The Shoe Museum at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine
- Home
- United States
- Philadelphia, PA
- The Shoe Museum at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine
Admission to museum is free. Visits must be scheduled in advance. https://calendly.com/shoemuseum/1
Address
148 N. 8th Street
Philadelphia, PA
19107
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 5pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |
Telephone
Website
Alerts
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Shoe Museum at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contact The Museum
Send a message to The Shoe Museum at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine:
Shortcuts
Share
Category
Our History
Welcome to The Shoe Museum at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine!
The museum was created during the nation's bicentennial in 1976 as an added attraction for visitors to the Liberty Bell and Independence Park, which are only two blocks from the University. A group of volunteers sought additions to the University's collection, and the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia placed the Dr. H. Augustus Wilson Shoe Collection on extended loan at the University. Dr. Wilson (1853-1919), a noted Philadelphia orthopedist, was a world traveler and collected footwear from over 30 nations.
Although most of the museum's collection dates from the 19th and 20th centuries, there is also a good representation of older footwear. One unusual item is a pair of 200-year-old French "sabots," the wooden shoes that gave birth to the expression "sabotage." Other items in the collection include Egyptian burial sandals, bridal footwear, salesmen's miniature samples, children's shoes, shoe lasts, Malaysian clogs, Eskimo boots, a circus giant's size 18 shoes, iron diving boots, ballet shoes, and the huge shoe of a young victim of gigantism whose leg and foot weighed 58 pounds. The museum also includes shoes donated by celebrities, as well as former presidents and first ladies. Shoes of sports stars include those of Dr. J and Joe Frazier, Bernie Parent's Stanley Cup skates, Reggie Jackson's five home-run World Series shoes, Andre Agassi's 1990 pink and black Nikes, and World Cup Team Portugal superstar Luis Figo's shoes.
Recent additions include Ella Fitzgerald's "very '60s" gold boots, Joan River's exotic Manolo Blahniks, and a pair of six-inch blue satin platform sandals worn by Sally Struthers as "Gloria" on the popular TV sitcom All in the Family. Platform shoes have resurfaced regularly throughout history, first as protection from dirt and water, then as fashion, including half a dozen fads during the 20th century. Popular in the East for centuries, platform shoes were introduced to Europe in the 16th century. Originally known as chopines, these "stilt" shoes reached dizzying heights of up to two-and-one-half feet. The wearer needed the help of two servants to walk, reinforcing both social status and the image of a woman as frail and dependent.
