From Sketch to Sculpture: André Perugia’s Footwear Revolution
The Bata Shoe Museum invites visitors to rediscover the genius of André Perugia — a designer whose imagination transcended utility
By: Amanda Albert
Photo Credit: Bata Shoe Museum, Darren Rigo
There are designers who follow fashion, and then there are those who build its foundation. André Perugia was certainly one of the latter. Known as one of the first truly modern shoe designers, Perugia treated footwear not as accessory, but as architecture. His creations stretched the imagination of what a shoe could be — sculptural, surreal, imaginative; often defying gravity and logic, but never elegance.
Now, in its latest exhibition André Perugia: A Design Legend Unveiled, the Bata Shoe Museum pays homage to the man who turned functional necessity into wearable art. Running through April 2027, the show explores Perugia’s groundbreaking influence from the 1920s to the 1950s, tracing how his designs reshaped both the fashion industry and the consumer’s eye.
Photo Credit: Bata Shoe Museum, Darren Rigo
As Bata Shoe Museum Curator Nishi Bassi explains, “Perugia’s work was very innovative and futuristic. The exhibit calls attention to many of the design elements — such as structural changes and the use of specific materials — that made his work so unique.”The influence of Art Deco and Surrealism flows through the galleries, creating an atmosphere that feels more atelier than archive. Each display reveals the artist’s fascination with proportion, illusion and the emotional geometry of form — a design that we see ripple through generations of fashion in recent years including Vivienne Westwood, Jeffrey Campbell and Schiaparelli (to name a few).
The installation itself is immersive — an environment that mirrors the sensual precision of Perugia’s craft. “We aim to design exhibitions that are experiential,” the Bassi shares. “These immersive spaces help visitors situate themselves in a different time and space and better understand the exhibit topic.”Velvet, marble and wood converge to evoke the opulent materials that defined Perugia’s own aesthetic. Every room feels like a salon suspended between decades, where invention masquerades as ornament.
Photo Credit: Bata Shoe Museum, Darren Rigo
Perugia’s work still feels surprisingly contemporary. His shoes seem to belong as much to the future as to their time. “He often pushed the boundaries of design,” Bassi reflected. “When visitors see his footwear, they will start to see his influence everywhere.”It’s true — wedge heels, sculpted platforms and floating arches all trace back to his sketches. His ideas ripple through the DNA of modern fashion, their echoes visible in everything from couture runways to streetwear silhouettes.
Walking through this exhibit feels like entering a conversation about style and innovation that has continued for a century (and counting). It’s a reminder that fashion, when visionary, becomes a record of the human imagination — one measured not by seasons, but by courage.
Beyond this curation, the Bata Shoe Museum’s permanent collections continue to offer a journey through centuries of style — from ancient sandals to contemporary icons, moon boots and Cinderella-inspired slippers. Visitors can also engage through hands-on workshops and lectures, where the relationship between craft and culture continues to evolve.
André Perugia: A Design Legend Unveiled is on view at the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto now through April 2027. Step inside, and witness how one man transformed footwear into art.
