Reflection on the 10th Shoes and Clothing in History Conference 2024 in Zlín (Czech Republic)
Tomáš Baťa (1876-1932), founder of the homonymous shoe brand, is still present in the city centre of Zlín, such as on this advertising poster for the "Bata Principle" exhibition on the history of the Bata shoe company, on display at the Museum of South East Moravia. (photo by the author)
Zlín is home to the world-famous shoe brand Bata, founded in 1894. Hence, it is no surprise that the city in the Southeast of the Czech Republic is still characterised by decades of mass-shoe production (at its peak, 280,000 pairs per day!): The enormous brick halls of the Bata factory complex, located in the centre and inspired by the American model, are encircled by a number of neatly arranged residential buildings that were initially built for factory workers. In one of those former manufacturing buildings, the 10th Shoes and Clothing in History Conference took place on the 14th and 15th of November 2024.
Image: Besides its exhibition on Bata shoes, the Museum of South East Moravia in Zlín also displays about 600 items of historical footwear from throughout history and from all parts of the world. (photo by the author)
Image: At the local Tomas Bata University, design students can specialise in shoe design. When it comes to putting their digital designs into practice in the sewing studio, they can count on former Bata employees' expertise, skills and support. (photo by the author)
Around 20 scholars and practitioners from 10 countries in Europe and the United States responded to the Museum of South East Moravia’s invitation. Most presentations featured archaeological research on European footwear and clothing from the Middle Ages.[1] Many participants proved to be skilled (hobby-)shoemakers who impressively recreate historical finds themselves and brought them to Zlín. There is hardly a better way to illustrate the research results! This passion for historical footwear goes beyond the boundaries of work and leisure. Throughout the two conference days, numerous small groups of like-minded participants formed and bonded over the “reenactment” activities they pursue in their free time. This strong connection between research and practice and the personal passion for historical footwear and clothing that the participants brought made the conference entertaining and participatory.
The contribution titled “Swissness in a Heritage Fashion Brand – The Case of Bally”, which I wrote in collaboration with Lorenzo Cantoni (USI) and Rebekka Gerber (Archive of the Bally Shoe Factories LTD), was, in this context, sort of an outlier.[2] Yet, in the extensive supplementary programme of the conference, which often revolved around Tomáš Baťa and his legacy, many parallels between the former rivals Bata and Bally became apparent, for example, during the guided tour of the “Bata Principle” exhibition. Photos and a virtual tour can be found here: https://www.muzeum-zlin.cz/expoziceprincip-bata-dnes-fantazie-zitra-skutecnost
Image: A selection of historical shoe buckles at the temporary exhibition “They are ornamental wherever they go”, which displays more than 300 items from the 16th to the 19th century, mostly from Great Britain and France.
Image: In the Museum of South East Moravia’s depositories, newly received objects are not restored but only conserved, such as these various types of traditional footwear from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. (photo by the author)
Addressing the participants' broad scientific and professional backgrounds, the two days in Zlín were peppered with fascinating insights into historical and contemporary perspectives on footwear: conference organiser Mgr. Michal Heinrich (Curator of the shoe collection) and his team took us on a tour of the Shoe and Garment Design Studio at Tomas Baťa University, an exhibition on shoe buckles, a visit to Gara Leder tannery, and the depositories of the Museum of South East Moravia in nearby Otrokovice. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to discover the vast historical shoe collection – but this is another reason to return to Zlín in a few years for the 11th Shoes and Clothing in History Conference.
To find out more about the Shoes and Clothing in History Conference and Museum of South East Moravia visit: https://www.muzeum-zlin.cz/konference/shoes-in-history
Image: The Bata “Skyscraper” from 1939, with its 16 floors, is a landmark of Zlín and houses the so-called "Elevator Office": a spacious corner office of the later Bata head Jan Antonín Baťa with telephone lines and running water, which could stop on any floor and enable efficient work. (photo by the author)
Footnotes:
[1] The full list of presenters and topics can be found on the following website: https://www.muzeum-zlin.cz/shoes-in-history-2024).
[2] If you are interested in the text, I am happy to send it to you via e-mail: charlotte.stachel@usi.ch
