Bata Shoe Museum opens exhibition on gold footwear

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Dec 11, 2017

The Bata Shoe Museum (BSM) located in Toronto has officially opened its newest exhibition, dubbed 'The Gold Standard: Glittering Footwear from Around the Globe'.

 
The exhibition explores the meanings and cultural uses of golden footwear across the globe such as to proclaim privilege and flaunt status. Gold has long been used ornamentally and golden footwear has been central to expressions of status and style in numerous cultures.
 
Items on display include Ancient Egypt golden funerary sandals, 16th century Italian chopines, as well as contemporary gold sneakers and tell the story of the ongoing popularity of golden footwear and the complex history behind it.

The exhibition will be on display throughout 2018.
 
It was curated by the BSM's Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack and is comprised solely of artefacts from the BSM collection.