the Heels - you can never have enough shoes...

Well, that's what I believe and I can hear a vast sisterhood of budding Imeldas echoing my sentiments already...but I'm pretty certain there's an equal and quite opposite male mumble in the background chorusing 'another pair?! you can only wear one pair at once you know, darling..'

What do they know!

Anyhow, imagine my delight to discover that Toronto has it's very own shoe shrine, where you can worship all things that decorate the feet. I'm talking, of course about the wonderful Bata Shoe Museum.


I visited a few weeks back - arriving there appropriately on foot, having walked the dazzling gaunlet of designer stores on Bloor St. West.

Loving the beautiful open stairway in the entrance hall which connects the 4 galleries - especially how it was flooded with light from a coloured glass wall of windows.

First gallery 'all about shoes: footwear thru the ages', personally I found this tale of evolution far more interesting than Darwin's theory! ;-).

Adorable silver Indian Paduka (Sanskrit for sandal apparently) with their intricate floral engravings from 18th century Jaipur, these might have been given to some blushing bride.

Oh, and I giggled at these armoured Sabatons from the Gothic period - me and my sister used to force our poor feet into ridiculously pointed boots too, in our 'Gothic' phase, lol!

Ok, so the King's shoes weren't suede but there is some blue there (rockin' a classic nautical look really...)

And a girl after my own heart - Marilyn Monroe once famously said "I don't know who invented the high heel, but all women owe him alot". Her 1957 red pumps would be perfect for Dorothy!

I've a bit of a thing for zebras, so I was drawn to Pablo Picasso's solitary shoe but it did evoke strange images of him hopping around or perhaps it's a romantic case of 'whomever the shoe fits...'

'beauty, identity, pride : native north american footwear' is a 
gallery packed with 90 pairs of native shoes, boots & moccasins.


Amazing beadwork, rich colours and bold patterns!

Onto the ice...'bound for glory : cutting-edge winter sports footwear' - this gallery was packed with eager school kids, excited to learn about past winter sports heroes and soon to be 2010 Olympic gold medal winners (Go Canada!).

There was something magical about Canadian figure skater Barbara Wagner's Phantom blades - she won a gold medal along with her partner Robert Paul at the 1960 Winter Olympic Games 

Luge shoes by Adidas, kinda reminded me of my old pencil case! 

Last but by no means least 'on a pedestal : from renaissance chopines to baroque heels'.

Wow! I'm talking 'sex & the city' fabulous, Carrie eat your heart out! 


Ok, so now the museum visit is over and my feet are tired & achey. Can't wait to get home, soak & soothe them using something that'll leave them silky smooth & tingling fresh - ah, I feel a soap inspiration coming on...

So enter  The Heels - handmade cold process foot soap in delicate & sophisticated  shades of pale greyish blue, with a reviving blend of peppermint & eucalyptus essential oils and a smoothing pumice scrub layer.

They're looking good on the curing shelf, and smell divine - think a dusting of gold mica will top them off beautifully...what do you think, ladies?

I'm sure the glamorous cast of The Hills, (once they stop filming and kick off their Manolo Blahniks) - would welcome The Heels in Hollywood with open arms and grateful feet!