(part I, part II, part III, part IV) Element I - obsession with purity We have already reviewed the lotus as a symbol of purity and the fact that maimed three inch feet were called “lotus hooks.” We have also seen how physical immobility and resulting confinement guaranteed women’s sexual and even mental fidelity. Element…
The question of why the boot, rather than the string tie or rattlesnake hatband, should be making it big in fashion these days opens up yet another dimension of boot stylishness. There are any number of typical cowboy duds, but only boots are “in.” Why? In a word, because they’re macho. Without getting too clinical, it’s easy to see that a long-toed, high-heeled, form-fitting boot has a lot more going for it than a pair of loafers. According to William A. Rossi, author of
The Sex Life of the Foot and Shoe (Saturday Review Press/Dutton), boots are more than just sexy, they’re a little psycho, and anybody who’s wearing a pair of them might consider seeing a shrink. Rossi outlines five categories of men’s shoes: the sensuous shoe (usually European, lightweight, made of soft supple leathers with thin, close-edged soles); the peacock shoe (platforms, high heels, bump toes, and “a touch of rococo”); the masculine shoe (wingtips, loafers, and (!) the white shoe