Spring Exhibition Opening: Free Community Weekend
Join us for on April 20 + 21 to celebrate the opening of Exhibit A! FREE admission all weekend long.
What's On 2024
Exhibit A
Sleuth out the complex role of footwear in crime, policing, and the judiciary. Opens April 18.
Shoulder Pads to Stilettos
Discover the lasting impact of the 1980s on fashion and culture during a panel talk presented by the BSM and CAFTCAD.
Dramatic Soles
Learn how to write a theatrical play! Explore the writing process as inspired by footwear and crime on April 27.
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.
Media Room
Find our latest press releases and more information on media images and interview requests.
Follow Us @batashoemuseum
The famous French shoe brand F. Pinet created these shoes in the early 1920s. They are carefully embroidered with a lacework pattern as well as colour flowers, including delicate pink roses in the center of each vamp. 🌹💐
Did you know @americanduchess released a collection titled In Bloom inspired by some of the shoes in our collection? Visit their website to see!
We are excited for our upcoming exhibition "Exhibit A: Investigating Crime and Footwear" opening on April 18. From writing your own mystery-themed play to a one-of-a-kind paint night as well as testing your knowledge at our beloved trivia nights, swipe through to see all of our exhibit-related programming from April to August.
Purchase your tickets now by visiting our website. More to be announced soon!
Sponsored by @blogTO @classicalfm @nowtoronto @zoomer_radio
Unboxing Magarimono CL-ac sneakers 👟
Did you hear? Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is travelling across the US in 2024-2025. We unboxed this pair of Magarimono CL-ac sneakers recently to include in the show and they are currently on view at @portlandartmuseum now until August 31, 2024. Keep up with @amfedarts for the latest updates for the upcoming venues.
This pair of women`s shoes dates to the late 1870s or early 1880s and features uppers made of Turkish kilim, hand-woven textile originating centuries ago. The textile used to make this pair features black and red tulips 🌷 See these shoes on display in our In Bloom exhibition ~ on view until September 6, 2024.
Join us on April 20 + 21 for our Spring Community Weekend in celebration of our upcoming exhibition "Exhibit A: Investigating Crime and Footwear". Admission will be free all weekend and everyone is invited! Enjoy a full schedule of exhibition tours and family-friendly hands-on activities including crafts, make-your-own puzzle, and prizes. Learn more on our website.
Discover the lasting impact of the 1980s on fashion, culture and film during a panel talk presented by the @batashoemuseum and @caftcad on Wednesday, May 8 from 7-10pm. Inspired by the BSM’s current exhibition "Dressed to Impress" and moderated by celebrated journalist Nathalie Atkinson, panelists Nishi Bassi, Suzanne Boyd, and Allisa Swanson, will share their insights on the cultural significance of this dynamic era and it’s lasting impression in the world of film.. Visit our website to purchase your ticket.
Riding boots were also popular in the 1980s. Rather than suggesting rugged individualism, they were linked to the genteel, old money American tradition of equestrianism, which included horseback riding and polo. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the equestrian was embraced by high fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and marketed to the masses by Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. This costly pair of tall black riding boots by Ralph Lauren would have helped the wearer convey an elite status. A brown version of this exact style was worn by Molly Ringwald’s wealthy and popular character, Claire, in the 1985 hit movie The Breakfast Club.
American, 1984–86
See these shoes on display in our "Dressed to Impress" exhibition. Sponsored by: @boom973toronto thetorontostar @designlinesmagazine @thekitca @azuremagazine
Have you ever wanted to learn how to write a theatrical play? In celebration of our upcoming exhibition "Exhibit A: Investigating Crime and Footwear", Dramatic Soles: Writing Plays and Perspectives in Someone Else’s Shoes welcomes new and emerging playwrights to explore the writing process as inspired by footwear and crime. Join us on Saturday April 27 from 10:30am to 4:30 pm as celebrated Canadian Playwright Steven Elliott Jackson teaches participants play constructing, formatting, character construction, plot development, and theme devices. Purchase your ticket on our website.
There`s only one week left to check out OBSESSED: How Shoes Became Objects of Desire!
Guiding you through the story of how we have become a society obsessed with shoes, this exhibition features highly coveted shoes in our collection that represents how industrialization drove shoe consumption transforming footwear designers into celebrities and shoes into high value collectibles.
OBSESSED closes on March 31 at 5pm EST.
Photos by: Darren Rigo