Famous Shoe Museums Around the World
Must-visits for holidaying shoe-addicts, these museums offer insights into our long cultural history of footwear obsession.
As Summer comes to a close, many of us are already dreaming of our next vacation. If you’re a shoe addict with a bad case of wanderlust, you may want to check out our latest StoryMap all about the most famous shoe museums in the world.
These museums explore the story of shoes from a range of unique angles. Not solely for fashionistas, anyone can appreciate the astonishing collections on display in these museums.
Located in the heart of Manila's shoemaking district, The Marikina Shoe Museum in the Philippines is home to Imelda Marcos’s colossal shoe closet. Widow of the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda was known for her opulence as evidenced in her vast 3,000-pair shoe collection. The museum currently has almost 800 pairs on display – roughly a quarter of the total number of shoes Marcos was rumoured to own.
“It's important in life to be well shod, a stance the Bata Shoe Museum takes seriously.” - Lonely Planet
We also like the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto which houses the largest footwear collection in the world. With over 12,000 shoes and footwear-related artifacts on display, the museum conveys 4,500 years of fashion history. In addition to the historical items, it also features shoes belonging to important historical celebrities, such as Queen Victoria’s dancing slippers, Elvis Presley’s blue suede shoes and John Lennon's Beatle boot.
Click through the StoryMap below to discover the weird and wonderful world of shoe museums.
