Liz de Havilland in "Leyla" by Terry de Havilland

"There's a sad story behind the naming of these shoes. There was a lovely little gothic girl who used to buy the big clumpy boots from us when we were based in the Stables Market. She suddenly started to buy this particular style of stiletto heeled platform mule and ordered several pairs in different colours and fabrics. When we asked her sister why she was buying so many of them we were told that she had been diagnosed with incurable cancer - we called this style Leyla in her honour".
This particular pair are one-offs made for Liz for a Hallowe'en do, hence the spider-web detailing and the crystal crosses were meant to ward off vampires!!!

Liz de Havilland in "Electra" by Terry de Havilland.

Terry made these particular shoes for Liz as her "one week" wedding anniversary present because he was too busy to make her any wedding shoes when they got married! They are made out of suede and python.

Georgina Goodman in Georgina Goodman

These are George's first pair of shoes that she made for herself. They are really worn and loved out, they've been through rain storms, clipped along snowy streets, and Ioved for the way they turn up at the end like a pair of jester shoes.

George has totally ignored the advice she gives her customers of shoe care and
has just had loads of fun in them...whatever the weather!

Ashlee Moratorio 'My Vixen shoes'
by Manolo Blahnik

In case you're wondering...worn with head to toe black and a dash of red lipstick, very 'femme fatale'. These were one of Ashlee's first pairs of Manolo's (and she has lots) "On their first outing they immediately commanded attention. Within an hour of wearing them I had a man drooling over the shoes. As he asked me to join him for coffee, all the time staring at the shoes, he said, "So, do you always wear shoes like that?"

Kate Blythe
"Hortensia"
Who wouldn't follow these home
by Manolo Blahnik

Caroline
"Hortensia"
Red Alligator Stilettos
by Hermes

 

Libby
Bought because they are so f**k-off sexy!
Second hand from Portobello Market. Sadly they are falling to bits from over use.
by Charles Jourdan, late 1970s

 

 

 Alison
"Worn to my daughter Kate's wedding"
by Plein Sud

Found in St.Tropez, hoping they would match her wedding outfit at home - they did-perfectly! They're high and sexy and her feet are practically naked.

Jodi
"While I would love to say these are Blahnik's Daaarling, they aren't!

These saucy numbers were bought from a second hand shop in Covent Garden and I love them cos when I put them on they make my boobs feel bigger!"

Tanya
by Patrick Cox

"So groovy and comfortable"

Alison
by Chanel

Bought by daughter Kate for her mum...or should I say practically snatched from the hands of the editor of Vogue at a sample sale!
Alison has only worn these shoes out once - to make this portrait, to her they are a work of art, she is saving a public outing for a special event in the future, you might see her in them here...

Juliet
Pink ballet pumps
by Nine west

"Thinking ballet, thinking dance, thinking mood.....in the pink"

Kate
"Tatianna, red silk satin thronged sandal with alabaster crystal diamante"
by Gina

A gift on their wedding day from her husband to Kate.

 Jess
her "party-girl-dancing-shoes"
by Paul smith

Marloes
"No heels"
Materials: Cast polyurethane resin.

The material, polyurethane resin, is used to make a shoe without any traces of hand making, moreover the heel has been taken off, so it will look even less like existing shoes.

 Marie-Christine

"A little song about my shoes, inspired by Malia, from her song "purple shoes"

Arrived in London in my Free-Lance shoes
The 3 colours ones, they weren't hard to choose
I was feeling wild I had no blues
I was grooving to the sound of my heartbeat, yeah

I always wear my Free-Lance shoes
So good to wear my 3 colour shoes"

Annie
"My studio shoes"

(they used to have "Get Stuffed" written on them)

Bernie
Called "My running shoes"
by Miu Miu

The thick rubber soles make a comfortable dash for the Routemaster - which Bernie does a lot - she is frequently a little behind her schedule! (Best seen accompanying her white gloves used for hailing cabs)

Kati
Citrus dayglo slingback stilettos
...her right foot swinging in time to her
fabulous line in conversation.		 Vickie
"I got married in these shoes"
crystal flower shoes designed by Collette Dinnigan

"After trying on millions of pairs of wedding shoes I finally settled on
this exquisite pair of silk shoes with swarvoski crystal flowers,
They were a dream to wear all day and I danced into the night..."

 Shona
''Shoes specifically bought to make love to in"
by Ferragamo.

Marloes
'Red-mâché'
Materials; laser cut stainless steel, leather

"In order to design and make comfortable shoes that have a different
silhouette form than the form of a foot, I invented a leather-mâché
technique. This technique made it possible to vary the thickness of the shoe
at certain parts. In this shoe the leather-mâché technique is used with big
sheets of leather, to make the form of the shoe very abstract. All the
details like the toe and the heel come from the way of constructing this
shoe. The heel for example is just another (reinforced) sheet of leather."
I am interested in creating new shoe typologies for people with new fantasies and
new definitions of beauty. In order to create these, to move forward in shoe design,
I am introducing new shoemaking techniques and materials."

Vero
"My fantasy feather and pearl shoes"
created by Veronique Economou

When nobody dreams up or satisfies your fantasy, make the fantasy real for yourself.

Grechen
Absolutely her favourite pair of shoes
by Arche

Grechen is a very busy, charming and sassy lady,
her choice in shoes reflect her personality and outlook.
There is journalist Ashlee Moratorio in her favourite Manolos, the architect Shona Kitchen in sexy Ferragamo heels and Elle magazine's Kate Blythe also in Manolos.

For those of you interested in a catalogue of the exhibition there is an A1 Catalogue poster available.

Pick one up for £3.

7 of the paintings are still available for purchase, if you would like to see which ones click here.

Make sure you also check out My New Shoes showing Kelly wearing her favourite shoes.

Photography by Mehdi Teimory

Go back here.

Soles Exposed

See the Reviews

A show featuring paintings of 21 women in their favourite shoes, by artist and designer Kelly Sant held at the Adam Street Gallery, London in January 2005.

Kelly has painted the feet of some of the leading lights of the design and fashion worlds, each clad in their favourite shoes. From design curators, to stylists, to the muse of a '70s shoe designer, each has chosen the shoes that they feel best sum them up.

Essentially these are portraits of feet, some defiant, some coy, some strident, some sexual: each painting richly conveys the essence and personality of their owner.

Yet each portrait ends at calf level, tantalising the viewer with suggestions of what is not revealed.

The series includes Liz de Havilland, wife and muse of Terry de Havilland, shoe designer Georgina Goodman modelling the first shoes she ever made for herself - a pair of handstiched leather slingbacks.