• Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

Evelyn Kanter ecoXplorer

smarter traveling, driving and spending

  • Green Hotels
  • Green Cars
    • Best Cars under $20,000
    • Test Drives
    • Diesel Cars
    • Electric Cars
    • Hybrid Cars
    • Hydrogen Fuel Cell
    • Luxury Drives
  • Travel Deals
    • Free
    • Budget Travel
    • Discount Tickets
  • Xplore More
    • Safety and Health
    • How To
    • Five Best
    • Travel Pioneers
    • Motorcycles
    • Vintage Cars
  • Scam Alert
  • Where to Go Next
    • Historic Travel
    • Epic Adventures
    • National Parks
Home » Best Offbeat Museums: Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto

Best Offbeat Museums: Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto

Leave a Comment

Bata Shoe Museum TorontoAn entire museum devoted to footwear?  Yes. And it has absolutely nothing to do with obsessive shoe collector Imelda Marcos.

The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto walks us through the history of footwear, from prehistoric times to the present.

It’s a fascinating look at the at the design and cultural impact of footwear, where you can stroll past Shaq’s size 23 sneakers in a showcase alongside delicate ballet slippers worn by Dame Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev, learn how shoes became a status symbol in ancient India and China long before the days of Nike or Jimmy Choo, the importance of wooden shoes to the economic development of The Netherlands, and a lot more.

Bata Shoe Mueum chestnut crushing shoeOh, sure, I loved gawking at Liz Taylor’s silver sandals and Marilyn Monroe’s red stilettos, and the collection of Victorian porcelains depicting shoes and shoemakers.

But, I was equally fascinated at seeing the evolution of footwear from the ancient Egyptians and Romans and the Native Americans we call Anasazi, even a lethal looking spiked design that looks like it could have been worn by a villain in a James Bond movie, but really is a century-old French design for crushing chestnut shells.

Who knew that artisans in  ancient Turkey designed stilted sandals to create space between wearers and hot bathhouse floors, to prevent toes from getting toasted.

Who knew that Converse started out producing rubber galoshes in Massachusetts in the early 1900s – before switching the uppers to canvas and calling them “sneakers”.

And who knew that the design and embroidery techniques of Mongolian fabric boots, called Gotals, would be so similar to Eskimo fur boots, called Mukluks.  I do now.

Bata Shoe Museum TorontoThe Bata Shoe Museum was created by Sonia Bata.

After her marriage to Canadian shoe manufacturer Thomas J. Bata, she became interested in understanding shoe making techniques around the world. Besides collecting examples from their worldwide travels, she determined to help save shoe making traditions in danger of disappearing.

The museum displays her collection, and helps fund traditional shoe making programs in tiny and isolated corners of the world.

The Bata Shoe Museum is in a modern new building, an easy subway ride from downtown Toronto, across the street from the Spadina Street station.

Most definitely worth a visit!

photos courtesy Bata Shoe Museum

Thanks for visiting ecoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars, smart spending and frugal living by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.
Welcome back to exoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars and smart spending by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Related Posts:

  • Papa John's Shaq-a-Roni Pizza Supports Charities
  • National Parks Add Billions to US Economy
  • 24 Best Historic Golf Courses in USA
  • Best new athletic gear from Rio Olympics
  • Where to Celebrate Women's History Month
  • 22 Things to Do in New York State This Spring

Filed Under: Green Travel Tagged With: Museums, Toronto

What do you think? We value your comments and love hearing from you. Cancel reply

ecoXplorer is your guide to smart spending and eco-friendly living

Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

Evelyn Kanter currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), and is a past Board Member of a prestigious professional group for travel journalists.

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

Most Popular Recent Posts

  • Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
    Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
  • 2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
    2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
  • Fast Food Deals & New Menu Items in March & April
    Fast Food Deals & New Menu Items in March & April
  • Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
    Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
  • Where to Eat in Times Square & Theater District at Local Restaurants Not National Chains
    Where to Eat in Times Square & Theater District at Local Restaurants Not National Chains
  • Where to Find Cherry Blossoms in NYC & NY State
    Where to Find Cherry Blossoms in NYC & NY State
  • Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients
    Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients
  • Allergy-Free Hotel Rooms
    Allergy-Free Hotel Rooms
  • Autonomous Driving in an Acura TLX
    Autonomous Driving in an Acura TLX
  • Free Passover Resources: Hagaddah, Recipes, Games, Seder Services, Cards
    Free Passover Resources: Hagaddah, Recipes, Games, Seder Services, Cards

Search ecoXplorer by category

© 2010-2022 EcoXplorer by Evelyn Kanter. All the stories and photos on our site are protected by US (C) Copyright laws. Any unauthorized copying is strictly prohibited. Plus, it’s just not nice.

  • Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

ecoXplorer.com is an independent information service which is compensated by advertisers and sponsors. This site includes some links to other websites which are compensated for by our sponsors when you click them.

 

Loading Comments...