If That Shoe Fits
They were the very first thing I saw as I walked through the
door. They were gorgeous. Artfully placed on the floor alongside some books and
a shopping bag, the red stilettos, were made of shiny leather and very high,
needle-thin heels. French no doubt or Italian perhaps. Early 1950s or mid
1980s? Pointing to them I whispered reverentially to Elizabeth my host at the
shoe museum: “Are they part of an exhibit?”
She threw back her head and laughed, “No, those are my
shoes.”
Elizabeth Semmelheck is senior curator at the Bata
Shoe Museum
in downtown Toronto, and ‘an expert
on stilettos to boot (pun intended). She has studied high heels for the past 12
years and authored a book titled Heights of Fashion: A History of the Elevated
Shoe, where she has traced the continued appeal of high heels among women and
men over the centuries.
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| Dressed to Kill : Stilleto designed by Givenchy 1985-1989 |
“Given that this is a shoe museum, there must be a lot of
pressure on everyone who works here to wear the best foot wear. Or at least
wear shoes that have some character,” I wondered out loud. “There is pressure
yes, but not from the office or co-workers... just mostly from visitors like
you,” she said with a grin.
- Can anyone blame me? I had just entered a multi-storey
building which houses more than 12,000 artifacts which in clude shoes,
stockings, and buckles — basically everything that is related to footwear. Even
the children’s book section in the museum shop plays along with the theme: Puss
in Boots, Cinderella, and our own Musharraf Ali Farooqi’s The Cobbler’s Holiday
or Why Ants Don’t Wear Shoes.
Surely this must be ‘a unique, one-of-a-kind collection.
“No, there are other shoe museums around the world. The two most important ones
being in Romans, France,
and North Hampton, England.
Both towns were once major centres of shoemaking.”
. Back here in Toronto,
what is the oldest item in the collection? “Egyptian funerary shoes that go
back 4,500 years. The most expensive? “I’m afraid I can’t divulge that.” The
most popular shoes? “Those would probably be Elton John’s platform boots.
Princess Diana’s shoes also attract many visitors.” And your favourite shoes?
“I have a soft spot for every exhibit we set up here,” she responded
judiciously.
“Gender is a factor when it comes to shoes, isn’t it,” I
persisted, “women have a greater variety to choose from and wear.” “That is
mostly true yes, but the choice available to men has broadened because of the
Sneaker Culture that started in the 1980s.” Air Jordan, Nike, Adidas, and other
such sport shoe manufacturers have found a strong following among men and boys.
They keep abreast of the latest styles and experiment with different designs. “Colors
too,” Elizabeth added. “It became
okay for men to wear bright pink sneakers.”
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| Lotus Shoes : Such as those worn by chinese women |
“In these times especially, when clothing has been demo
cratised thanks to retailers like GAP, shoes make all the difference. For both
men and women. One woman dresses in jeans, t-shirt and sneakers. Another wears
the same jeans and t-shirt with high heels. Shoes can work as accessories that
help to express individuality.”
 |
| Lost and found : Nizam Sikandar Jah throne slippers c.1803 |
Speaking of individuals, a pair of mojaris (khussas) that
are said to be owned by Nizam Sikander Jah of Hyderabad
(r. 1803-1829) are housed at the museum. Encrusted with gold embroidery and
traditional polki jewels, the slippers were not used for actual walking but
rather worn only when the ruler was seated on his throne. They offer a tiny
glimpse of the enormous wealth that was enjoyed by the Asaf Jahi dynasty during
the two centuries of its existence.
In January 2006, his exalted highness’s shoes became the
subject of a much publicized theft — and an equally dramatic return. A gang of
thieves managed to lift the golden footwear while it was on display and sneaked
it out of the building. Shortly after accomplishing this feat, they took photographs
of their booty and brought them to a nearby photo shop to be developed. It was
the same photo shop that was used by the museum. The staff recognized the
shoes, discreetly took photographs of the customer who brought them in and
contacted the police. The mojaris were recovered not long afterwards.
“The human foot is the same, but what we put on it is
different and also illuminating from a cultural standpoint. Men, women,
children, and even little babies wear some kind of footwear.” They may be
everyday shoes or shoes that are especially bought for special occasions. Shoes
are not just indicators of the style which was popular at a particular period
in time; they c also represent the social movements and political milieu of the
time.
Take the stiletto for example. In Heights of Fashion
Elizabeth explains how Roger Viver first created them in 1954. Although high
heels had been worn long before this, the very thin high heel — stiletto means
‘little knife’ in Italian
— became possible only after World War II. “Thanks to war
time technology, a strong metal rod enabled needle-thin heels to support the
carefully balanced weight of a woman without breaking.”
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| Platform boots worn by sir Eltonjohn c.1974 |
Ever since, thin high heels have defined femininity like no
other object. No handbag or piece of jewellery can compete with the high heel
as an icon of female power. Albeit a hyper sexualized female power. Think Bond
girls and Playboy bunnies — flats and flip flops do not come to mind. And in
terms of physical pain and hampered mobility, high heels may even be seen as a modern
version of foot-binding that was once forced upon women in is that enough to
kick the heel habit? Not likely.
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