Sniffing Eminem's sweaty stains

STARSTRUCK! A Celebrity Shoe Soiree at Toronto's renowned Bata Shoe Museum

Marilyn Monroe was quoted as saying: "I don't know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot." Well maybe not all women and maybe even some men, as it is said that high heels increase butt protrusion on an average of 25 percent, which in some cases could be a good thing. Could be.
Of course, that would also depend on the relationship between the shoe lover and her shoe; for a stellar example of co-dependence, see the pained expression on Sarah Jessica Parker's face in Sex and the City (Season 4, episode 9, time code # 13.05) as she gets held up in a dark alley by a villain who yells: "give me the Blahnicks".
This month at the Bata Shoe Museum all the cult classics' shoes are on display in an exhibition creatively titled STARSTRUCK! A Celebrity Shoe Soireé. I'm going to see Streisand's, but you can have your choice of Britney, Madonna, Drew Barrymore, Shania Twain... and for the boys, Wayne Gretzky, Buddy Holly, Elton John and Elivs Presley, Shaquille O'Neal, Muhammad Ali, and Mickey Mantle to name a few. Authentic details include - grass stains left on the cleats of Tiger Woods sneakers and Eminem's Nike's containing the 'slim shady' signature writ aggressively along the side!
While many of these shoes were already part of the original Bata collection, a large part of this exhibit is received through donation by Dr. Hartley Miltchin, a Toronto podiatrist and avid collector. Says Dr. Miltchin, "My collection is not serving a purpose other than to me, by being hidden away. It's time to let the world enjoy what I've been enjoying for many years." But with a personal collection of over 200 pairs of shoes, surely this must also be a serious exercise in spring cleaning. His personal collection began with a pair of basketball shoes worn by Michael Jordan during the 1996-1997 playoffs and signed by each player of the Chicago Bulls.
Mrs. Sonja Bata, Founder & Chairman of The Bata Shoe Museum, explains her motivation for the show: "There is a strong fascination with anything celebrity these days and footwear is no exception, as you can learn a lot about someone by what they choose to wear on their feet." But beware, this exhibit is not for educational purposes only, nor am I certain whether the details of celebrities is something I need another dose of. But nevertheless, this exhibit does stir the brew of envy for any shoe-lover. And certainly the foot fetishist may find a little appeasement here as well.
With Elizabeth Semmelhack as curator, she seems more than a little overqualified for the job - having received a B.A. from Bennington College, Vermont, an M.A. in Western Art History from Tufts University, as well as M.A. in Asian Art History from Washington University in St. Louis, one wonders what cultural significance she will conjure up over the significance of Lana Turner's clogs.
On the other hand, I don't think we're looking for the sociological deconstruction here, but to the aesthetic pleasure enabled by individuals with huge wads of cash to spend on their feet. In fact this exhibit, much like the purchasers of the shoes themselves, are framing the whole shoe fantasy all in the name of good fun, which is maybe the larger sociological message about museum curatorial practices - that we need not make them some sacred ground of seriousness.

Publication Date: 2003-08-03
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2996