Elizabeth Semmelhack – författare

Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture showcases breakthrough sneaker's from the mid-nineteenth century for sports performance to present day cultural icon. Drawn from collections including Adidas, Nike, Reebok, PUMA, and Converse archives, as well as private collectors such as those of hip-hop legend Run DMC, sneaker guru Bobbito Garcia, and Dee Wells of Obsessive Sneaker Disorder. This selection is richly contextualized with interviews and essays by design innovators, sneaker collectors, and cultural historians, creating a backdrop of the technical innovation, fashion trends, social history, and marketing campaigns that shaped the form over the past two centuries. Out of the Box includes iconic sneakers ranging from an 1860 spiked running shoe, the replica track shoes worn by Olympian Jesse Owens in Converse in 1936, the Air Jordan series, and the original Air Force 1 and early Adidas Superstars to contemporary examples designed by such prominent figures as Damien Hirst, Christian Louboutin, and Kanye West, making this the definitive illustrated history of sneaker culture

A celebration of the great sneaker collaborations that have reimagined the shoe, elevating this most practical of footwear into the realm of wearable art.The ubiquitous sneaker is the canvas upon which so many defiers of convention--artists, musicians, athletes, and celebrities--have sought to make their mark and through the sneaker contribute to a unique identity and attitude among sneakerheads everywhere. Collected here are the best sneaker collaborations with the biggest makers--Adidas, Converse, Nike, Puma, Reebok--featuring nearly one hundred famous, infamous, and lesser-known partnerships.Museum-quality studio photographs of each sneaker are accompanied by visuals collected from the archives of sneaker makers, as well as ephemera such as design sketches and drawings illustrating the creative process. Author Elizabeth Semmelhack has conducted interviews with many collaborators, including an extensive Q&A with Chris Hill, design manager of Reebok, who has worked with Pyer Moss, Cam'ron, and many others.In her introduction, Semmelhack explores the history of collaborations, starting at the beginning with Jack Purcell, whose sneakers remain virtually unchanged today. More than eighty sneaker collaborations are featured, including Virgil Abloh (ten styles!), KAWS, Pharrell Williams, Bobbito Garcia, Damien Hirst, Jeremy Scott, Eminem, Supreme, Chanel, Missoni, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, Dr. Woo, and Fear of God.

Shoe design is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in both the real and virtual worlds through state-of-the-art technologies, ground-breaking materials, and new and innovative ways of thinking about what a shoe can be.New modes of making and innovations in materials are inspiring shoe designers to challenge what shoes can look and feel like. This book explores today’s most futuristic footwear designs, from the use of new technologies such as 3-D printing and smart technology to the invention of sustainable materials, including “leather” made from mushrooms and soles made from reclaimed ocean plastics. It also examines footwear design in the virtual world where adherence to things like comfort and gravity are no longer part of the equation. The importance of sneakers in games such as Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite are explored as is the new enthusiasm for collectable non-fungible token (NFT) sneakers that are being acquired for tens of thousands of dollars for a single pair.  In-depth interviews with of-the-moment designers, including Iris van Herpen, the team at RTFKT, Steven Smith, Eric Avar, Alexander Taylor, and more, all conducted by the author, dive deep into the creative process, influences, and the future of shoe design. The introduction offers an overview of great footwear innovations from the past that have kept us a step ahead.

A definitive history that tracks cowboy boots from cattle trails to contemporary rodeo, revealing an American icon whose craftsmanship continues to shape national identity.From cowboy boots’ humble origins to their elevation as cultural icons, this far-ranging volume chronicles how their distinctive designs and makers have shaped and been shaped by American culture.Engaging narratives, insightful interviews, and vibrant images showcase the evolution through five transformative eras: “Real” explores multicultural origins and the authentic cowboys who wore them; “Rodeo” examines Western mythmaking through Wild West shows, early film, and dude ranches; “Rhinestone” delves into country western music, Nudie Cohn’s designs, and the shifting archetypes from Gene Autry’s moral code to John Wayne’s tougher persona; “Red” investigates the boots’ emergence as luxury commodities during the Reagan years and Urban Cowboy phenomenon; and “Reclaimed” presents contemporary reinterpretations from the Western-inspired fashion of Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams to modern bootmakers.Complementing the authoritative foundation are thoughtful interviews that enrich the historical analysis: an Indigenous voice essay provides cultural perspective, Nudie Cohn’s origin story offers industry context, and conversations with both traditional craftsmen and innovative makers demonstrate how the cowboy boot continues to evolve while honoring its heritage.

We all make choices every day about which shoes to wear, but why do we choose the shoes we do? Shoes: The Meaning of Style explores the history of shoes and how different types of footwear have come to mean different things about the people who wear them. Organized around four main types – boots, sneakers, high heels and sandals – this book explains their origins, the impact of technology on how shoes are produced and worn, their designs and how they have come to have social meaning far beyond their use to protect the foot. Along the way Elizabeth Semmelhack reveals the anecdotes and scandals, successes and failures, dislikes and obsessions of the makers, wearers and observers who helped to create the movements and fashions of footwear.Beautifully illustrated throughout, Shoes is a thoroughly surprising history of an everyday item. It will appeal not only to followers of fashion, but to those interested in social history and identity.