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The Bata Shoe Museum
Category: Arts & Entertainment Museums Museums [Edit]
327 Bloor St WToronto, ON M5S 1W7
Neighbourhoods: University of Toronto, Downtown Core
(416) 979-7799
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat 10 am - 5 pm
Thu 10 am - 8 pm
Sun 12 pm - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
29 reviews for The Bata Shoe Museum
Review Highlights
"...that went into making this footwear was amazing."
(in 7 reviews)
"...into the cultural relevance of shoes in modern times, e."
(in 3 reviews)
"I loved the modern and airy design of this museum."
(in 4 reviews)
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Q H.
North York, ON
1/17/2012 3 photos
I walked in with no interest and expectations, but it turned out to be really fun and informative! It has anything from ancients shoes to artful shoes to shoes worn by famous people. Also they have shoes from 30s, 40s, 50s, etc. that can give you insights into lifestyles and fashion trends during those eras. There were some very weird experimental art shoes as well.
Overall, it is a fun place to visit. Admission prices are very cheap too. Parking is available in UT campus. You might have to walk a bit. -
Review from Mauricio A.
Toronto, ON
10/5/2011
The Biggest Mystery after the Caramilk Secret, 'how does the Bata Shoe Museum remain in business?'
Just to give you a bit of a background, I love history and museums. Did you know we have a Ceramics and Textile Museums in Toronto? Or have you ever been to the Toronto Archives? I have and I recommend them all!
However unless you have a foot and shoe fetish, I cannot say that you will walk out of this place with any more knowledgeable in footwear than a proper visit to ROM.
Their exhibits are more like extended presentations, with a shoe behind a glass from some period in time with a few short notes next to it, mostly kept in the basement level and on the second floor. Along the odd extra exhibit here and there but again... they need to have a powwow with some PR people and pronto, to try to get some awareness out.
All three times I have been here have been either though some special or free through Nuit Blanche and all have left me, well, unimpressed.
For example the two highlights I have of this museum were last year during Nuit Blanche.
1-) because it was, oh so **warm** after a cold long, long walk through most of the city. So my troop of 8 friends flopped on the room with the seating against the wall just at the bottom of the stairs to the left. I think that is a presentation room for films. And...
2-) As we were leaving, someone decided to get naked and streak out of the museum, running at full speed. I even got a shot or two! That was different.
What was I saying? Oh, yeah, shoe museum. *Y*a*w*n*.
If they just spiced it up with some more exhibits, or history, more shoes, exhibits or something! Otherwise this so-called museum is just sucking up space in what otherwise is a very transited intersection. Which is a shame. Bata, are you listening?
Whatever you do don't pay full price.Listed in: My Reviews, 30-Day Oct '11 Challenge &…
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Review from Karen S.
10/4/2011
This is a great little museum if you're at all interested in shoes. I took my shoe-holic cousin here and we had a grand old time. I love the current special exhibition, "The Roaring Twenties: Heels, Hemlines and High Spirits". It's on until June 2012. I've been looking for a pair of t-stray shoes for years and I am totally in love with some of the ones on display.
It's pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $5 on Thursdays from 5-8pm. If you're ever only going to go once though, consider supporting this delightful museum with full admission.Listed in: 30 days of Yelp
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Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
10/4/2011
I've been here 3 times now. All of which I had not paid full admission price. Once, was with a donation of a pair of socks, and the rest on Nuit Blanche. With so many opportunities, I'm sorry to say that the museum, although grand on the corner of St. George and Bloor, doesn't warrant a full admission price to come.
Their annual promos usually include free admission on Chinese New Year for the person of the birth animal, or donations. Check in on Foursquare, and there is a 2 for 1 deal. Or come for free (and limited visit) on the first weekend of October along with the rest of the crowd.
If you've never been here before, it is fun that first time. The bottom floor shows the history of shoes throughout the times and cultures, and how it evolved. I'd like to see actually, more info on the design of the shoes, why it was done that way etc. There is a small section near the stair well that shows your how cobblers made shoes back in the day.
Upstairs, are the famous people shoes, winner from the Juno awards. It's weird to think that they had to give up their stinky shoe (or nice one, what if they liked it!) for purposes of this display. Look carefully, and Justin Bieber's purple pumps are to be found as well.
I would imagine, there is a third section where any special exhibits would be - however, the last two times I was here was NuitBlanche and it was closed off. I haven't seen any special exhibits of late that I would want to go see - except the ballet shoes many years ago.
It's a hard place to visit after the first time. The permanent displays I spoke of don't change ever, and so there's nothing really new to see. If you paid, you're just seeing 15 mins of the special exhibit.
Look for the promos and you could spend up to an hour here. After that, not really worth it. How they stay in business, I'm not quite sure.Listed in: OCT 2011 - 30 days Yelp…
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Review from Julia B.
8/1/2011
A must-visit for shoeaholics!
It's a small museum showcasing beautiful shoes from all around the world since the beginning of time.
The admission fee (CAD $14) was worth it. I think it's one of the most unique museums I've been to and one of the most fun. I went with my two girlfriends (who I was visiting) and we had such a blast aaah-ing and ooo-ng over the shoes. -
Review from Margs L.
Toronto, ON
7/28/2011
I never got a chance to go to the Bata Shoe Museum in the 8+ years I have been in Toronto. My family was visiting from out of the country and my sister-in-law read about the museum in a guide. I got a 2 for 1 ticket and the child admission is 5 dollars so 3 people went in for 14 dollars total.
We started at the bottom exhibit where the history of shoes and some examples of ancient times shoes and some cool shoes through history all the way up to modern times.
The higher floors had various specialty exhibits including Canadian stars from the Junos, the Native shoes, the shoes from the 20s and shoes in Art. From what I understand, the exhibits change periodically except the basement permanent exhibit.
Every single exhibit was awesome. I loved all the moccasins because I was intrigued by how detailed and varied they were. I love the fact that you can tell which tribe the shoe came from based on the bead patterns. The 20s shoe display was great because I learned something about those times in terms of women coming into their own. Both of these exhibits also had videos to show you more information.
The Shoes in Art were also cool and I would love a shoe sculpture of my own. The Juno display was one of the weakest because most people wore sneakers to the Junos but it was interesting to see the sizes of people's feet, some I was surprised by. Upstairs they also had the offices of the workers and you can see right in as they were working on some exhibit pieces possibly for new showings.
The gift shop was one of the best things in the place. The greeting card section alone will make me return to this Museum very soon.
I would definitely recommend going to this museum and actually taking the time to read something and learn something. It's not expensive and it's a fun time if you are at all curious about the world around you. -
Review from Alaine H.
7/27/2011
Cute little museum. I liked reading about the history of shoes in different parts of the world and how it relates to the society, climate, and socio-economic status one had - this exhibit is in the basement. The Roaring 20s exhibit was definitely a must-see for any woman who loves shoes. I was fascinated by the skills that the shoe designers of that era. There were some darn cute shoes that I would wear in that exhibit!
I didn't go to see the shoe exhibit with the First Nations b/c it was very dark in there and there was NO ONE in there! I also had a creepy feeling of spirits in there so I didn't even set foot in that room.
Overall, I'm glad I stopped in this little museum. -
Review from Jorge L.
4/10/2011
Design students, historians and cobblers (ahem) may find this museum fascinating. It didn't fascinate me. I'm not a design student and certainly not a cobbler. I came here without big expectations but I still ended being bored.
I just could not relate.
The most important section is in the basement where shoes from different periods are on display - shoes worn by an indian dancer, shoes worn by priests and replica of shoes worn in the 1500s.
The second floor is lame at best where shoes from the Juno stars are on display. The most interesting piece was Justin Bieber's pair of worn out shoes. The beauty of boredom is you get to appreciate things you would normally hate - like Justin Bieber's shoes. Bata Museum failed to capitalize on this collection. They placed JB's shoes in a poorly lit corner.
By the time I reached the third floor, i was exhausted - I had been facebooking and emailing. Shoes worn and created by people of the First Nations, however, were interesting. The craftsmanship and resourcefulness that went into making this footwear was amazing.
Would I recommend you to go and visit? It depends. Are you a design student? A historian? Or a cobbler? Yes.Listed in: Culture Vultures
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Review from Julia L.
Toronto, ON
1/22/2011
Some people might find the Bata Shoe Museum dry and/or boring, but I think that it's as fun as you make it! This is one of those places where it's really fun to play the "Which one would you pick?" game...you know, when you go around to each exhibit and pick out the one you would wear.
The Museum has three galleries for changing exhibitions, so it's kind of luck of the draw - good thing for me, I got to check out the Juno exhibit, as well as a Socks exhibit that was kind of entertaining. There were sock puppets and a puppet theatre...enough said. The permanent All About Shoes exhibit chronicles footwear through the ages, naturally.
Student admission is $8, which doesn't really break the bank, and you can spend an hour or two on a weekend browsing all kinds of shoes and storing factoids in your brain for your next cocktail party (e.g. "By the way, did you know that when nylons were scarce during the war women used to draw seams on the back of their legs to mimic the appearance of stockings?"). -
Review from angela k.
Toronto, ON
4/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
I like quirky things, I like weird things, I like to learn about things that most people don't care about. This is why I enjoyed this museum.
I learned about chopines (essentially crazy-high platform shoes from the 16th century) and that there was a time when both men and women wore high heels. And I saw a GIANT cowboy boot and teeny tiny shoes from Coraline. I marvelled at Shaq's size 23 high top sneaker and Elton John's gayest of the gay footwear. I read A LOT about various kinds of women shoes and how they demonstrate femininity in various time periods and other parts of the world. (Maddening, yes. But also educational and you get to start to see trends).
Some of the exhibits were less interesting and less marvelous but I still dutifully read most of the little signs describing spiritual footwear and chestnut crushing boots.
Don't go with someone who is easily bored, don't go when you yourself are feeling boring. Go when (or if) you thirst for random facts and trivia about footwear.
I don't particularly like shoes (with the exception of colourful and comfortable sneakers) so I am proof that you don't have to love shoes to enjoy this place. Hell, maybe I enjoyed this place more because I don't like shoes (if you just want to see pretty shoes, this is not for you - there is actual history education happening in this museum!).
All of the floors and exhibits were open when I was there, they seem to change occasionally and like any museum there will be times when some are closed. So call ahead or check the website if that sort of thing would bother you.
When to go? I would recommend going on Pay-What-You-Can Thursday nights. For those of you who dislike screaming children on field trips, there weren't any when I was there. And while I'm clearly a fan of this museum, I don't know if I would have felt I really got my moneys worth if I had paid $12. The $5 suggested donation felt just about right.
I seemed to miss the gift shop (or they don't have one) which is sad, because I tend to love browsing museum gift shops. -
Review from InfodivaMLIS B.
10/27/2008
Shoes Shoes I must have those Shoes!
From the historic boots and shoes natives and European explorers and hunters wore to Elton John, Princess Diana and more contemporary styles one gets a good overview of how footwear has progressed over thousands of years.
The Chinese foot binding exhibit was informative if not disturbing. It was my first time seeing the effects up close and personal.
I loved the modern and airy design of this museum. The book and gift store was great also.Listed in: Canada Eh?
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Review from Gretchen P.
1/20/2009
This is a great museum. I tend to like museums or galleries that are weird, educational, exhibit nontraditional works of art, or exhibit traditional art in a new, nontraditional way. Basically a museum that does its job; it provokes thought.
The Bata is amazing. Yes, it IS a shoe museum, but how often does one get to see an exhibit of shoes. How they can be works of art, explain a culture or time period, or just look prettier than the ones on your feet.
It is a smallish museum on many levels. The concept of walking and using my feet was not lost on me; it made me consider the people that wore some of the odd stilted wooden sandals or Elizabeth brocade beauties.
In fact, I saw an exhibit here a few years ago relating to the "art" of Japanese foot binding. I use the quotation marks because the exhibit showed the pain and time that these young girls were forced to go through to have small, distorted feet. Torture. The shoes were the equivalent of a size three perhaps. tiny. And the sketches of their final foot bone structure made my dogs bark in sympathy. (Er, for those unfamiliar with southern USA colloquialisms, "made my dogs bark" is the equivalent of "tortured my feet in agony." As in, "I danced all night in these cute black-patent stiletto heals, my dogs are barking.") -
Review from hangover n.
Toronto, ON
6/30/2011
I went because I was offered a free ticket. This is a poorly curated and overpriced museum. I think charging people to see the horrible shoes of Nickleback and the Barenaked Ladies is despicable. The galleries were so dimly lit that it was difficult to see the items on display, and there were so many typos in the explanatory blurbs accompanying the exhibits that i nearly had an aneurysm. Quite a disappointment, all told.
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Review from Emilie H.
6/30/2011
I have to admit, I haven't been here in a while (ok, a really long while) but I would totally recommend it! I'm both an historian and a shoe buff, and found this quirky combination delightful! Definitely a go for someone looking for a different take on the typical museum!
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Review from Erin H.
Toronto, ON
9/1/2008
I got the sense from the name of this place that finally culture and I could meet. But when I got to the museum I realized that once you paid your entry fee, there were no shoes to try on, purchase and take home, they were just there to look at. UM...I'm sorry...What? If I want to just leer at a pair of shoes I'm never going to own, I can just go to Holt's and finger a pair of Manolos for free.
But seriously, the museum is semi-interesting offering up footwear from ancient civilization to today. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the shoes of old Hollywood stars - you'll be surprised how tiny those feet are. Let's put it this way, Humphrey Bogart would not appreciate the old saying, you know what they say the size of the feet equals the size of the... -
Review from Lisa C.
10/3/2008
For what it was, it was a fun side stop on one of my afternoons in Toronto.
My two highlights?
Gerri Halliwell's tall British flag platform shoes
Elvis' shoes
Spent about an hour here. The layout of the museum was a little strange, I wasn't quite sure where to start, if I had seen the whole thing, etc. I think I missed an exhibit, but at that point I was a little shoed-out anyway.
I did enjoy learning about the history of shoes, and I liked looking at shoes from different cultures.
Totally grossed out by the first thing I saw in there.... after you go downstairs, before you enter the doors to the first exhibit, there are a bunch of different types of shoes all laid out on the floor for you to try on if you want. GROSS! OMG, imagine how many sweaty, nasty feet have been in those!Listed in: Canada, eh?
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Review from Jess d.
5/20/2011
I was excited to find out Toronto had a SHOE MUSEUM (as I am definitely a shoe whore) but it was not what I expected. The museum show cases the history of shoes from the beginning the first shoes were ever made to modern times. I really enjoyed learning the interesting facts of the reason why shoes were designed the say they were. I was hoping for more exhibits about modern shoes but they didn't go too far into modern. This is a good place for someone that likes to learn random facts but specifically about shoes.
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Review from Kim B.
ON
1/29/2009 80 photos
"You can only look at so many moccasins," said my friend as we were perusing this odd museum. And I have to agree. There are an awful lot of moccasins.
Our favourite part were the couple of "famous" shoes: Ginger Spice's union jack boots (see photos) and Mike Meyers Dr. Evil shoes. That was about it. Oh, and for some of the shoes it was pretty cool to see what/why exactly they ARE (e.g. wooden clog roller skates?).
We also went into the On Pointe exhibition, which was all about the history of the ballet shoe. I do NOT recommend this exhibit unless you enjoy and follow ballet. Which I don't.
Basically? This place is interesting enough because of its quirkiness. It's a podophobic's nightmare and a podophile's dream. For the rest of us? It's just a crap load of shoes.
Note: If you want to check it out, it's do-able within an hour and PWYC on Thursday nights after 5. -
Review from Helen W.
5/18/2011
It's very interesting. I liked it because it was different from other museums and it's about shoes. All girls love shoes. They had info on the history of it also.
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Review from Chris M.
6/30/2010
Toronto seems to be lacking for museums given its size, age, and economic power and I am sad to report that this one's more for die-hards than a general audience. This museum has nice enough architecture and the exhibits are professionally done but it falls short relative to expectations. There's a section on Native American shoes and a section on really high platform shoes from the 16th-17th C Europe but the relevance of shoes on culture is not explored enough given what I would imagine its core audience of women in their 30s and 40s would want. The potential of the subject makes for what could be a much larger museum or a laser focus on one part of the shoe world.
I hope in the future they could go more into the cultural relevance of shoes in modern times, e.g.
* the killing of young people in America for Air Jordans in the late 80s or the mid-90s resurgence of platform shoes in Japan or
* the economics of shoes: why can some shoes at Payless cost $30 while one of similar design but (perhaps) better quality or more human involvement cost $300 elsewhere? -
Review from Luke A.
Toronto, ON
9/27/2008 1 photo
Shoes aren't the first thing I'd build a museum for. But if I could handle the world's biggest chamber pot collection in Munich, I told myself, I could handle the Bata Shoe Museum. They have a surprisingly interesting, if selective, collection on display (there's more online, actually). I have to admit, though, that they started losing me when the displays went on and on, nitpicking about what qualified as a moccasin under the BSM taxonomy. The curators must be a real hoot at parties.
My favourite item on display was not a shoe, ironically enough. It was a letter written by the Duke of Wellington about how his boots still didn't fit right, and giving instructions on how to fix them--in other words, the commission for the first pair of Wellingtons. But the pair of Dr. Evil Hush Puppies loafers came in a close second (way cooler than Napoleon's socks). -
Review from Alejandro A.
Toronto, ON
11/20/2008
I'm not really a big shoe person, so I never thought I'd walk into a museum for shoes. I thought to myself 'really? Do people have nothing else to do?' Then one day I had a job that took me into the Bata Shoe Museum.
Man oh man was I ever wrong.
You don't need to be into shoes to enjoy this place. From the "shoes" that are thousands of years old, to one of Shakil O'Neil's custom made (meaning HUGE) shoes, this place has 3 floors of wacky fun.
I was supposed to be working, but I kept trying to wander off to look at the shoes, and really couldn't wait for the chance to actually look around and enjoy what the museum had to offer.
There's lots of fascinating information and facts about shoes. Stuff like heels improves your posture (not that relevant for guys, but still interesting).
The Bata Shoe Museum is one of those 'more fun that you realize' kind of experiences. -
Review from Mae S.
8/22/2009
Somehow the idea of a collection of nothing but shoes has potential, but doesn't get off the ground here. Is there meaning in shoes? If so, I didn't see it. Transcendence -- give me transcendence!
(And don't show me anything about bound feet, they're disgusting and beyond cruel. This is an example of the lack of a big picture associated with shoes.) -
Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
10/9/2008
For those who masochistically visit Holt Renfrew's impossibly beautiful and expensive shoe collection, this might be torturous but I somehow found it freeing to be stripped of the choice to purchase.
The programming here is interesting, with a permanent exhibit that is ever-evolving and changing. The semi-permanent collection details and chronicles the evolution of footwear through different ages and places. From snow-appropriate wears to traditional Chinese silk shoes used to bind feet, this exhibition is fairly comprehensive. Educational material is provided to elucidate the methods and material employed at various times.
One of the current travelling exhibitions is dedicated to the pointe. Title "On Pointe: The Rise of the Ballet shoe", this exhibition explains how the pointe facilitates such beauty in movement and its important role within dance. -
Review from Ruth W.
Toronto, ON
10/22/2010
A museum about shoes. Well, if I'm completely honest, the word 'shoe' next to the word 'museum' doesn't fill with great expectations. That said, I went along with an open mind, hoping to be proven wrong. You never know, this could awaken a passion for shoes akin to Imelda Marcos. Alas, my worst fears were realized. It was boring. A wooden shoe, a leather shoe, a metal shoe, a stinky shoe, a tatty shoe, an old shoe, an older shoe, an even older shoe, an 18th century shoe, a 15th century shoe. Yes, I hear you cry, 'what did you expect from a shoe museum?' Well, good point. But I had hoped that they might have least shown a few more designer shoes of the 50s to present day, history of trainers, celebrity shoes etc. Best stick to visiting the shoe shops on Queen Street, me thinks.
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Review from Catherine M.
ON
12/14/2008 2 photos
A friend was recently visiting from out of town and after she went to the Bata Shoe Museum I asked her what she thought. "Well," she said, "they sure have a lot of shoes." That pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter.
Maybe I'm jaded because I work nearby and the shoe museum has lost a little of its dazzle in my mind, or maybe it's because you can only get so excited about specialty museums. I think that a one-time visit is all one really needs, and even so, I'm not sure that the shoe museum can live up to the hype of the image it projects.
The best time to check out Bata is either during special citywide events like Nuit Blanche, or on Thursday nights when they offer pay-what-you-can admissions. Also keep an eye on the special exhibits upcoming, I know a lot of people are not that impressed with the current special exhibit which seems to have been on offer for quite some time. -
Review from Brandon D.
3/29/2010
I wasn't impressed with the Bata Shoe Museum. Two of the floors' exhibits were closed, and there were a ton of children running around screaming. The parents didn't do anything about it. You might say that this isn't the museum's fault, but I didn't see a single staff member or docent anywhere beyond the admission desk. Had they been stationed throughout, perhaps this would have encouraged the parents to control their children. With the exception of the "try on these shoes" section, I didn't see how this museum is suitable for children in the first place.
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Review from Alexandra K.
12/10/2008
I am woman hear me roar. But not really. I love shoes, and have several pair, but I simply did not have the same attachment with this museum that I have, say, with my stilettos. I read about it on the Internet and it seemed worthwhile. I've been twice and while it is indeed interesting, especially the Victorian and celebrity shoes, there is only so much one can possibly even pretend to want to know about shoes.
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