Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto to Present STANDING TALL Exhibit, 5/8

This special exhibition will examine the history of men's heeled footwear from the early 17th century to the present. Drawn from the Bata Shoe Museum's singular collection-the most comprehensive of its kind in the world-Standing Tall reveals the history, variety, functions, meanings, and significance of heeled footwear in men's dress over the last four centuries. The exhibition will be on view through June 2016, and is a part of the Museum's 20thanniversary celebration.

Standing Tall features rare examples of men's heeled footwear from the 17th and 18th centuries, mid-19th century military boots, and vintage cowboy and biker boots. Exhibition highlights include John Lennon's original 1960s Beatle boot, platforms worn by Elton John in the 1970s, boots from the smash musical "Kinky Boots," and current heels for men. One particularly significant pair of boots in the exhibition (pictured right) from 1973, were produced in Toronto by shoemaker-to-the-stars, Master John. They feature five and a half inch heels, appliquéd stars, and a veritable landscape in leather. In the 1970s, some men followed the lead of rock stars by adopting lavish personal adornment and elevating shoes, cultivating a persona at once dandyish and hyper-masculine. Think David Bowie and Elton John, but also Kiss. Gene Simmons of Kiss still wears 10-inch heels to this day.

Please let us know if you would like additional information about the exhibition, or if you would like to interview curator Elizabeth Semmelhack, who has also organized another exhibition opening July 10 - October 4, at the Brooklyn Museum called Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture which examines the sneaker's complex and fascinating history.