Higher and Higher....Heels of Steel

The debate continues in this excellent feature by Hadley Freeman in todays G2 in The Guardian : http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/11/fashion-high-heels

I made two programmes which explored high heels and barely scratched the surface. Apart from the history of the high heel, and the history of the design of the high heel, this is about politics, sex and spirituality- no? Yes.

I will write more about this when I have some time.

Marloes ten Bohmer

I interviewed this gifted and original designer for one of The Shoe Show programmes. She has patented some of the new technologies and materials she uses to make her extraordinary and beautiful couture shoes, and is currently part of the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year show at the Design Museum, showing now until June 14.

For more information visit http://www.designsoftheyear.com/

Marloes's website at http://marloestenbhomer.squarespace.com/

The Shoe Show - A Slight Return

The Shoe Show was aired on Resonance FM from January to April 2006. Each show was 15 minutes long and there were 13 episodes in the series. I researched, wrote, interviewed, presented and produced all of it, including writing and performing the theme tune. The editing and engineering was done mainly by the amazingly talented Beepoid Poolord.

I had a life-changing adventure making this show and will always be grateful to Resonance for commissioning me to make it, and allowing me complete creative control. I made the shows myself, exactly as I wanted them to be,within the constraints of little resources and finance and no experience whatsoever of making programmes for radio.

It was a fabulous opportunity and although the shows were by no means perfect, and if I was making them now would probably be different - wonderful thing hindsight, I am still pleased with them. I was self-indulgent at times but having always worked with other people on creative projects I decided to let myself go a bit mad when I wanted to.

I was half way through gathering material for another series and had lots of interviews recorded and another 13 programmes all planned but life took over and everything went on hold and then came to a fairly final halt. My mum died in 2006 and then I fell pregnant so I was unable to do all the final tidying up and say all the thank-yous I needed to say from the first series. I was then unable to make the second series but maybe it will become a book...who knows.

My love of all things shoe continues but where I had been developing a slight high heel habit I have now gone back to flat shoes. Pushing a buggy is great when I'm wearing MBTs but not so great in clog-heeled platform boots!

I now have collection of very small shoes and boots belonging to my son. I am being very good and not keeping all of them but a couple of pairs will be kept for posterity, and sheer cuteness!

The photo is of Sam's first pair of summer shoes, Doodles from Clarks.