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But in this case, it’s the name of a location on the Lower East Side of New York that offers vintage designer shoes both for sale at the Girls Love Shoes boutique and for rental through the Vintage Shoe Archive (they do a lot of business with stylists and costumers).

If you can’t make it to the physical shop (which is organized by color… imagine the delicious walls of rainbowed shoes), they now have an online store, too, which currently has everything from these 1940s lizard pumps (very much in keeping with the Fall 2008 trends with that thick heel and the interesting color/texture combo)

to these fabulous mixed material wedges from the J. Renee Couture Collection in the 1980s.

When she sent the photos our way, I took a trip through Atlas (the searchable online database of the Louvre’s holdings) and identified most of the paintings where Hester’s shoes are to be found. The fruits of my art historical footwear research are here for you all to take in some artistic shoe history. Do click the links, because a lot these shoes and sandals show excellent details when you see the larger image.

Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris on 2 December 1804 by Jacques-Louis David (1808)

The Intervention of the Sabine Women by Jacques-Louis David (1799)

The rest after the cut.

The Love of Paris and Helen by Jacques-Louis David (1788)

Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi by Joseph-Benoît Suvée (1795)

Hector Taking Leave of Andromache by Joseph-Marie Vien (1786)

Tancrède Baptizes Clorinde by Bénigne Gagneraux (1789)

The Death of Du Guesclin by Nicolas-Guy Brenet (1777)

Retaking Paris from the English by Jean-Simon Berthélemy (1787)

Fun trip through French painting of the late 18th/early 19th century, no?

You can join in on the fun if you want. Here are a few more shots with no paintings attached. Can you identify them?

(these remind me of the interchangeable Mohop sandals I’ve talked about before over here)

(remember the sabatons of previous Friday Shoe History Corner fame?)

(that last pair hints that there’s a historical basis even for outlandish shoes like the legwarmer sandals)

First up, the 85,000 square feet of retail space at Barneys New York. I loved the wire framed high heel which greeted me at the main shoe window display.

The fierce lioness growling at anyone who dares to come near her sumptuous feast of luxury shoes. I found it amusing that she was biting a pair of faux cow-hide pumps. All the fun but none of the blood or gore.

This particular mannequin reminds me a bit of the African tribeswomen who might gracefully balance woven baskets on their heads. Only in this case, instead of baskets she’s balancing metallic handbags.

A Jimmy Choo boutique was also present. This particular shop had similar decor to the boutique in the Forum Shoppes of Caesar’s . Business must be good to be able to open two boutiques so close to each other.

But then again, who wouldn’t want to buy these lovely sandals if they could afford them.

There was also a Tory Burch boutique embossed with her signature logo.

But sadly, Christian Louboutin’s boutique was under construction. I guess the means I need to plan another trip when it opens for business. Just kidding…..

Could be a motto to live by. Could be the ironic name of an indie rock band. Could just be a self-evident statement.

But in this case, it’s the name of a location on the Lower East Side of New York that offers vintage designer shoes both for sale at the Girls Love Shoes boutique and for rental through the Vintage Shoe Archive (they do a lot of business with stylists and costumers).

If you can’t make it to the physical shop (which is organized by color… imagine the delicious walls of rainbowed shoes), they now have an online store, too, which currently has everything from these 1940s lizard pumps (very much in keeping with the Fall 2008 trends with that thick heel and the interesting color/texture combo)

to these fabulous mixed material wedges from the J. Renee Couture Collection in the 1980s.

And get this, they’re not even that expensive (relatively). Those 1940s pumps? $225. The J. Renee’s? A mere $105.

The site is full of fun, unique-looking shoes, and it’s only a fraction of what’s in the boutique. Definitely worth a peek or two or five. If you’re lucky enough to match up to the size of a shoe you love (I’m cursing the fact that those J. Renee’s are a 7.5 and therefore won’t fit me), here’s a great way to have a shoe that’s HIGHLY unlikely to show up on anyone else’s feet.