For true fashionistas no trip to New York is complete without a visit to the Museum at FIT. The Fashion Institute of Technology currently is running a shoe exhibit entitled, “Shoes: Anatomy, Identity, Magic. The Fashion Institute’s Shoe Exhibit opened on September 1, and runs through December 31, 2022. This shoe exhibition is broken into three aspects of the why and how we wear shoes beginning with ANATOMY. All of us have a very physical relationship with shoes. We like to try them on, take a walk in them and check out the way they look on our bodies. Certain shoes allow us to stand differently, such as a pair of Louboutin Stiletto platforms. We walk a bit sexier in this shoe than we would in a lower profile pump such as the Embassy London Dannii. This shoes gives off a “Femme Fatale” vibe tha draws attention to the length of the leg giving the Louboutin 2008 Pink Leather Platform has its own effect on the wearer’s feet. And that effect is very different from the way one would romp around in a pair of Balenciaga Triple S sneakers, (which by the way are also in this exhibit.). Sneakers are more of a fun, wearable shoe that don’t require a special event and give us a chance to relax our feet and feel more at ease.
The goal of most shoe exhibitions is to allow us to identify with the shoes we wear or to dream about an IDENTITY we wish we could assume. For instance wearing a Doc Marten boot is a symbol of rebellion. It’s the boot of our youth. Whereas the Prada mule is a symbol of wealth and taste. Every person tells a little bit about themselves through their shoe choices. This exhibit has a John Lobb men’s oxford on display. John Lobb is a company that has been producing shoes since 1851. This British brand, similar to the modern Embassy London Orlando Oxford, is a company whose identity is founded in classic styling, quality and comfort.
And finally the FIT shoe exhibit shows us the MAGIC in shoes. Cinderella found her prince by leaving behind a glass slipper and Dorthy clicked her heels and found her way home. A new pair of shoes makes us feel good. They can fill a void that we might not even know existed. The master of this Magic is the timeless Manolo Blahnik. The Museum at FIT is lucky enough to have been gifted a pair of 2019, green lace and red silk pumps. These magical shoes are on display for you to ooh and ahh over as you peruse the over 300 pairs on display. This is a small sampling of The Museum at FIT’s 5,000 pair collection. The shoe exhibit begins with a pair of baby shoes, which is fitting as you are encouraged to take your first steps into the fascinating world of why we wear the shoes we wear.