If the shoes fit

Exhibition at the Bata Shoe Museum explores history of Indigenous Arctic footwear.

Images provided by the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation

 — Posted May 19, 2016

To survive and thrive at the top of the world requires innovation and ingenuity. The Indigenous peoples of the Arctic region crafted clothing — including footwear — that perfectly utilized local materials. An exhibition at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto showcased the craftsmanship of the Inuit of Canada as well as other Indigenous polar peoples.

Coral Harbour, Nunavut, 1987
Ron Wood/2016 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto

Coral Harbour, Nunavut, 1987

This boot features liners of baby seal and caribou worn under inner slippers of furred seal, as well as a sealskin outer layer. Olepa Karpik, an Iglulingmiut Inuit seamstress, won a special prize for this pair in the Decorated Moccasin competition held by the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation in conjunction with the Canadian Native Arts Foundation in 1987.

Kablunangajuit, Labrador, 1880s
Ron Wood/2016 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto

Kablunangajuit, Labrador, 1880s

The distinctive smock-like pleating found on these kamiit, commonly called kamiks, is characteristic of Kablunangajuit work from the southern part of Labrador. The pleating of sealskin requires great skill. The distinctive colour comes from their being dyed with alder bark.

Nuuk, Greenland, 1955
Ron Wood/2016 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto

Nuuk, Greenland, 1955

In Greenland, the height of footwear traditionally differed based on gender. Men’s boots typically reached mid-calf, while women’s soared to midthigh. Black was reserved for men, while women’s boots were often red and white. This pair of red kamiit were made for a wedding anniversary in 1955.

Purnu, Sweden, 1967
Ron Wood/2016 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto

Purnu, Sweden, 1967

Although coastal Sami relied on marine life for their livelihoods, reindeer skin was preferred over seal and fish skin when making clothing and footwear. This pair of reindeer-skin boots was worn by Karesuando Sami, and was made from dehaired reindeer skin dyed with alder bark to increase water resistance.

Orlofka, Eastern Siberia, Russia, 1960s
Ron Wood/2016 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto

Orlofka, Eastern Siberia, Russia, 1960s

Historically, trade networks provided the Even, Evenki, and Koryak peoples with access to colourful beads, which they have used to skillfully decorate their clothing and footwear for centuries. This intricately beaded and frilled waterproof reindeer-skin boot was created in the 1960s.

Themes associated with this article

Skip social share links

Related to Museums, Galleries & Archives

Nonsuch: A Cause to Support

Her deck was originally built to support ten sailors in bare feet. Then, after 40 years of being trod on by over four million pairs of shoes, the wear and tear was starting to show.

Article

World's Biggest Inuit Art Collection Gets New Home

The Winnipeg Art Gallery marks Canada's 150th birthday in 2017 by opening a centre to showcase its vast collection of Inuit art.

Article

Recognizing LGBTQ2S+ Histories

Spark Your Pride and the Western Development Museum bring communities together to share life stories and to evoke pride.

Article

What's Growing in the Doctor's Garden?

Dr. William Anson Jones' house at Fanshawe Pioneer Village grows an amazing collection of nineteenth century flowers and herbs.

Article