Exhibit A Paint Night
One-of-a-kind paint night with Bata Shoe Museum graphic designer Gus Aguirre
What's On 2024
The Shoe Detective Academy
Join us throughout the summer for our exciting new Shoe Detective Academy!
Totally 80s Movie Trivia
How well do you know your 1980s movies? Get ready to show off your knowledge about this truly outrageous decade on August 21!
Exhibit A
Sleuth out the complex role of footwear in crime, policing, and the judiciary.
Dressed To Impress
Take a step back to the 1980s and experience the nostalgia and excess of the times. Now on view.
In Bloom
A celebration of how nature has provided meaning and material for shoemaking across both time and place.
All About Shoes
Take a walk through the the fascinating history of footwear.
Careers
Join the BSM team!
Follow Us @batashoemuseum
In response to the success of Nike’s Air Jordan, Converse released the Weapon in 1986. Some of the most famous basketball players of this era, including Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, wore it during their games. Converse capitalized on this marketability and created a television commercial featuring these superstar athletes rapping about the superiority of the sneaker and declaring it “the number one weapon of the NBA.” It has been updated and rereleased in multiple iterations since the 1980s, and it remains a classic among sneaker lovers.
American, 1986–90
On display in our Dressed to Impress exhibition! Sponsored by: @boom973toronto @thetorontostar @designlinesmagazine @thekitca @azuremagazine
The 1980s is a decade known for its bold fashions: bright colors, sharp silhouettes, cone heels, and high-status sneakers. Fashion in this period was also defined by a wide variety of choices that consumers could make about how they wanted to look.
Learn more by watching our Dressed to Impress Exhibition Tour, now on our YouTube channel!
Sponsored by: @boom973toronto @thetorontostar @designlinesmagazine @thekitca @azuremagazine
📹 @lilacmediagroup
Ever wonder what it might be like to be a super sleuth? Join us throughout the summer from Monday to Friday until August 16 for our exciting new Shoe Detective Academy! Learn about shoe forensics, create your own cypher to decode a bracelet you can make yourself, complete puzzles, solve a shoe heist and more.
Although the French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon is most famous as the ‘inventor’ of the standardized photographic mugshot, he also made a careful inventory of all the nails used by shoemakers in Paris and Brittany in order to help solve crimes. Hobnail boots, such as this pair, were commonly worn by working-class men. Nails reinforced the durability of their footwear and gave much-needed traction on rough or muddy ground. Each shoemaker and region had distinctive nails and patterns, details that could help an investigation.
Hobnail boots, English, 1914–1918
On view in "Exhibit A: Investigating Crime and Footwear". Sponsored by @blogTO @classicalfm @nowtoronto @zoomer_radio @jazzfm91
This pair of Air Jordan 1s is customized by
Canadian sneaker artist Vicky Vuong, who designed them to honor her grandmother and
celebrate her Asian heritage. Vuong’s hand-
painted design featuring peonies was inspired
by the florals often found on Chinese porcelain.
On view now in our exhibition "In Bloom: Flowers & Footwear"
We are excited to announce that a pair of @bhytes` shoes have been inducted into our permanent collection! 🤩👠
These eye-catching sandals were donated to the museum by drag superstar and ballet dancer Brooke Lynn Heights. Brooke was the first Canadian to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race (@rupaulsdragrace), finishing as the first runner up during the eleventh season of the hit TV show. Currently, Brooke is host of Canada’s Drag Race (@canadasdragrace), and stars in the talk show, 1 Queen, 5 Queers (@1queen5queers). Brooke purchased these shoes because of their tall and striking heels, and hand-embellished them with glittering studs and rhinestones.
On view now in our Behind the Scenes gallery 👠
Inspired by our latest exhibition, "Exhibit A: Investigating Crime and Footwear", we’re excited to offer a unique paint night on Wednesday, July 17 with artist and Bata Shoe Museum graphic designer Gus Aguirre 🎨🖌️ In this 3-hour, in-person workshop, participants will be guided through the process of painting images inspired by the themes of crime and mystery. Purchase your tickets on our website 🎟️
On view in our “In Bloom: Flowers & Footwear” exhibition, we collaborated with three Indigenous guest curators including anthropologist Linda Sioui, beadwork artist and curator Paula Menarick, and Camina Weasel Moccasin, curator from the Galt Museum & Archives in Alberta who generously shared their expertise on a selection of floral moccasins. #NationalIndigenousPeoplesDay
Image 1: Niitsitapii (Blackfoot), c 1880 - 1920
Image 2: Possibly Cree, c. 1840-1910
Image 3: Huron-Wendat, c. 1820-50