Medium: Taupe lizard with silk grosgrain

Date: 1955-1959

Country: France

Credit: Gift of Arthur Schwartz

The shoes of the 1950s, such as this pair of pumps designed by Roger Vivier for Christian Dior, were, with their high, slender heels and pointed toes, designed to complement the exaggerated feminine silhouette. Vivier is credited with popularizing the quintessential stiletto heel of the decade, but he was also lauded for his innovative sculptural heels, such as the comma and the talon choc. He was famous for his exquisitely jeweled and embroidered evening shoes, which earned him the moniker "the Fabergé of shoes."

Object Number: 79.169.3