The Bata Shoe Museum |
I had quite a few, varied jobs before
I settled on education as a career, but my first serious work experience was in
retail, working for the Bata Shoe Company. I worked there for three years and
actually managed my own store. I even met the owner of the company, T.J. Bata,
and I knew about the amazing collection of shoes his wife had amassed while
they ran the global company. When they retired from the retail business she
established a museum based on her shoe collection. The Bata shoe empire was
based in Canada and head office was in Toronto, so this is where the Bata Shoe museum is located. I have always wanted to visit this museum and spending
Christmas in Toronto finally gave me an opportunity to do this.
Stained Glass Pumps |
The museum is located downtown in Toronto,
so it was a simple subway ride to get there. The building is supposed to be
shaped like a shoe box, but I think that just makes it a rectangular building
doesn’t it? In the entry way there was an impressive mobile made of stained
glass shoes, and there was an activity area downstairs where children could try
on a large collection of interesting shoes such as Dorothy’s red shoes, pink
cowboy books, or elf slippers . . .
The museum starts with a really interesting
history of footwear from earliest times, tracing what kind of shoes people wore
and how they were made across the globe and through time. Along the
For dancing the Devil's Dance |
Northern Footwear |
Elton John's Shoes |
No one would consider buying a pair of
patent leather shoes to wear in the mud and snow, but in fact that was exactly
what they were invented for. The shiny smooth finish made them more waterproof
and easier to clean than ordinary leather shoes. Now you know!
Probably not for everyone, but I really
enjoyed exploring the Bata Shoe Museum, and I certainly know a lot more about
shoes than I did.