On a Pedestal: From Renaissance Chopines to Baroque Heels

"On a Pedestal: From Renaissance Chopines to Baroque Heels" is currently open at the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto. On display are more than 60 pairs of rare platform and high heel shoes shows from the 16th and 17th centuries. The exhibit, includes footwear on loan from 11 international museums. Chopines were the shoes of upper-class women and courtesans and rose to unprecedented heights in Italy and Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries. They were used to display family wealth, especially in Venice and Florence where the textile industry was important. The taller the platform shoe, the more dress fabric needed and the wealthier the family. The exhibition runs until September 20.