Summer’s here, so there’s no better time to take a look at some of our shoe-related sightseeing options!

Italy

Italy is arguably ground-zero for shoe lovers, so let’s start here. First up is the shoe-steeped culture of Vigevano, Italy. This town has a long history of shoe production, a 500-year-old square in which I’m guessing you could enjoy a lovely espresso, and a first-rate shoe museum, the Museo Internazionale della Calzatura Vigevano. It’s easy to get to, as it’s just about 35 kilometers from Milan…From there, why not pop over to Milan to check out the flagship Rene Caovilla boutique, “a luxury salon in the heart of the city, furnished with works of art, wall tapestries and architectural features from 18th century Venice.” It’s located at Via Bagutta 28…In Florence, the recently re-opened Ferragamo Museum, which is presenting an exhibit on the use of color in Ferragam shoes, is a must-see; enter from Piazza Santa Trinita 5r… In Rome, stop by the first Stuart Weitzman boutique to use the ribbon-themed decor, located at 27 Via dei Condotti (pictured at left). Eventually all Stuart Weitzman boutiques will use this theme.

Paris

Check out Shoe Lover’s Tour of Paris, a recent Toe Zone entry, for more information on what to see and do in Paris.

England

Margaret Halsey (1911-1997), a writer who lampooned the British and their customs, once said “Englishwomen’s shoes look as if they had been made by someone who had often heard shoes described but had never seen any.” Well, apparently those cobblers had never seen the “world famous shoe collection”, at the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, about 70 miles from London. The museum’s “Life & Sole” gallery shows the history of shoemaking and recreates a Northampton shoe factory…Once in London, check out the exhibit by Chantal Joffe at the Victoria Miro gallery, at 16 Wharf Road. The artist paints images from the world of fashion; while only tangentially shoe-related, it nonetheless looks worth a visit (a sample is at right)…Of course, you must also stop by Manolo Blahnik’s first boutique, located at 49-51, Old Church Street.

US/Canada

In Toronto, of course, is the mother ship, the Bata Shoe Museum, where you can learn just about everything you need to know about shoes…Farther south, you can visit a (much) smaller museum, the Brockton Shoe Museum, in Brockton Massachusetts. Among other displays, their celebrity footwear exhibit includes “shoes worn by Ted Williams, Arthur Fiedler, Rocky Marciano, and the size 24 shoes worn by Primo Carnera - world champion Italian boxer of the 1930s.”…Even farther south, check out the “History in Every Step” exhibit at the Charleston (SC) Museum, which includes (among other significant shoes) the evening shoes worn by Nancy Moore Thurmond (Strom’s wife) when she was voted Miss South Carolina in 1965.

If you’re more in the mood for kitsch Americana, check out the Big Shoe Repair building in Bakersfield, CA, and the Giant Shoe Museum in Seattle.

Philippines

Finally, this YouTube video, entitled “See To Believe” provides an excellent overview of Makatina, Philippines, a city which does indeed love its shoes. I recommend that you watch it immediately.

Happy travels!