Art Wear
“What is art?” This question has sparked debate for centuries.
What's On 2024
Shoe Customization 101
Get creative and express your personal style with artist Jasmin Pannu as she guides you to paint your own custom shoe design.
Taylor Swift Fan Night
Calling all Swifties! In celebration of the Eras Tour coming to Toronto, the Bata Shoe Museum is throwing an epic Taylor Swift Party on November 12.
2024 Founder’s Lecture
Join us for this year's Founder's Lecture with one of the world’s leading experts on diversity in design Dr. D'Wayne Edwards!
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.
All About Shoes
Take a walk through the the fascinating history of footwear.
Media Room
Find our latest press releases and more information on media images and interview requests.
Follow Us @batashoemuseum
This pair of handmade, bespoke button boots reflects the infusion
of erotically charged references in women’s dress that emerged
at the end of the 19th century. These boots were designed to look like a stockinged leg in a shoe. Although the majority of the calf-hugging shaft and elaborate gold kid appliqué would have
been hidden under their wearer’s skirt, any glimpse would have
tantalized the onlooker.
Swedish or German, c. 1890s
This 1970s men’s heeled loafer is a cheaper knockoff of the sleek designer versions
worn by international jetsetters in this decade. Despite its elegant design, this shoe
was used for nefarious purposes. The hollow heel enabled the wearer to hide illicit substances.
Loafer with heel compartment, Swiss, c. 1970s
Collection of Musée de la Police Criminelle, Lausanne
Thank you so much to everyone who attended our Masterpiece Panel a couple of weeks ago ~ panelists @elizabethsemmelhack, @ashleymckenziebarnes @abbyalbino and Julian Cox from the @agotoronto delved into the multifaceted world of art and its profound impact on fashion. Stay tuned as we announce more exhibition-related programming!
Unboxing: @mschf BWD shoes
Featured in our exhibition Art/Wear, @msch`d BWD shoe is designed to be worn backwards. As their description states, “Life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forward. That’s why you need two pairs of shoes, one for living and one for understanding.” The BWD shoes can only be worn backwards, and that their existence implies the existence of FWD shoes 👟
In 2022, Murakami began collaborating with @RTFKT (pronounced “artifact”), a company acquired by Nike in 2022 focused on creating avatars and fashion in the Metaverse. For Murakami, “the Metaverse is a forbidden fruit. Once you’ve touched it, you cannot go back to the time before you did,” and he has worked to bring his work into this new space. The majority of RTFKT’s creations are exclusive to the virtual realm, but their works are sometimes “forged,” meaning a small number of items are made physical for use in the real world. This pair of Murakami DNA Air Force 1s is an example. One of only 167 pairs, it features Murakami’s artwork digitally printed onto the leather upper.
Murakami × RTFKT × Nike Air Force 1 - Murakami DNA, 2024. Gift of RTFKT
On view in our exhibition Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists. Sponsored by: @blogto @curiocitytoronto @dailyhivetoronto @fashioncanada @nowtoronto
Calling all Swifties! In celebration of the Eras Tour coming to Toronto soon, we`re throwing an epic Taylor Swift Party on Tuesday, November 12. Dress in your favourite Era, make friendship bracelets, sing your heart out to her discography, explore our galleries and more. Tickets are selling quickly so get yours now by visiting our website!
Ruohan Wang (@ruo_han_wang) is renowned for her use of colour and her commitment to the concept of “Time and Energy Transformation,” which she uses to illustrate how everything in the universe is interconnected through being in a state of constant energy transformation. Protecting the planet is a recurring theme for Wang, and her work often includes depictions of positive interactions between humans, plants, animals, and nature. See her shoes on display in our new exhibition Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists 👟
Sponsored by: @blogto @curiocitytoronto @dailyhivetoronto @fashioncanada @nowtoronto
We`ll be open for the entire long weekend! Explore 4,500 years worth of footwear history, why artists are drawn to working on/with sneakers and why so many of us are interested in wearing these pieces, the development of footwear forensics as a means of solving crime, and the joyful nostalgia of 80s footwear 👟 👠
Saturday October 12: 10am to 5pm
Sunday October 13: 12pm to 5pm
Monday October 14: 10am to 5pm
Plan your visit now!
Slide 1-2: Darren Rigo
Slide 3: Margaret Mulligan
The energy at last week’s opening party of Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists was 🔥🔥
Step into the colourful world of artists x sneaker collabs by 30 of the most iconic creators from now until March 23, 2026.
Artists on view: Aaron Fowler (@aaronfowlerstudio), Alife (@alifenewyork), Andrew Mania (@andrew.mania), Bryant Giles (@bryantdgiles), Cey Adams (@ceyadams), Damien Hirst (@damienhirst), Daniel Arsham (@danielarsham), Dave White (@davewhitestudio), ESPO (@esposartworld), Futura (@futuradosmil), Eric Haze (@erichazenyc), Hebru Brantley (@hebrubrantley), Javier Calleja (@javicalleja), Jean-Michel Basquiat, Judi Werthein (@jujuworth), Kate Knudsen (@katekanoo), KAWS (@kaws), Keith Haring (@keithharingfoundation), Kenzo Minami (@kenzominami), Mache (@mache275), Michael Lau (@michaellau), MSCHF (@mschf), Peter Max (@petermaxart), Ruohan Wang (@ruo_han_wang), Shantell Martin (@shantell_martin), Stash (@mr_stash), Takashi Murakami (@takashipom), Tom Sachs (@tomsachs), Vicky Vuong (@cestlavic), and Virgil Abloh (@virgilabloh).
📹: @lilacmediagroup
PR: @dmpublic
Sponsored by: @blogto @curiocitytoronto @dailyhivetoronto @fashioncanada @nowtoronto