Bata Shoe Museum: Explore Footwear History

Discover the fascinating history of footwear at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. Explore over 4,500 years of styles and see celebrity shoes in this award-winning museum.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Bata Shoe Museum - EXHIBITION OVERVIEW
    Alongside the well-loved semi-permanent exhibition, All About Shoes, the Museum features three galleries dedicated to rotating exhibitions, guaranteeing a fresh experience with every visit. Typically, exhibitions are displayed for a year, with 1-2 new exhibitions introduced annually. By crafting creative…
What's Included
  • Bring your own Wi-Fi enabled device for Audio Guide.
What's Not Included
  • Transportation to/from attractions
  • Parking
  • Museum Lectures and Workshops
  • Guided Group Visits - The Museum is designed to be “self-guided”
Additional Information

Experience the wonders of the globally recognized Canadian shoe museum, the Bata Shoe Museum, positioned in Toronto. It is home to over a thousand shoes and corresponding items (out of a total collection of more than 13,000), all housed within an acclaimed five-story building designed by architect Raymond Moriyama.
The BSM honors the aesthetic and…

Location
Bata Shoe Museum
327 Bloor St W, (at St. George St.)
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(76 Ratings)
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Tonyde1951ue
Oct 2, 2025
Fun Museum to Visit - What a fun museum! Exhibits were well designed and informative. Also Sundays are free admission. Definitely worth a visit when in Toronto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Y959vpjong
Sep 30, 2025
Fascinating and entertaining shoe museum - We heard about this museum from the hop on hop off bus tour and thought it sounded interesting. The museum is a lovely building with the displays spread over 3 floors. We thought it was really well set out. There was a permanent display and a couple of themed ones. There's an informative display about the history of footwear in different cultures. We also saw displays about footwear in crime, and cowboy boots. Apparently they own a few celebrity shoes but they're not always on display. We liked seeing Elton John's boots and Bela Lugosi's shoes. There's an area downstairs where children can try on lots of different styles of footwear. Reasonable cost and worth a couple of hours to visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fran
Jul 29, 2025
A surprisingly unique museum that had so much to offer with history, design, and information about shoe history. - The museum was not initially on our list of places to visit in Toronto and it was very hot outside so we decided to go ( much to my husband’s questioning “Why?” but we fell in love ( yes, my husband loved it) with the museum and its history and all the wonderful displays of shoes thru the ages of man. What a surprise and delight. We spent two hours exploring all the areas and taking pictures. And it was a treat to be there on Free Sunday! Every room was unique and intriguing. I have recommended this to every one I’ve talked to. And we would go again if we were ever back in Toronto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roam741933
Apr 25, 2025
Visit the museum!!! - The museum it amazing. There are 4 floors and each dedicated to specific themes. There is a lot of historical knowledge shared as well as some beautifully designed shoes. The artist collaboration exhibit was top notch.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_n
Sep 27, 2025
Quirky shoe history - Interesting short visit, allow about 45 mins. Well presented museum, one of the displays under renovation so not open. Staff friendly and helpful.
Review provided by Viator
Freedom29357673634
Jul 13, 2025
Student admission for $8 - Excellent history of Cowboy boots and an exhibit about art and running shoes. I got the student admission rate for $8, which was well worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
861mrsw
Apr 18, 2025
Footwear through the ages - sounds boring but actually it really wasn't - Fascinating and well worth a visit. Footwear through history - sounds a bit boring but actually it really wasn't. The displays were easy to see with the flow of exhibits easy to navigate. The information boards were clear to read and provided lots of interesting information. We looked at every single exhibit and didn't see Elton John or Elvis' shoes - shame as at the end when we asked where they were we were told the exhibits were closed and this was a disappointment.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Camper44528356182
Dec 1, 2025
Interesting but missed opportunity to tell the Bata story. - I was drawn to visit partly by the story of the Bata family, the company, and their impact around the world. But it was all about the shoes. I have visited exhibitions about Cartier, Faberge , fashion houses, and the family story and struggle is entwined with the product. And the story is truly incredible. For example a book like A Suitable Boy based in India touches on the Bata legacy in India. Tom Stoppard, one of the Uk’s greatest writers and Oscar winner owed his existence to his father being a Bata employee. At the same time there is a darker legacy. And I wanted to know about the story of the Bata products. But I could find nothing at all about the extraordinary Bata family and business story. So disappointing. And would have been so much more interesting than cowboy boots. So while the history of shoes was quite interesting, the place needs a rethink and makeover.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Phoenixrobin
Oct 13, 2025
Disappointing - I was looking forward to visiting this museum, but it was disappointing. The lower level is a history of shoes, which both my husband and I found interesting. The second level was cowboy boots, which was interesting, but how many cowboy boots can you look at? The third level was athletic shoes, which I found totally uninteresting. I was hoping to see more 20th century shoes from the 1900’s to the 1960’s etc. or “famous” shoes, e.g. “these were worn by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City” or “these were the spats worn by George Raft in ‘Some Like It Hot.’” We only spent 45-60 minutes. There is a small gift shop and restrooms are available.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V3645nyrobertp
Feb 19, 2025
Avoid like the plague. - People will tell you that this is a fun and interesting museum. Do not believe them. It is basically one room on the history of shoes. The remaining floors have displays which provide little interest. It was beyond boring. And I love museums. I can literally museum almost anything. This is not a good museum. Overpriced too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $11
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).