A detail of shoes and boots from the Identity section.

Images (15)

Shoes by Azzedine Alaia, Manolo Blahník, and Brother Vellies in the Identity: Designer Shoes section.

A selection of late 20th- and 21st-century shoes from the Anatomy: High Heels section.

A selection of 21st-century shoes from the Anatomy: High Heels section.

A pairing of 18th-century and early 20th-century shoes from the Identity: Historical Inspirations section.

Shoes from the Identity section, organized into pairings that ask visitors “Shoe are you?”

A pairing of boots by Christian Louboutin for Stella Jean and sneakers by Ricardo Seco, made in collaboration with the Huichol (or Wixáritari) people of Mexico, both from 2015.

A line-up of styles from the Anatomy: Boots section.

Pairings from the Anatomy section. From left to right: 1970s platforms by Raphael, 1970s Earth Shoes, circa 1970 flat sandals by Capezio, and 1940s stacked platform sandals by Dino Busso.

A selection of shoes from the Anatomy section. From left to right: wedges by Pierre Hardy from 2015, high heels by Maison Martin Margiela, 2009, and high heels Walter Steiger, 2013.

A grouping of shoes from the Anatomy section.

A view of the Magic: Shopping section of the exhibition, featuring 21st-century shoe styles.

A selection of shoes in the Magic: Myths and Fairy Tales section.

The earliest shoes in the Anatomy: High Heels section, dating from the 17th century to the 1930s.

Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic

September 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022

View Works

Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic highlights more than 300 pairs of shoes from the museum’s permanent collection of 5,000 shoes. Following the success of the MFIT exhibitions Shoes: A Lexicon of Style (1999) and Shoe Obsession (2013), this exhibition provides its own rich narrative on the enduring cultural significance of shoes, while showcasing the museum’s world-class collection of footwear.

The museum’s earliest shoes date from the 17th century (a pair of high-heeled men’s shoes). The most recent are spectacular 21st-century footwear. Featured labels include Alaïa, Manolo Blahnik, Chanel, Ferragamo, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, Prada, Noritaka Tatehana, Iris van Herpen, and Roger Vivier, among others.

The exhibition, curated by Dr. Valerie Steele and Colleen Hill, is accompanied by a lavishly-illustrated companion book, published by Taschen.