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Obsessed

Great Divide Back ground

Slide Obsessed: How Shoes Became Objects of Desire OBSESSED: How Shoes Became Objects of Desire will guide 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.

On view until April 2024
Obsessed Signature Image

Slide EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS

Boosting Production BOOSTING PRODUCTION Before industrialization, an experienced shoemaker in the West made roughly two pairs of shoes or one pair of boots per day. In the 19th century, new techniques and innovations sped up production and significantly boosted output. As an increasing range of footwear became available, overall consumption grew, paving the way for shoes to become objects of obsession. Early 19th century “straights,” for example, did not differentiate between “lefts” or “rights.” Because straights required only one last per shoe size, making them cheaper and faster to produce. Boosting Production More Reasons to Buy MORE REASONS TO BUY As industrialization progressed, new inventions, new materials, and new ideas enticed consumers with an expanding range of things to buy. One of the most exciting innovations of the 19th century was the creation of synthetic colours, especially aniline dyes made using coal tar extract. These brilliant purple shoes reflect the craze for that colour that emerged after 18-year-old chemist William Henry Perkins accidentally made synthetic purple while trying to find a new treatment for malaria. More Reasons to Buy A SHOE FOR EVERY HOUR By the turn of the 20th century, fashionable or ‘well-heeled’ men and women required many different footwear styles. For those who could afford the luxury of travel, a Louis Vuitton shoe trunk was one way of traveling in style. This trunk features discreet compartments for thirty pairs of shoes. ALL CONSUMING By the mid-20th century, shoes had become “the exclamation point at the end of every fashion statement,” as fashion director Laurie Schechter famously said and novelty found expression in shoe design. These Car Shoes were designed by Beth Levine, one of the most innovative shoe designers of the 20th century. Her wit found expression in almost everything she created. Express yourself EXPRESS YOURSELF By the late 20th and into the 21st century, mass-produced shoes and multinational brands had become central to expressions of both individual and group identities. The fashion for cowboy boots in the early 1980s reflected a problematic nostalgia for the past. This pair of boots is by Santa Diego Boots. Express yourself BACK IN THE GAME The intertwining of music, basketball, and sneakers began in New York in the 1970s and one of the most important sneakers was the Puma Suede. These 50th-anniversary Suedes were a collaboration with DJ, author, filmmaker, and member of the famous breaking and hip-hop group, the Rock Steady Crew, Bobbito Garcia.

Slide Purchase tickets through ShowPass BUY NOW Obsessed Tickets

Slide GOVERNMENT PARTNER

Bata Shoe Museum
327 Bloor St W, Toronto
Ontario M5S 1W7
416.979.7799
info@batashoemuseum.ca

WCAG 2.0 (Level AA)

Charitable registration number - 119215168 R0001

Opening Hours

Mon-Sat
10am - 5pm
Sunday
12pm - 5pm

We are closed for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,
Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.

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In the spirit of respect and friendship, the Bata Shoe Museum recognizes that the land on which we are situated has been the ancestral home of many nations, including the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Mississaugas of the Credit, since time immemorial. Today, this area remains home to many, diverse Indigenous communities, including First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. As a staff, we at the Bata Shoe Museum are grateful to have the opportunity to meet, work and learn together on this land.

Copyright © 2023 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada. All Rights Reserved.

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The Bata Shoe Museum is located at 327 Bloor Street West, at the southwest corner of Bloor Street West and St. George.

By Transit

From the St. George subway station (on both the Bloor-Danforth and the Yonge-University lines), exit onto St. George Street. Turn left (walk south) for about 30 seconds and you’ll be at the northeast corner of Bloor Street West and St. George Street. From there, cross the road twice to reach the southwest corner of the intersection, and you’re at the Museum!

By Car

From Highway 401

Take the Avenue Road exit and go south to Bloor Street. Turn right onto Bloor Street and continue west to St. George Street. OR take the Bathurst Street exit and go south to Bloor Street. Turn left onto Bloor Street and continue east to St. George Street.

From the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW)

Get onto the Gardiner Expressway and exit at Spadina Avenue. Proceed north on Spadina to Bloor Street. Then turn right onto Bloor Street and go east on Bloor to St. George Street.

Parking

Street parking and paid parking lots within walking distance of the Museum may be available. Possibilities include:

The Toronto Parking Authority’s Carpark 58, the Bloor-Bedford Garage: 9 Bedford Road, north of Bloor Street West and two blocks east of the Museum.

The Toronto Parking Authority’s Carpark 205: 465 Huron Street, north of Bloor Street West and one block west of the Museum

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Counting down to the opening of our newest exhibition, The Great Divide: Footwear in the Age of Enlightenment.
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