The new shoe district in Waalwijk is a Valhalla for shoe fans

‘Put on your red shoes’. Visitors to the brand new shoe district (Schoenenkwartier) in Waalwijk didn’t need to be told twice. The title of the first exhibition – about the relationship between shoes, music and identity – immediately formed a beautiful dress code for the opening ceremony that FashionUnited attended. From high heels to trainers, there wasn’t a single opening guest who didn’t give some thought to their choice of shoes. “Just look around,” said Sacha Ausems, the mayor of Waalwijk, in red heels. “The shoes someone wears say a lot about his or her personality.”

New name, new concept

It wasn’t just the shoes that told us there was a party going on in Waalwijk. The happy faces of museum director Anouk van Heesch and curator Inge Specht could also be seen. Because finally, after five and a half years of preparation and renovation, the former Dutch Leather and Shoe Museum has been transformed into the shoe district. A new name, a new concept and a new location. It couldn’t be more central: the museum is located in the west wing of the Kropholler complex at Raadhuisplein 1. The national monument has been beautifully renovated; anyone who has ever been to the old building will find it hard to believe now. The previous museum always had a good reputation and a unique collection. However, it didn’t really come into its own. The building was dated, dark and the permanent exhibition was in need of renovation.

The machines are running again

The realization of the shoe district was an ambitious project. But what was built fits the zeitgeist perfectly. Waalwijk has got a fantastic institute with an international reputation. Interactive, dynamic, inclusive and lively. As soon as you enter, the noises from the workshops reveal that the Schoenenkwartier is more than a museum. It rests on three pillars: the ‘maaklabs’, the knowledge center and the museum. The manufacturing process of shoes is clearly explained on the ground floor. “We’ve reduced this to twenty-seven steps,” explains Specht. “A great simplification of the process, because the upper of a shoe alone often requires two hundred work steps. Impressive machines are shown at each step, some of which are now even back in operation.

rich history

Waalwijk is the only city in the Netherlands that is closely linked to shoe history. This rich but sometimes tragic story is told one floor up. From the advent of domestic tanners, the steam engine and the big factories that created a gap between rich and poor in society. Portraits of four workers, each representing a different branch of the shoe industry, bring these stories to life. The story has also been made accessible to the youngest visitors by making the historically significant character Okke the spider the museum’s mascot. The children can look for her in the different rooms. The Schuhquartier now also has a shopping budget, which was not the case before. A changing shoe cabinet puts current shoes or new acquisitions in the limelight.

Mango or blood leather

In the knowledge center, the specialist library of the museum is made accessible to everyone. From specialist literature to children’s books, young and old can immerse themselves in the subject here. “Other museums regularly draw on our know-how,” says Van Heesch. “Like the discovery of the Palmwood wreck in 2014 at the bottom of the Wadden Sea.” There is also a collection of materials used in the shoe production process for visitors to study – and feel! Here you will find patterns of frog and toad leather or cowhide printed with a reptile pattern. Alternatives to animal leather can also be seen: fruit leather made from overripe mangoes, pineapple leather, cork leather and even blood leather made from bloodstained slaughterhouse waste.

Zeynep Day, Alzúarr, Cleopatra for Beyoncé, 2018 – On loan from Alzúarr. Photo: Schoenenkwartier.

David Bowie Boots and Dr. martens

The exhibition “Put on your red shoes” on the second floor opens with iconic shoes from world stars. As if in a hall of fame, David Bowie’s bright red patent leather boots, Madonna’s Dolce & Gabbana pumps, Elton John’s platform shoes and Anouk’s Song Contest boots by Azzedine Alaïa shine on a stage. The museum borrowed pieces from the David Bowie Archives, the Abba Museum in Stockholm and the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, among others. And by the designers themselves, like the three-layer gold leaf knee boots designed for Beyoncé by Dutch designer Zeynep Dag. Furthermore, everyday shoes like Dr. Martens, All Stars, Clarks and Vans. Brands that are widespread today and have become iconic brands thanks in part to music artists.

Experimenting in the labs

With over 13,000 objects in the collection, the Schönenkwartier will have more than enough stories to tell for years to come. The three thousand square meter building offers plenty of space for this. The return of handicrafts is particularly successful in the new museum concept. Young craftsmen can learn from the past and experiment in the workshops. A proven formula that is also used by the Textile Museum in Tilburg and the Centraal Museum in Utrecht. During the opening ceremony, the young designer Ruben Warnshuis works in one of the ‘maaklabs’. He makes simple shoes out of braided rope, inspired by his grandfather who was a rope maker. Its history illustrates that the Schoenenkwartier has another wonderful function: connecting generations.

The exhibition “Put on your red shoes” can be seen from 28 June 2022 to 5 February 2023 in the Schoenenkwartier in Waalwijk.

This translated article first appeared on FashionUnited.nl.

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