What do all tourists who plan to walk a lot care about? Of course, about comfortable shoes. Now it's easy to find suitable sandals, flats, trainers, even trekking boots — but has it always been this way? You can hear about the history of the development of the shoe industry and how the fashion for shoes has changed at the Shoe Museum in Elda (province of Alicante, Spain). In its halls, the hearts of most girls and women melt, and men can visit the Ethnological Museum or walk along the streets of a cosy town at this time.
The Museo del Calzado has 4 halls. The first of them is devoted to equipment for sewing shoes — if the male part of the family stayed on tour, the exhibits of this hall would be appreciated. The second hall of the Shoe Museum in Elda is an exhibition of excellent examples of shoes that existed in ancient times in different countries. What materials were not used by shoemakers: leather, felt, textiles, wood, hemp, palm leaves, and even metal! It also presents special footwear necessary for athletes and people of certain professions. For example, impressive boots with a metal toes are designed for divers.
Another section of the second hall is the shoes of famous people and characters from favourite films. And quite unusual exhibits are copies of shoes worn by the heroines of paintings.
The third hall of the Shoe Museum is dedicated to designer shoes. Modern designers use almost the same materials previously used for sewing shoes, but how bold their creations are!
Some shoes required metal welding, others used a roller from an office chair, while others resembled a flotilla of sailing ships. It's anyone's guess as to what inspired the makers of this or that pair of shoes. The shoes and sandals are gigantic and can grow to 3 metres in length. This is in addition to tiny shoes measuring just a couple of centimetres. Another room is dedicated to literature about footwear.
There is a shop selling the best shoes from the province of Alicante. And if you are planning new excursions to the Costa Blanca, you might find the perfect pair of shoes here for your museum visits.
