The Museum of Shoemaking, Moravia, Czech Republic

5Zvirb 5:00 PM Jun 22, 2015

MUCH more than its name implies
This museum is MUCH more than its name implies and is absolutely worth a visit. After founding the Bat’a shoemaking business in Zlin in 1894, by the 1930s Tomas Bat’a had expanded the operations into a hugely successful global network. Our guide advised that production exceeded 200,000 pairs of shoes daily. The museum provides an insight into not only the worldwide footwear business but also his other diverse activities, which ranged from retail developments to agriculture, building aeroplanes, book publishing, textiles and sea transport. Virtually the entire town of Zlin (of which he was also Mayor from 1923) seems to have been developed by Bat’a, from an early skyscraper and expansive factory buildings to residential blocks and broader social facilities. The entire Bat’a story was brought to life for us by an extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide, Sylvie, who provided a terrific explanation of all aspects of the museum. As well as a unique collection of shoes from every corner of the earth, the displays include: - A pristine example of the extraordinary Tatra 87, a winged, Batmobile-like air-cooled 8-cylinder motor car; - Aeroplanes and gliders suspended from the ceiling; - Early production lines and manufacturing equipment; - A mid-16th Century pair of ornate shoes worn by an Italian Countess whop married a Czech; - A replica of the Iceman Otzi’s shoe; and - Detailed display boards and maps tracing the growth and policies of a network of businesses. The landmark office tower in the formerly massive complex was Czechoslovakia’s first skyscraper, another must-see building with several displays. Key to these are the Founder’s spacious office, which is also a lift (Imagine hearing: “The boss wants to see you in his office - it will be on Level 12 in two minutes”). Unique passenger lifts included a pair of open-fronted, step-in/step-out pods continuously cycling through all floors and you can take a ride in these for another glimpse of technological innovation. Sadly the town of Zlin didn’t continue this period of carefully nurtured growth, as Tomas was killed in an aircraft crash in 1932. Then the Bat’a empire was restructured and nationalised as part of the new political system in the aftermath of World War 2, effectively ending the golden period of a once globally successful business based in Czechoslovakia. However, Bata shoes resumed production in several other countries after WW2 and I fondly remember Bata school shoes with animal-track soles being a hit in Australia during the 1960s.

5miamiredhawk 5:00 PM Mar 18, 2015

Much more than just shoes!
This museum was just redone in 2014 and made for a great visit. We'd expected to be in and out in an hour, but stayed for several. There were exhibits on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th floor of the museum, housed in an old Bata shoe building. I think the 1st and 5th floor exhibits were only temporary, rotating ones, and not with an English translation available, but the 3rd floor was great. About half of the floor was devoted to Bata with lots of old machines, shoe forms, advertising, videos, shoes, photos, and commentary about the family members, how they started the company, how it expanded, what happened to it during Communism, and where it is now. Really enjoyed learning the history of this company. And the other half of the floor was devoted to Hanzelka and Zikmund, two Czech explorers that drove around Africa, South America, and Central America between 1947-50, and around Eastern Europe and Oceania in the late 1950s. Lots of pictures, videos, and journal clips made up this end of the museum. Also greatly enjoyed all of this. All of the third floor had English translations included on the exhibits.