Did you know Temple has a shoe museum?

They say if you really want to know someone, walk a mile in their shoes. But sometimes just looking at their shoes is enough. In case you weren’t aware, Temple University has a shoe museum at the School of Podiatric Medicine. The museum is run by Barbara Williams who takes free tours made by appointment every Wednesday and Friday.

You don’t have to be a shoe-holic to enjoy this museum; it has something for everyone. Shoes are a basic necessity in any human life, but what makes them special is who wears them. From shoes worn by ancient Egyptians, to shoes worn by 20th-21st century celebrities, this museum has it all.

If you have an interest in fashion, sports, entertainment, politics, different cultures, medical condition – basically a general interest in humans – this museum is definitely worth checking out. I received a magnificent tour from Ms. Barbara, the museum supervisor, and had a great time. Her love of shoes has provided her with many, many tales and experiences.

One of the first pairs of shoes you’ll see in the lobby is a pair of golden boots worn by Ella Fitzgerald in the 1960s and they are stunning. Immediately you begin to get a better sense of who this woman was, just by looking at what she put on her feet.

It’s pretty obvious we humans aren’t always the brightest. For decades no one seemed to realize that our left and right are not the same shape, so they wore shoes without any left or right distinction.

The caption below these incredibly high heels says, “These 1890’s shoes will not stand upright on their 5 & ½ -inch heels. So how could a women stand in them?” Answer: women would have to rely on the assistance of an escort in order to walk. People say pain is beauty, but male dominance infiltrating fashion is nowhere near beautiful.

Speaking of impossible shoes, can you even imagine walking in these?

Or these?

This museum is fortunate to have shoes that are thousands of years old. These sandals from Egypt come from around 200 BC.

These sandals found in Spain are 500 years old, but they’re so cute they could be worn today.

On a darker note… Binding the feet of Chinese women to obtain a delicate tiny foot had been a common traditions for centuries until the 1950s. This torturous custom began at childhood and inhibited women from normally for the rest of their lives.

But on a lighter note, look! There’s a tiny house carved into the heel. Why don’t we bring this adorable trend back?

The shoes museum also has a large collection of shoes worn by celebrities.

From famous presidents.

To TV stars.

And musical theatre actors.

And famous athletes.

Olympic medal-winning Temple Grad Dawn Staley donated her shoes to the Museum. In a letter she wrote to accompany the shoes, she said, “These shoes represent the hard work and dedication I have put into my basketball career. They have taken me all over the world, won my last gold medal, and now… they rest.”

Many shoes from the past seem totally crazy to wear, but even we have our own peculiar pairs of shoes.

This handmade custom shoe was made for a 20 year old woman with gigantism. The shoe was constructed off a cast of her foot.

For all you Dr. Marten’s fans out there: no, these shoes were not sold in stores. The original owner added layers of foam to achieve the platform look. But that means you could DIY it too. Not more struggling to see at a concert now!

I’m not even going to tell you anything about these cowboy boots; their story is too fascinating for me to share.

Barbara is full of stories that should be told only while taking a tour of the museum with her. These shoes shown here do not even represent half of all the shoes at Temple’s shoe museum (about 900 pairs). You’ll have to see it for yourself to believe it!