Bata Shoe Museum presents André Perugia: A Design Legend Unveiled

André Perugia: A Design Legend Unveiled
October 2025 to April 2027

The Bata Shoe Museum explores the work of one of the most significant and under-researched footwear designers of the 20th century, André Perugia. A pioneering Italian- French shoe designer, André Perugia (1893-1977) is known for his architecturally innovative and technically masterful footwear designs. From his first boutique in Nice in the early 1920s, he revolutionized luxury footwear, creating shoes for fashion houses like Dior and Schiaparelli, as well as for celebrity clients including Josephine Baker, Mistinguette, and Princess Lillian of Belgium. His work is preserved in major museum collections worldwide.

Throughout the run of the exhibit, over 95 examples of the designer’s work dating from the 1920s through the 1960s, will be featured; shoes from contemporary designers inspired by his vision will also be on display. This exhibition will highlight the historical importance of Perugia’s work, contextualizing it within the larger framework of fashion across the decades. It will explore some of his most important innovations, including Perugia’s contribution to the development of the articulated sole and the stiletto heel.

André Perugia is curated by Nishi Bassi and includes objects from the BSM collection, and generous loans from Musée de la chaussure Romans-sur-Isère and Fondation Azzedine Alaia.

Exhibition Hours:

Monday-Saturday 10AM-5PM

Sunday 12PM-5PM

To learn more, visit the website. Closed on December 25, 26 and January 1.