Experts' Choice Award Bata Shoe Museum
What the experts agree on
This shoebox-shaped museum houses a massive 10,000+ piece footwear collection spanning 4,500 years, from bound-foot Chinese slippers to cutting-edge sneakers—a quirky, surprisingly deep dive into shoes and culture.
“The ever-rotating exhibits cover a wide breadth of countries and time periods—you might see slippers worn by Chinese women with bound feet, yucca sandals made by Native Americans.”
– Condé Nast Traveler
Fodor's "A permanent collection of 10,000 varieties of foot coverings and, through the changing fashions, highlights the craft and sociology of making shoes." Full review
Michelin Guide 2 Stars
"This unique museum draws on its 10,000-piece collection to illustrate a 4,500-year history of shoemaking and mankind's footwear." Full review
Atlas Obscura "A collection of more than 12,000 shoes, displayed in a building shaped like a shoebox. " Full review
Afar Magazine "The Bata Shoe Museum is dedicated to the history of footwear through the ages." Full review
New York Times "A few blocks west, the Bata Shoe Museum launches “Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks,” showcasing high-tech designs like Nike’s self-lacing MAGS and a Zaha Hadid/Rem Koolhaas collaboration (through October 2023)"
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Frommer's "Imelda Marcos: Eat your heart out. This modern museum houses the shoe-magnate Bata family's 10,000-item collection." Full review
Lonely Planet "It's important in life to be well shod, a stance the Bata Shoe Museum takes seriously." Full review
Travel + Leisure "Displays the most extensive collection of footwear and related items in the world, with exhibitions ranging from a fascinating timeline that chronicles 4,500 years of footwear history"
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New York Times "The Bata Shoe Museum has an unexpectedly fascinating exhibit exploring the history of what we put on our feet. Then continue to the Bata Shoe Museum, another oft-overlooked institution,..."
Afar Magazine "Nearby, Bata Shoe Museum serves as an international center for footwear research with an astounding display of more than 1,000 shoes and related artifacts, from Chinese bound-foot shoes..."
