Of course it is the inhabitants of the Langstraat, the former leather and shoe area of Waalwijk, who were the first to come and take a look at Het Schoenenkwartier. After five years, the shoe city of Waalwijk finally has a museum that shows that history. “It’s fantastic. You can have your shoes polished, follow workshops and look at the most special shoes. As a Waalwijker I am very proud of this result,” says shoe repairer Jan Dumoulin as he walks through the museum.
Waalwijk is known for the leather and shoe industry. The factories are no longer there, but many Waalwijkers still work in the industry. Jan Dumoulin (56) is one of them. He has since taken over the business that his grandfather founded 94 years ago. “I was born and raised in the shoe industry”, says Jan while polishing my shoes.
“Finally we have a place again where we can show the history of Waalwijk.”
“I’ve been working in the business since I was fourteen, where we make parts and refurbish shoes,” says Jan. “And when you’re in the business, you don’t leave it anymore.”
He thinks it’s fantastic that his city has a shoe museum again after years. “Finally we have a place again where we can show the history of Waalwijk to the rest of the country,” he says while walking through the museum. “It’s really cool. I’m going from one surprise to another.”
Many shoes are still exported from Waalwijk to the rest of the world. But for the first exhibition ‘Put On Your Red Shoes’, shoes were brought to the Shoe Quarter from different countries such as Canada, Sweden and England. And not just any shoes.
Dozens of world-class shoes display on the top floor of the building: white boots by ABBA member Björn, slippers by Bruno Mars and red parrot heels by Katy Perry. “The previous museum had a good name, contacts and a lot of knowledge. Thanks to our good connections with museums all over the world, we were able to bring these couples to Waalwijk,” says director Anouk van Heesch proudly.
Central is the link between music and footwear from 1950 to the present. The aim is for every visitor, from musician to fan and from manufacturer to influencer, to ask themselves: is my musical preference reflected in my shoes?
“We are more than just a museum for Waalwijk.”
What is surprising in the exhibition is the connection between international stars and Dutch makers or designers. “With this exhibition we want to show that we are more than just a museum for Waalwijk. We want to show the rest of the country and even the world what we have to offer.”
The Shoe Quarter is much more than just a museum. There is also a knowledge center with a library and craft labs where designers work on new creations. In one of those labs, Ruben Warnshuis makes shoes from rope by weaving them.
“We all know that the textile industry is very polluting, but so is that of shoes,” says Ruben, who wears blue-green woven shoes himself. “I reproduced that complex and polluting process in factories in a simple and more sustainable way. Here, anyone who wants to can weave their own shoes within a day.”
The Shoe Quarter opens to visitors on June 28.
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