Lets Get Physical: 80s Aerobics Dance Class
Come take part in an 80s inspired aerobics dance class in the Bata Shoe Museum!
What's On 2024
Cultural Narratives: The Storytelling Power of Design
A unique panel discussion exploring footwear and interior design in the 1980s.
Winter Break at the BSM
Put on your party shoes with fun-filled activities through the Winter Break!
Art Wear
“What is art?” This question has sparked debate for centuries.
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
`Tis the season! Check out our holiday hours below before planning your trip:
Tuesday December 24: 10 am to 5 pm
Wednesday December 25: Closed
Thursday December 26: Closed
Friday December 27: 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday December 28: 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday December 29: 12 pm to 5 pm
Monday December 30: 10 am to 5pm
Tuesday December 31: 10 am to 5 pm
Wednesday January 1: Closed
This glamourous pair of shoes, featuring carved wooden heels that rival Streamline Moderne sculpture, and uppers in brilliant red silk and gold kid was sold by Delman. They were probably designed by Steven Arpad. In the 1930s, it was common for prominent shoe designers including Roger Vivier, André Perugia, and Arpad to create uncredited designs for a wide range of shoe labels and fashion houses.
Princess Nina Midvani, daughter-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, owned this pair of made-to-measure Vivier shoes. By the mid-1960s, Vivier had moved away from the stiletto heel and was designing low-heeled shoes with oversized baubles inspired by ‘little girl’ fashions. Although he had moved away from many aspects of 1950s fashion, many of his evening shoes continued to feature eye-catching embellishment such as the rhinestone decoration found on these heels and the large beaded rosettes at the throat.
Roger Vivier
French, c. 1965
Our popular 80s aerobics dance class returns in 2025! Channel your inner Jane Fonda and wear your best 80s bodysuits, leg warmers, and neon as you join us for a high-energy, 80s-inspired group class featuring the best music, moves, and fashion from the 1980s.
Saturday, January 11 from 9:30 am to 10:30 am
Sunday, February 2 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Saturday, March 16 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Visit our website to purchase your ticket.
Cey Adams emerged as an important New York City graffiti artist in the 1980s. His close friendship with the rap group Beastie Boys led him into design work, and he created their first logo as well as album covers and merchandise. By the late 1980s, he was the Creative Director at the music label Def Jam Recordings where he—along with his business partner Steve Carr—established The Drawing Board, the label’s in-house design firm responsible for creating the album covers, logos, and advertising campaigns for artists including Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Public Enemy, The Notorious B.I.G., DMX, Jay-Z, Usher, Mary J. Blige, and many more. More recently, Adams was commissioned to create the large-scale work ONE NATION for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
In 2006, Adams was invited by adidas to create the adicolor Hi, a powder-blue sneaker featuring Adams’s photography and paying homage to old-school hip-hop, b-boying, and graffiti.
Cey Adams × adidas adicolor Hi, 2006. Gift from the Artist.
See these shoes on display in our exhibition Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists. Sponsored by: @blogto @curiocitytoronto @dailyhivetoronto @fashioncanada @nowtoronto
In partnership with @designlinesmagazine and inspired by our exhibition Dressed to Impress: Footwear and Consumerism in the 1980s, we invite you to join us for Cultural Narratives: The Storytelling Power of Design, a unique panel discussion exploring how footwear and interior design serve as cultural artifacts that tell insightful stories about the 1980s on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Visit our website to purchase tickets 🎟️
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PONY, which stands for “Product of New York,” was founded in New York in 1972 and became popular in street fashion for their running and basketball shoes. This M-100 dates to 1989 and features the high-tops and thick, chunky soles characteristic of most basketball shoes in this era. The use of bright blue and pink across the uppers is very recognizably 1980s, adding a bold, fashionable twist.
Photo by Kailee Mandel
On view in our Dressed to Impress exhibition. Sponsored by: @boom973toronto @thetorontostar @designlinesmagazine @thekitca @azuremagazine
Shop with purpose! 🛍️ This Sunday, December 1, our Museum shop will be taking part in Museum Store Sunday, an event celebrating museum shops worldwide.
We’ll be offering a one-day sale: 10% off all merchandise, or 20% when you bring in a new, unused pair of socks to donate to @socks4soulsca.
Did you know that Vern Taylor was the first Canadian skater to land a triple axel? Learn more about the story of Canadian figure skating by exploring our online exhibition Boots & Blades on our website ⛸️
Pictured: Wrought iron blades featuring an extended toe curl are mounted to the wood platform on metal posts. Leather straps are missing. C. 1780-1850.