Moccasins to Murals: In Conversation with Joseph Sagaj
Join us for an inspiring evening with Indigenous artist Joseph Sagaj.
What's On 2025
Country Music Trivia
Test your knowledge of country music history, iconic artists, and classic hits in this fun and interactive trivia event on May 27.
Celebrating 30 Years: Community Day
Join us for our free Community Day on Sunday, May 11 in celebration of the opening of Rough & Ready.
Rough and Ready
Explore the history of the cowboy boot in this new exhibition opening May 7!
Art Wear
“What is art?” This question has sparked debate for centuries.
Exhibit A
Sleuth out the complex role of footwear in crime, policing, and the judiciary.
All About Shoes
Take a walk through the the fascinating history of footwear.
Media Room
Find our latest press releases and more information on media images and interview requests.
Follow Us @batashoemuseum
📢 NEW EXHIBITION 📢
Rough & Ready: A History of the Cowboy Boot opens on May 7, 2025!
The story of the cowboy boot is steeped in history and legend and is neither simple nor straightforward. Since their invention in the late nineteenth century, cowboy boots have embodied contradiction. They have symbolized labor and leisure, freedom and domination, tradition and reinvention. Cowboy boots were born out of industrialization yet refined through expert craftsmanship, they have been used to both celebrate individualism and forge cultural cohesion. They were central to the closing of the West, yet endure as emblems of freedom and wide-open spaces. Over time, cowboy boots have signaled power and privilege as well as resistance and reclamation. Whether worn in the saddle, on screen, or in the streets, cowboy boots remain a cultural touchstone, embodying both tradition and transformation in a constantly changing world.
This exhibition has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.
Sponsored by: @blogto @curiocitytoronto @dailyhivetoronto @fashioncanada @thekitca @nationalpost @nowtoronto @thetorontostar
This Sunday we`ll be celebrating Earth Day at the BSM! 🌏 Join us on Sunday, April 13 for fun and eco-friendly activities for all ages! Discover how footwear impacts the environment in our engaging Footwear and the Environment presentations, exploring sustainable practices and innovative designs shaping the future of shoes.
Pictured: Mushroom leather has recently emerged as a viable material for shoemaking. This pair of sneakers by Nat-2 was made using “leather” created out of the middle layer of the tinder sponge, Fomes Fomentarius, which grows on dead or weak birch and beech trees. The natural variations of colour, tone, and texture allow the material to look andfeel like real leather.
Nat-2 Fungi, 2021
Join us for an inspiring evening on Tuesday, April 29 with Joseph Sagaj, Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) of the Sturgeon Clan, as he shares his remarkable journey as an Indigenous artist. Growing up in Neskantaga, a remote community of just 300 people located 433 km northeast of Thunder Bay, Joseph’s creative foundation was shaped by moments like making moccasins with his mother. RSVP on our website now.
Celebrate Earth Day with us on Sunday, April 13 with fun and eco-friendly activities for all ages! 🌏 Discover how footwear impacts the environment in our engaging Footwear and the Environment presentations, exploring sustainable practices and innovative designs shaping the future of shoes 👟
This pair of Black Canvas Mache Runners was hand painted by Mache for the Bata Shoe Museum. He was inspired by the bespoke Rolls Royce Phantom V that John Lennon of the Beatles had hand painted in 1967. Mache’s design is faithful to the traditional Roma art style employed to embellish the car painted onto a bright yellow ground. Lennon’s famous car is now in the collection of the Royal British Columbia Museum.
Blank Canvas Mache Runner Customs, 2024
On view in our exhibition Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists. Sponsored by: @blogto @curiocitytoronto @dailyhivetoronto @fashioncanada @nowtoronto
Discover Indigenous history and ecological heritage with us as we partner with The Indigenous Peoples Garden Inc. (formally known as AKI WIIDOOKAAGEWIN (Earth Helpers) for a unique walking tour of the Bloor-Annex neighbourhood on Saturday, April 12 and Saturday, April 26. At the museum, Grandmother Vivian Recollet, in conversation with Justine Woods, Curator of Indigenous Collections, will share a selection of moccasin belongings from the BSM’s collection and speak to the connections between Indigenous footwear and stories of the land. Visit our website for more info.
Step behind the yellow police line and uncover the secrets of real-life crime scene investigations with Detective Ed Adach, a veteran of the Toronto Police Service who was in the force for 43 years and an expert in forensic footwear evidence on Wednesday, April 2. Purchase your tickets on our website.
There`s only 2 more weeks until our popular exhibition Dressed to Impress: Footwear and Consumerism in the 1980s closes on Sunday, March 23. Plan your trip by visiting our website.
Sponsored by: @boom973toronto @thetorontostar @designlinesmagazine @thekitca @azuremagazine
Photos by: Margaret Mulligan