Long before Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin, Beth Levine was designing shoes that were objects of desire and even lust. If you love shoesand who doesnt?you know that nothing says as much about a womans style as her taste in footwear. Born a farmgirl, she took her design inspiration from natureand everything else: auto racing, patchwork quilts, even the 1969 moon landing. Levine, who introduced mules, stilettos, and fashion boots to the American market, was a visionary. The books full-color photos of Levines creationsfrom vinyl cowboy boots to sublime black silk pumpsdisplay her shoes as touchstones of glamour and, ultimately, works of art. Fashion-forward and exquisitely constructed, Levines shoes were worn by stars like Marilyn Monroe and Barbra Streisand, favored by designers like Halston, Oscar de la Renta, and Geoffrey Beene, and collected by Azzedine Alaa and Manolo Blahnik. 2009