Nestled at 327Bloor Street West is Toronto's shoe museum. So yeah this is the shoe lovers paradise.
The museum collect shoes from around the globe and anything about shoes. So you can expect an interesting array previously owned b by royalties, astronaut, celebrities etc. as well as to its accessories like stockings socks and ornaments.
Can you guess what materials are these socks made of?
As you can see shoes comes in various shapes, sizes, materials as well as functions not just as fashion statement as we commonly know these days. 
They had been objects to symbolise ones rank in the society, to mark a celebration be it religious or otherwise, used for protection when doing particular task not just a simple fashion item.
Various religions have their specifications as to what shoe design befits their leaders.
Shoes even then had inspired a lot of artisan and was a subject of interest in many of our household items be it the vase, the plates, paper holder or the clothes we were in.
SHOES as I discovered speaks much of the country where they are produced. Their values and traditions are reflected in these pairs be it in the quality of craftsmanship or the substance and the painstaking process of which they were made. 
There were materials that were common to these days and others that were unimaginable in matters of comfort. But then again if that served them well who am I to say it was inappropriate.
To cite a few
A. Metal shoes
B. grass shoes
C. Fur shoes
D. wooden shoes
E. Leather shoes
F. Silk shoes
I must say I was blown away by those painstakingly beaded and embroidered with gold threads be it a sandal / flat ,high heals or boots
Lady Gaga out of this world fashion wasn't too ahead of her time if I consider the symbolism and embellishments of those in display
All this limitless selection was made possible by the development of materials as well as the specialized tools .
The museum did inform me that the Cinderella Story isn't confined to the British or European .In contrary across oceans shoes was used to enhance once attractiveness to the opposite sex.
While in many culture like China and Europe, shoe binding was the epitome of female beauty I am 100 percent glad that this practise of downsizing the feet size by surgery or meticulous restrains had been banned as I find it unimaginable to enjoy my active lifestyle had this been the case. 
Neither do I want a giant size like this of Toronto Raptors,2019NBA champions. As it will be hard to find a fit and most often than not it and to be customized.Silly thoughts came rushing to my mind as I gazed at these temporary collection. Hint, back home we have this adult joke about the parallelism of the shoe size to the ones in the loins. Lol. 
Shoes is a vital business. According to this museum, the depression would have been worst had it not been to the thriving shoe business. Indeed,it creates lots of jobs and enriches those with skilled workmanship and vivid imaginations. 
So many famous shoe brands had been household named and gosh their prices are sometimes irrationally pricey. 
But to a collector, each item is priceless as it in a manifestation of designer's energy and time.The fact that they are rare and very very old is just bonus
Among many fashion items I love shoes the most as they are very personal to the wearer. One can pretty much get a good impression on someone simply just by looking at the shoes they wear. For example, if it's clean or not, is he after the brand or the practicality of things those sort of stuff. 
One cannot really fathom how shoes have evolved through the years. Yet we all can agree that they were designed to suit the needs of the times .
Close inspection of them would tell us clues of how people lived at such era also.
As I examine closely, I can't help think would this people choose the materials had they known it would endanger animals? Or would it even made a dent if we do our shoes by hand than mass produced them only to end up as trash after the season.
If you have time do check this out and be caught wide mouth with their unique collection 
I still long to own a famous brand of couture shoes as they say it in the Sex in the City "shoes takes you to places"but I still have to save up and turn off my frugal side of the brain for that. 
As much as I want to splurge and boost the shoes economy I need to hold on to each penny for a while especially that I am jobless here in Toronto. 
I need to remind myself how I'm blessed to be in my comfy running shoes than in gold and bejewelled shackles. 
Centuries back they would be fond of this embellishments but nowadays we associate it with shackles. So you see nothing is ever permanent in this life.. who knows maybe in the near future this perception will change also. 
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