Stepping into the Past
Boasting more than 10,000 shoes between four galleries, the Bata Shoe Museum is a celebration of the style, function and history of footwear. From sandals and Chinese bound foot shoes, to chestnut crushing clogs and Elton John’s platforms, the Bata Shoe Museum will help you experience what it’s like to walk through history in someone else’s shoes.

Footwear Fetish
Whether a history-buff, a fashionista, or just a curious spectator, the Bata Shoe Museum represents a fascinating glimpse into cultures and histories the world over. More than just an indication of personal taste and style, shoes throughout the ages have left a trail of technological development, and have marked shifts in societies’ values. They reflect any given culture’s climate, level of progress, and even social stratifications. Four exhibitions are on view at any one time, of which three are temporary and focus on specific aspects of human culture. The fourth exhibition, All About Shoes, is semi-permanent.

More than a Museum
The Bata family founded the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation to not just manage the collection more professionally, but to facilitate the creation of knowledge about how footwear has fit into the social and cultural life of mankind. Over the years, the foundation has funded various research studies, which have helped to elucidate the lifestyles of indigenous people around the world. The Bata Shoe Museum is a centre of knowledge about the role of footwear in the social and cultural life of humanity.