Footwear in former colonies: new steps for researching shoes, their meanings and uses in 19th-century Americas (1780-1920)
Article Cecília Soares Article Cecília Soares

Footwear in former colonies: new steps for researching shoes, their meanings and uses in 19th-century Americas (1780-1920)

How can footwear reveal colonial power dynamics? Through examination of shoes in 19th-century Americas, Dr. Cecília Soares explores how shoes reflected both slavery and freedom, industrialisation, and global fashion trends. Drawing on diverse sources from museum collections to period artwork, this study illuminates how footwear embodied both local practices and international influences. (Image: Gabriela Garcia)

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When Shoe Heritage is on Display: The Museums and Archives Directory 
Footwear Resources Charlotte Stachel & Professor Lorenzo Cantoni Footwear Resources Charlotte Stachel & Professor Lorenzo Cantoni

When Shoe Heritage is on Display: The Museums and Archives Directory 

Over the last decade, fashion exhibitions have become magnets for visitors. Since the pandemic, virtual exhibitions have experienced a boom. In this article, Charlotte Stachel and Professor Lorenzo Cantoni at the Università della Svizzera Italiana introduce you to a study on shoe museums' web presence and present the Footwear Research Network's Museums and Archives Directory.

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More From the Footwear Research Network…

  • A pair of tan leather Jacoform shoes owned by Footwear Research Network contributor Professor Andrew Groves photographed against a black background.

    Contributors

    Meet our internationally acclaimed network of contributors.

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  • A photograph of a shoe gallery at Shoes of No Shoes (SONS), Kruisem, Belgium.

    Museums & Archives

    A list of publicly available museums and archives in alphabetical order by country.

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  • Reading List

    A list of recommended past and present academic texts on footwear.

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  • Photograph of shoes on display in 1980s style mock shop front at the Bata Shoe Museum's 'Dressed to Impress' exhibition in Toronto © 2023 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada (Photo: Margaret Mulligan)

    Events

    Keep up to date with footwear events and exhibitions worldwide.

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  • Collage or different shoes. Artwork by Maximillian Malone for the Footwear Research Network, 2021.

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If the shoe fits:
FootweaR, Identity & Transition

The Footwear Research Network is an outcome of the ESRC-funded research project If the Shoe Fits: Footwear Identity and Transition at the University of Sheffield (2010-2013). Learn more about the project and research outputs here.

Screen shot from the research project documentary of a woman in a polkadot shirt and with red hair selecting shoes from a personal display hanging on a wall.

  • The Footwear Research Network is an outcome of the ESRC-funded research project If the Shoe Fits: Footwear Identity and Transition at the University of Sheffield (2010-2013).

    Learn more here

  • Watch the ‘If the Shoe Fits’ documentary to learn more about the research project and the relationship between wearers and their shoes. Filmed and produced by Sheffield Vision.

  • Learn more about the ‘If the Shoe Fits’ research team and board of advisors.

  • Following the success of the original ITSF project, further funding was secured in 2015 for a follow-on project, ‘If the Shoe Fits: Enabling Patient-Centred Podiatry’.

    Learn more.

  • A number of papers and publications were produced directly from the ‘If the Shoe Fits’ research and in association with the project. Access the full list here.