporary design with time-honoured craftsmanship, requiring a level of attention to comfort and detail quite unlike any other fashion form. In addition, in-depth spreads on today's most important shoe designers, including Louboutin, Marc Jacobs and Manolo Blahnik, featuring photographs and illustrations of their creations, will be scattered throughout the book, giving a greater insight into their inspirations and techniques."--Publisher