Shoes as Storytellers – the Collection

Click on any shoe to load the story

image of two pairs of glass baby booties with shoelaces
Mother’s Love
Torn Apart*
image of three glass toddler sneakers in grey, brown and purple
Disrupted Play
Glass cowboy boot in blue and brown distressed leather
My Cowboy Boots
photo of glass boot with glass leaves stepping in glass dirt
A Walk in Pisgah
Glass Military Dress shoe with high polish
Still Me
Growing Up *
Sparkle *
Graduation Day *
Still Me*
The Practice *
image of pair of blue sneakers made from glass
These Almost New Shoes *
My Ruby Slippers
Pair of glass blue mary jane style shoes
Dreams Come True *
Two black glass women's dress shoes
Forever Changed II *
image of two slip on men's shoes in glass
Yard Work Shoes *
Flip Floppin’ *
Sliced *
Glass men's dress shoe with laces
Ghosts
Glass Brooks Brothers Sneaker with Breat Cancer Ribbon
Miles Beyond
Big Bend and Memory Shoe *
Textured Cosmos *
Memories from Long Ago *
Glass women's sling with thick heel
Pain in the Toe
Glass blue heel shoe
Words Hurt
Glass sling with wedge heel
Fashionable
Woman’s Work *
Glass sneaker with thick sole
Forever Changed
Garage Shoe *
Garage Shoe in the Studio *
How do shoes get on the road?*
Having Fun*
Jeff’s Shoe
Blowing Glass – Jeff’s Shoe *
Dog Ate My Slipper *
Laundered *
Kickin’ Back*
Relaxed*
First Shoe *
Found *
Glass moccasin
Trashed Mock-asin *
When I am an old lady *
image of worn sneaker made from glass
Baltimore 2019*

Photography by artist and *Ivaylo Gueorgiev

THE PROJECT

Inspired by President Biden’s call for empathy, I found myself on a creative journey that involved crafting shoes from glass. Throughout 2021, I developed a process rooted in lost-wax casting and chose the pâte de verre technique. Unlike conventional glass casting methods, this approach grants me greater control and flexibility, resulting in delicate, hollow sculptures rather than hefty, solid forms.

The well-known phrase “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” became the foundation of my project. Casting an entire mile’s worth of shoes would have required over four years to accomplish. To represent this distance metaphorically, I decided that each shoe would be equal to approximately 100 feet, making a collection of 52 shoes.

With the vision for my project solidly in mind, I issued a call for both shoes and the stories associated with them. This project would not have been possible without the support I received from friends, family, and even strangers who learned about the project through our shared connections.

Each shoe in my exhibition tells two narratives. The primary story is that of the individual who generously donated the shoe. As the shoes emerged from the final firing in the kiln, I discovered that they sometimes differed from my initial expectations. I soon realized that the results were exactly what was needed to convey the stories they carried.

The second narrative belongs to the journey I shared with each shoe. Many pairs of shoes patiently waited on my shelves, each holding significance. They represented moments of joy, fond memories, and even loss. They taught me empathy, patience, and perseverance. And one of the biggest lessons for an artist, to embrace and celebrate imperfection.

I invite you to immerse yourself in the stories they tell. Embrace empathy, connect with another’s experiences, and find comfort and healing in something as common as a shoe.

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

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2023 Sept-Dec Waterworks Visual Art Center, Salisbury NC

2025 Jan/Feb Clear Lake Arts Center, Clear Lake IA

2025 May/June Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center, Hiddenite NC

2025 TBD Toe River Arts Center, Spruce Pine NC

Are you interested in bringing Shoes as Storytellers to your venue? Click here to review the exhibition proposal.

THE BOOK

Add the companion book to this exhibition to your collection today!

Shoes as Storytellers ((softcover edition))
Shoes as Story…
By Dori Settles
Photo book
Click here to purchase the softcover book ($50)
Click here to purchase the hardcover book ($65)