Bata Shoe Museum celebrates 30 years of innovative programming 

By Drew Glennie  

The Bate Shoe Museum (BSM) is celebrating 30 years as an Annex institution with the exciting exhibition Rough & Ready: A History of the Cowboy Boot.

Curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, the director and senior curator at the BSM, the exhibition launched in  May and traces the history of cowboy boots far beyond the Wild West, from the 10th century to today. Semmelhack chose this theme for the milestone celebration as its complex narrative represents the museum’s mission to illuminate human history through footwear.

“It’s not always known that the origins of the cowboy boot stretch far beyond the American West, including innovations developed in Asia, Spain, North Africa, and present-day Mexico. Since their invention in the late nineteenth century, cowboy boots have embodied contradiction,” said Semmelhack in a press release. “They have symbolized labour and leisure, freedom and domination, as well as resistance and reclamation. Whether worn in the saddle, on screen, or in the streets, cowboy boots are a cultural touchstone, embodying both tradition and transformation in a constantly changing world.”

The BSM was founded by Sonja Bata (née Wettstein), who was the wife of Thomas Bata, the head of the global shoe manufacturing company and retail store Bata Shoes. Sonja Bata acquired a large collection of footwear artefacts during her business travels around the world, and she founded the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation in 1979 which was dedicated to footwear collection and research. The BSM now holds 14,000 shoes and shoe-related artefacts from auctions, donations, and manufacturers. At any given time, the shoes on display account for only about three to four per cent of the collection.  

The BSM officially opened on May 6, 1995 at 327 Bloor St. W. The building was designed by Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama who drew inspiration from a shoe box. That year, Moriyama received the City of Toronto’s Urban Design of Excellence. 

Proximity to other major institutions such as the Royal Ontario Museum, the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Arts, the University of Toronto, and TTC subway stations was an important consideration when choosing the location of the museum because the collection is intended for both researchers and the general public.

Since opening, the museum has had a large impact on not only the neighbourhood but also the city and the province.

“The Bata Shoe Museum is a special delight. It’s truly a gift to have an iconic Moriyama building in our neighbourhood,” wrote Charlotte Mickie, a vice-chair of The Annex Residents’ Association.  “The exhibits are often delightfully whimsical, but they always have an appropriately firm footing in everyday life and revealing connections to popular culture.”

The Ontario Cultural AttractionsFund (OCAF) supports the marketing and promotional costs for cultural organizations such as the BSM to “increase the cultural cachet of Ontario,” said Thomas Vaughan, the executive director. 

“What they’re doing is really interesting programming,” said Vaughan, “Not only is it all based around footwear, so that’s unique in and of itself, but they do really innovative programming. It’s not just like, ‘Oh, this type of shoe, that type of shoe.’ They really go deeper into the cultural significance of footwear.”

OCAF has invested $780,000 in the BSM since its decennial, including $80,000 for the 30th anniversary celebrations. 

“They’ve been a fantastic client of the fund,” explained Vaughan. “They really showcase a unique cultural attraction, and it’s a real gift of the Bata family to the province of Ontario.”

“For 30 years, the Bata Shoe Museum has illuminated the global history of footwear and explored its profound cultural significance through groundbreaking exhibitions, publications, and programming,” wrote Semmelhack. “As we honour the legacy of our past, we also look to the future, affirming our commitment to education, preservation, and impactful storytelling through the lens of shoes. With an unwavering commitment to community, we look forward to celebrating with you and creating new memories for decades to come.”

Rough & Ready will remain on display at the museum until October 2026, joining the permanent exhibition All About Shoes which traces not only the history of shoes but history through shoes. 

Running concurrently until March 2026 is Art/Wear: Sneakers x Artists, which follows the history and impact of these collaborations. Exhibit A: Investigating Crime and Footwear will also be on display until September 28, and its varying and subversive interpretations of crime are not to be missed. 

Tickets for the BSM are $16 for adults, $12 for seniors, $8 for post-secondary students, and $5 for children aged 5 to 17. Admission is free for everyone on Sundays, as well as for children under four, care and support workers, and Indigenous Peoples every day.

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