One-Tank Trip for
Jan. 18/14
(c) By Jim Fox
A visit to the Bata
Shoe Museum in Toronto is good for the sole.
This is a great
time to “sneak” a peak as the current exhibition is Out of the Box: The Rise of
Sneaker Culture.
At the shrine to
the evolution of footwear over 4,500 years, the exhibition explores the history
of the sneaker.
 |
| A pair of “exceptionally rare” Nike Lebron James’ Stewie sneakers from 2009 is part of the sneaker culture exhibition. (Jim Fox photo) |
And, Elvis sang
about not stepping on his blue suede shoes, but instead has a pair of loafers
among the celebrity footgear on show here.
Information with
Marilyn Monroe’s red leather stilettos quoted her saying: “I don’t know who
invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.”
The museum on Bloor
Street is “cultural gem” in a four-storey, shoe-box-like structure designed by
famed architect Raymond Moriyama.
It all came about from
the shoe fascination of Sonja Bata who developed a “keen interest” in all
things shoes after marrying shoemaker Thomas Bata.
This led to the
creation of the museum that now has a collection of 13,000 shoes and related
artifacts.
It “celebrates the
style and function of footwear” in four galleries, with displays ranging from
Chinese bound-foot shoes and ancient Egyptian sandals to chestnut-crushing
clogs and glam platforms.
There’s a collection
of celebrity shoes while three other galleries feature changing exhibitions,
with always something new to see.
 |
| The Bata Shoe Museum is in a shoe-box-like structure designed by architect Raymond Moriyama. |
Out of the box
The history of
sneaker culture continues through March 30 with some 120 running shoes from the
past 150 years.
Now termed a
“status symbol and icon of urban culture,” the historical beginnings of the
sneaker are shown from its emergence in the 19th century to becoming “one of the
most democratic forms of footwear” in the 20th century.
On view are some of
the rarest sneakers from the archives of Adidas, Nike, Reebok, PUMA, Converse
and England’s Northampton Museums and Art Gallery, with the largest collection
of historical footwear in the world.
 |
| Justin Bieber’s burgundy high top Supra SkyTop II sneakers are displayed at the Toronto museum. (Jim Fox photo) |
On loan are shoes from
rap music legends Run DMC, sneaker guru Bobbito Garcia aka Kool Bob Love and
Dee Wells from OSD (Obsessive Sneaker Disorder).
Visitors can see limited
editions such as the Nike Dunk Supremes and LeBron James’ Stewies along with the
latest from fashion designers, including Christian Louboutin, Pierre Hardy,
Lanvin and Prada.
The exhibit says the
sneaker dates back to the mid-19th century when it “emerged from a confluence
of technological advancements and profound cultural shifts.”
The first sneakers
were called plimsoles but by 1873 the term sneaker had been coined.
By the mid-20th
century, the “pursuit of bodily perfection took on nationalistic overtones” and
the sneaker became firmly entrenched in the wardrobe of millions.
“The ‘Me
Generation’ of the 1970s shifted the focus of fitness from cultivating group
identity to the pursuit of individual success and high-end athletic footwear
became signifiers of conspicuous consumption.”
It was the embrace
of the basketball shoe in American urban centres, however, at the end of the
century that would give rise to sneaker culture and transform it into the icon
that it is today.
The exhibition was
designed by Karim Rashid who said he has “always been very interested in the
sneaker since I am a true believer of the age of casualism.”
 |
| The Bata Shoe Museum displays a pair of Marilyn Monroe’s “sexy, red leather stiletto-heeled shoes” she wore in 1957 in Montreal. (Jim Fox photo) |
At the Footprints
on the World Stage exhibit is an introduction to an array of footwear worn by icons.
These include Queen
Victoria’s ballroom slippers, Robert Redford’s cowboy boots, Elton John’s
monogrammed silver platform boots, Terry Fox’s running shoe, Karen Kain’s
ballet shoes and John Lennon’s Beatle boot.
 |
| Don’t step on Elvis’ blue suede shoes or in this case his white-and-blue patent loafers worn in the early 1970s during his Las Vegas performances. (Jim Fox photo) |
There is also
footwear from Pierre Trudeau, Madonna, Roger Federer, Napoleon, Marilyn Monroe,
Elizabeth Taylor and Pierce Brosnan.
Need to know
More than a million
people have visited the museum since it opened in 1995 at 327 Bloor St. W. in Toronto.
Hours are Monday to
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thursdays until 8 p.m., and Sunday,
noon to 5 p.m.
Admission is $14,
adults; $12, seniors; $8, students; $5, children five to 5 to 17; $24 and $35
for family passes. Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. are “pay what you can” to
get in.
Details: batashoemuseum.ca;
(416) 979 -7799
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca
His estimated net worth is around a whopping $7 billion, as of March 2021 according to our news reports.
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