The Museum at FIT enthralls fashion lovers and many more. Because Woman Around Town readers enjoy staying in touch with the latest and greatest events in the city, we know that the museum’s newest exhibition, “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic” will top the list of things to do in midtown. Curated by Valerie Steele and Colleen Hill, it just opened on September 1^st and will be on view until December 31^st 2022.  It’s nice to know that the museum is totally free for visitors.

Shoes on Display

Shoes are more than an accessory. They are a mark of history, a statement about individual fashion choices, and oftentimes, authentic works of art.  The Museum at FIT has assembled a remarkable display of shoes including ones that are stunning, elaborate, and functional from designers and shoe companies worldwide.

Glass Slippers

“Shoes” features more than 300 of the 5,000 pairs of shoes, boots, sandals, and sneakers of the museum’s permanent collection. The book, Shoes: The Collection of The Museum at FIT, published by Taschen accompanies the show.

Green Silk Brocade Mules

Visitors have the opportunity to experience their own relationship to shoes while appreciating footwear’s social and psychological relationship to culture.  Themes are well placed. “Anatomy” shows how we stand and move differently depending on footwear. “Identity” displays how we associate shoe styles to different people.  And “Magic” emphasizes how shoes can be life changing when people make their own special shoe selections.

Rose Gold Vinyl Platforms

The exhibition commences with a pair of baby shoes, reminding guests how shoes become a part of life from the very beginning. As you stroll through the expansive gallery lined with glass cases, every type of shoe imaginable is wonderfully displayed. Some of our favorites pairs include the Rose Gold Vinyl Platforms, Green Silk Brocade Mules, Black Leather Boots with Extended Toes, Glass Slippers, and of course, the classic Converse. As a centerpiece in the exhibit, there’s a vibrant shoe store display that is reminiscent of the finest shoe shopping experience.

Converse

In addition to Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic, The Museum at FIT is also showing “Dior + Balenciaga: The Kings of Couture and their legacies” through November 6^th.  It features fashions by Christian Dior (1905-1957) and Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972). The objects are from solely The Museum at FIT’s permanent collection and it is the first to juxtapose the work of these two renowned designers.  Visitors will be impressed by the variety of stunning pieces of clothing on display.

The Museum at FIT is located at Seventh Avenue at 27^th Street in NYC.  To learn more about “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic,” other events, and the hours of the museum, please visit the museum’s website.

You can follow The Museum at Fit on Social Media @MuseumatFIT and use the hashtag #shoesexhibition for the current exhibition.

Photo Credit: Marina P. Kennedy