Visit to the hub 2

The exhibition of Vivienne Westwood footwear was a great part of the visit. It is the collection of one man, (who wishes to remain anonymous) over the last fifteen years and shows examples from the 1970s onwards. You can see how fashions of different eras have influenced the designer, but then she has added, changed and modified elements to create something new and original.

I particularly liked the Pirate collection boots and shoes, but couldn't help being drawn to the knee high fuchsia pink stiletto boots (even though they are not something I would ever wear). The brocade shoes in the Animal collection also appealed to me through the use of textile, but the indentations for the toes slightly unnerved me - they made the shoe look too much like an animal paw. As Chris said, we are conditioned to shoes looking a certain way, and when they don't, it bothers us (although he said it in a much more erudite way!).

The shoes were all beautifully crafted with intricate stitching on some and amazing patterns on others. There was also a range of colours and styles, and though predominantly female, there were some excellent examples of men's shoes - Chris particularly liked the snake shoes shown above, where the pattern appeared to have been painted on.

I would definitely like to go again, and as the exhibition is on until 2nd May, hopefully I'll get the chance to.