Bata Shoe Museum, Footwear museum in Toronto, Canada
The Bata Shoe Museum is a footwear museum in Toronto, Canada, housing more than 13,000 pairs of shoes from different time periods and cultures. The limestone building was designed by architect Raymond Moriyama and resembles a tilted shoebox in its shape.
Sonja Bata started collecting shoes in 1946, and her private collection grew over decades through travel and targeted acquisitions. The museum opened to the public in May 1995 in a purpose-built structure.
The museum takes its name from the Bata family, who built a global footwear company, and its collection shows everyday and ceremonial shoes from different cultures around the world. Visitors can see traditional moccasins, ritual sandals, and decorated boots that people wore across centuries in their daily lives.
The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00, with free entry available every Sunday. The galleries are spread over several floors and can be explored at a comfortable pace.
The collection includes shoes worn by Queen Victoria, Marilyn Monroe, and Elton John, documenting 4,500 years of footwear history. Many visitors discover in the galleries how much shoes varied depending on climate, craft traditions, and social status.
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