Wouldn’t it be brilliant if you could look at shoes all day and then walk away without the lure of purchase, without the guilt of having bought (or not bought) a particular pair? While researching the Titanic exhibition this morning, now on at the Melbourne Museum, I stumbled across a real hidden gem. A museum exhibition. Of shoes. SHOES!!

Entitled Paragon shoes, the exhibition is a selection of iconic Melbourne shoes and features a selection of 34 Paragon shoes, representing almost 100 years of Melbourne’s fashion history.

Paragon focused on women’s shoes, drawing their inspiration from the latest Paris, London and New York styles. The display includes items such as a peep-toe crocodile skin shoe, ultra high heel and a court shoe that resembles a masked face, exploring the history of shoe fashion through the Paragon story.

For almost 100 years Paragon Shoes, a family business, designed and created shoes in Melbourne. Their shoes were sold throughout Australia and New Zealand, and at its height the company produced over 100,000 shoes per year. The Paragon Shoes display offers visitors an insight into local Melbourne manufacturing, fashion, and design.

As you can imagine, I was rather excited – and I was already excited about the Titanic bit! You can access the Paragon exhibit on your Museum ticket: Titanic is in town until October, the shoes just til September. These boots were made for walking to get thee to the Museum!

Titanic Exhibition: Adult $25, Concession $18, Child $16
Paragon Shoes Exhibition: Free with Museum ticket
Nicholson Street, Carlton Gardens, Victoria, Australia
Phone: 13 11 02

Image One: Paragon Shoes Advertising Sign, Museum Victoria (Photo: Rodney Start)