Bata Shoe Museum
Check out the only museum in North America solely dedicated to shoes
The Bata Shoe Museum is a five storey building that was built to house Sonja Bata's shoe collection. It uses four of those storeys to publicly display over 1000 shoes in four fascinating galleries starting from an era that goes back about 4500 years in the flagship exhibition.
These informative galleries will educate you about the materials and techniques that were used through-out the ages to make footwear both fashionable and practicable.
In the BSM you will find a collection of over 13,000 artifacts and shoes that represent the era, region and history of the world in which the specimen shoes came from. This wide variety of footwear ranges from bound foot shoes worn by some of the Chinese females, Ancient Egyptian sandals, practical clogs used to crush chestnuts, cowboy and riding boots, dazzling high heels, platforms, sports shoes including specialized shoes worn for dance plus many others.
Shoes worn by celebrates are a popular favourite for most guests. A few examples include Queen Victoria's ballroom slippers, Elton John's silver platform boots, Elvis Presley's blue patent loafers and a running shoe that belonged to Terry Fox. There are many more on display for visitors to view.
Since 1940 Sonja Bata has searched the world for shoes to add to her collection. However, it wasn't until May 6th 1995 that the museum was built in its present location in downtown Toronto. Here, they constructed this fascinating building which is designed in the shape of an open shoe box.
2015 is the 20th anniversary of the opening of the museum, which has become one of Toronto's cultural landmarks and famous establishments.
The BSM Museum continues to collect shoes from around the world, research information about the shape, material, how they were made and for what purpose. It also preserves and displays them in creative and informative ways that keep you interested while educating you about a bit of history and fashion throughout time. Most exhibits are on display for one or two years and feature shoes focused on a specific time period. All about shoes: is a long term exhibit, that takes you back in time on a journey through the years of footwear.
When visiting the museum be sure to check out the gift shop. This fun little shop is well supplied with lots of souvenirs, books and other items related to shoes.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: YesBata Shoe Museum Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 – 5:00 PM
Address: 327 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1W7, Canada
Phone: (416) 979-7799
Official Website: Bata Shoe Museum
Bata Shoe Museum Reviews
Rated
out of 5 I love the layout of this museum. I love museums dedicated to specific things tracking its history and straight forward information provided no history textbook nonsense. And that is exactly what this museum is. It’s a treat for the eyes. The interior of this building is great. The way the shoes are displayed accompanied by concise information on it is, also, entirely delightful. I love this place and I recommend it.
Kavitha R. - a month ago
I definitely recommend this as a tourist stop. The museum has three floors of shoe exhibits, arranged in chronological and thematic displays. The shoes tell a story of human history, culture, society, and politics. I would like to see better/more short videos about various shoe topics (yes, there are lots of them out there), and my friend thought that a key missing exhibit was the size of feet and shoes through the ages, including how shoes are sized around the world. I think children would enjoy the museum as much as adults, and there were kids' activity sheets, books, and a shoe-themed scavenger hunt. All in all, this is a lovely and very niche museum.
Terri Mewborn - 3 weeks ago
Visiting this museum is a great treat, not only for shoe lovers. very relevant exhibits - with the permanent one on the first floor presenting the history of shoes and showcasing some unique pairs from the museum's collection.
if you go before Christmas make sure to check out and vote for one of the gorgeous ginger houses displayed in the basement level.
The upper floors exhibits change every few months - and there is always something intriguing and though provoking.
Anna P - 4 months ago
I visited here alone and I had a great time going through their collections, and reading about the history of shoes and evolution of footwear trends. I think there were three floors and I was able to go through majority of the exhibitions within an hour. Highly recommend visiting!
Nana Khadijah - a month ago
The exhibits were neat but the front desk employee made me and my group very uncomfortable.
First, I think she assumed I was trying to skip out on paying the ticket. She made an unnecessary and loud scene in front of all the other visitors in the quiet lobby — because I wanted to sit down in the seating area beside the front desk to fix my shoe, ironically. I had never been here before and at no point did she explain that this was forbidden. She simply yelled, “Excuse me!!” and when I told her I was just going to sit (10 feet away from her while my friend was at the front desk to get our tickets), she stared me down without saying anything at all like I wasn’t speaking English (and I could feel other people staring now). It was pretty embarrassing for her but another employee told me it was OK to sit.
Later, in the gift shop, my group noticed her full-on watching us as we were browsing. We even made direct eye contact a handful of times and instead of looking away to be subtle, she just kept staring! I wanted to purchase something as a keepsake, but in the moment we wanted to leave immediately as we clearly were not welcome. We also took some photos outside on the street, but made sure to be out of her sight, lest she call security on us.
Maybe I didn’t look the part of someone who has $14? Or maybe I looked like someone who would steal a souvenir sticker? That overshadowed and soured what was supposed to be a fun activity for my birthday. Still worth going for $14 — just hope that you don’t have to interact with this person, and do not sit down in the lobby without her permission.
Calvin D - a month ago
Directions
TTC Subway Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
---|---|---|
Bloor-Danforth | St. George Station | 1 Minute |
Yonge-University-Spadina | St. George Station | 1 Minute |
How to get to Bata Shoe Museum by TTC Subway
From St. George Station on either the Bloor Danforth or University-Spadina Line: exit onto St. George Street and go left (south) to Bloor Street West. Cross the road both ways to the museum.
Map & Instant Route Finder
Click&Go Map and Route Finder with public transit, walking, driving or cycling directions. Get up-to-the-minute transit times for your route.
Accommodations near Bata Shoe Museum:
Photo Gallery
Video
Please provide consent and/or disable ad blocker to view the video.