Fanciful Flowers Are Afoot

Could you fashion a pump from plants instead of leather? Artist Dennis Kyte has drawn women’s shoes made of hydrangeas and cabbages, holly and daffodils, artichokes and roses. They’re delightful to look at, although you might not want to try on a few of them, especially the pair of prickly pineapple pumps.

“It all started innocently enough,” Kyte said. He made the first few paintings of imaginary shoes for a friend in Boston who loved footwear and was an avid gardener. Since these humble beginnings, Kyte has drawn enough botanical footwear to fill Nordstrom’s shoe department, and his watercolors fill a new book, “The Botanical Footwear of Dennis Kyte” (S Editions/Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $30). The watercolors have even been exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show in England.