The Boot is an elegant 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. From riding boots to knee-high stilettos, from ankle boots to thigh-high lacers, The Boot will speak volumes to style-savvy shoe fashionistas.

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.

Lavishly illustrated and divided into eight accessible sections, the pictures are accompanied by anecdotes and descriptions, including details of materials, craft techniques, heel and toe styles, embroidery, beading and embellishment. Factual, informative and fun to read, The Boot promises to be the first history of boots ever published.

Bradley Quinn is an author, journalist and independent scholar with expertise in fashion, textiles and design. His books include 'Techno Fashion', 'The Fashion of Architecture', 'Chinese Style', 'Scandinavian Style', 'Mid-Century Modern' and 'Textile Designers at the Cutting-Edge'.