Book review: Fluevog

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I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of this memoir/retrospective by legendary Canadian shoe designer John Fluevog. I have followed his career and worn his footwear since I received my first pair of Fluevogs as a gift in 1990. I have owned ten pairs of them (maybe more). One of the most heartbreaking points in the development of my personal style was the abandonment of his platforms for safety reasons.

I was given this book as a Christmas gift from my father, who bought his first pair of Fluevog 3-color Derby Swirls when he changed careers to become a teacher, and wore nothing but Fluevogs for the entirety of that second career. (He is now retired.)

John Fluevog’s zany, fun aesthetic pervades not only his shoe collections but also the interior decor and window displays of his boutiques in major cities around North America (& now, apparently, also Amsterdam and Australia). This volume of 169 full-color glossy pages documents the progression of his career across all areas – footwear & interior/retail display designs — as well as illuminates his origin story and chronicles the history of his various iconic shoe designs.

 

There is no one like John Fluevog. And this is not like any other non-fiction art book I have read. Sections of recollection and memoir are interspersed throughout with full-color photographs, hand-drawn sketches, & blurbs about shoe designs and collections. 

If I had to guess, I surmise that he and a team of trusted assistants put this book together outside of the domain of traditional book publishing. That is not to cast aspersions on the quality of the product – it is luxurious, distinctive, & clearly suffused with the aesthetic sensibilities of its author/subject. It is unlike any other book, in the same way that a Fluevog is unlike any other shoe. 

I learned many fascinating details about Fluevog’s life, such as that he began his career in footwear alongside legendary shoe designer Peter Fox, and that early on he was interested in automobile repair and customized cars which influenced his design sensibility in footwear creation.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is or has ever been a passionate collector and wearer of Fluevogs, or appreciated the creativity of their design. It’s also a great source of inspiration for all kinds of creative expression. 

169 pages, hardcover 

My favorite pair of Fluevogs was this style, 

I wore them so much, the platform fell off three times.