A red stiletto shaped custom car is displayed at the entrance of the Peabody Essex Museum. [Photo by Charles Krupa/AP]

Boots aren't just made for walking. On the contrary, footwear has captivated hearts and minds worldwide for centuries.

Whether a pair of crystalline embellished slippers, or thigh-high boots with platform heels, shoes show our personalities, moods and social status.

That's the premise behind Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, an exhibition opening last Saturday at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, examining the history and cultural relevance of what we strap to our soles.

"We're all born with bare feet and shoes facilitate our movement, but shoes also reveal our identity," says Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, coordinating curator for the exhibition.

The show, organized by the London-based Victoria and Albert Museum, is comprised of boots, slippers, pumps, loafers and sandals from around the world dating to the 17th century.

Through our shoes, Roscoe Hartigan said, we all project "certain aspects of power and authority" - even if those messages are subliminal.

One classic example of affluence and power wrapped into a shoe is the high heel. Yet, functionality and comfort are often overlooked in their design.