„BATA” – HISTORY OF THE SHOE

„Bata” is one of the most impressive museums of the shoe in the world. It is situated in Toronto and it is a possession of Sonia Bata. Her passion to the shoes makes her to base foundation „Bata” through those she gathers an enormous collection of unique exhibits from all over the world. After the shoes became too much to collect them at home, in 1995 Sonia Bata and her husband create a museum of the shoe „Bata”. It is from the high level and today it is chief tourist destination in Toronto.

The museum „Bata” has four galleries, as in one of them is situated the permanent exhibition of the museum. It includes over 12 500 exhibits from the earliest époques of the civilization to the defiles of the contemporary top designers. In the rest galleries the exhibitions change according to the season. This is the reason to have always something new that can be seen in „Bata”.

These are some of the exhibits, presented in the museum of the shoe „Bata”.

1. Characteristic Indian slippers with twisted toe-caps, decorated with gold thread. They are part of the exhibition „The rich tradition of the Indian shoemaking”.

2. Shoe of red velvet from the second decade of XX century of Pietro Jantorni. For the making of this kind of shoes are necessary many years and their price is hundred of dollars. In fact Pietro Jantorni is defined as the producer of the most expensive shoes in the world for its time.

3. Indian slipper from ivory of Travancore-Koshin, 1775-1825. This type of shoes was worn only by people of noble blood. Their design is characteristic for XVIII century.

4. Black satin boots with heels type „Luis”, embroidered with characteristic Victorian floral embroidery. They are work of Melie from 1880-1885.

5. Wooden sandals type pattens with mother-of-pearl covering. They are worn by the women in the public baths to protect their legs from the warm and wet floor. The height of the shoes is about 10 inches. They date from the time of the Ottoman Empire - XIX century.

6. The famous model of Salvatore Ferragamo from 1938, called „Rainbow”. It has transformed in icon of the style of XX century.

7. House slippers from blue velvet with silver, leather heel of Bet Levine from 1954. The twisted leather heel is something new for this époque. The innovations are characteristic for the work of Bet Levine.

Photo: © Bata Shoe Museum/ Toronto

Read: 19001 times                                                  © Fashion Lifestyle Magazine, issue 15, November 2008

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