Bata Shoe Museum celebrates 30 years

Toronto's Bata Shoe Museum is celebrating its 30th anniversary by recognizing three decades of exhibitions, starting Wednesday with Rough and Ready: A History of the Cowboy Boot.

Planning the special anniversary programming has been a trip down memory lane for Elizabeth Semmelhack, who's worked at the museum for 25 of the first 30 years.

"Thinking back to when the museum began I think a lot of people were curious what a shoe museum would be like, and what kind of work it would do," said Semmelhack, the museum's director and senior curator.

Founded by Sonja Bata, the Bata Shoe Museum first opened its doors on May 6th, 1995 with the mission to illuminate human history through footwear. 

Three decades later, the museum cares for nearly 15,000 shoes and shoe-related artifacts spanning over 4,500 years. "We have footwear from around the world. We are in the most diverse city on the planet, and our collection reflects that," Semmelhack said.

The Bata Shoe Museum is home to many permanent collections but also has three temporary gallery spaces which offer rotating exhibits. Irina Mihalache, professor and director of museum studies at the University of Toronto said milestones  like this are worth celebrating. 

"It's oftentimes challenging for smaller museums to survive and have anniversaries so it's a testament to the strength of the collection and the ability of the museum to adjust to the changes in the field and welcome new communities," Mihalache said.

The museum is also hosting a free community day on Sunday in celebration of Rough & Ready: A History of the Cowboy Boot, which runs until October 2026.