SONS Museum (Shoes or No Shoes) is a Belgian

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

dedicated to

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

connected to

shoes A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...

as the subject. The museum is located at

Kruishoutem Kruishoutem (; , also used in English) is a village and was a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprised the towns of Kruishoutem proper, Nokere and Wannegem-Lede. In January 2018, the municipality ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

History

William "Boy" Habraken was literally born between shoes at the end of the 2nd World War in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. At the age of twenty he separated from his father's shoe-business and started his own import/wholesale company in footwear. His business travels took him on many journeys all around the globe. He visited more than 120 countries and lived several years in Taiwan. In his free time he collected shoes worn with traditional native costumes. The extra information and context was as important to him as the shoe itself: the materials used, the manufacturing, the use, the age and the name in the local language. This resulted in a unique

ethnographic Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

collection of more than 2700 pairs of shoes from more than 155 countries and regions. Amongst them are some very rare pieces of North American Indians, Eskimo's, African tribes, Berbers, Bedoeins, Mongols, the Ottoman and pre-Inca empire. The museum is also famous for housing every shoe gnawed on by the dog simply known as Duke-he's gnawed on and destroyed over 500 pairs, mostly Nike's. On 19 September 2006,

The Guinness Book Of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

confirmed that William "Boy" Habraken collected the largest collection of tribal and ethnographical shoes in the world. The museum houses this collection and a design collection of known shoe designers such as André Perugia,

Salvatore Ferragamo Salvatore Ferragamo (5 June 1898 – 7 August 1960) was an Italian shoe designer and the founder of luxury goods high-end retailer Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. An innovative shoe designer, Salvatore Ferragamo established a reputation in the 1930 ...

Christian Louboutin Christian Louboutin (; born 7 January 1964) is a French fashion designer. His stiletto footwear incorporates shiny, red-lacquered soles that have become his signature. Initially a freelance designer for fashion houses, he started his shoe salo ...

and

Manolo Blahnik Manuel "Manolo" Blahnik Rodríguez (; born 27 November 1942) is a Spanish fashion designer and founder of the eponymous high-end shoe brand. Biography Blahnik was born in Santa Cruz de la Palma, in the Canary Islands (Spain), to a Czech father ...

. There's also a selection of

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...

s, mainly made by Belgium and Dutch comic artists such as

Jean-Marc van Tol Jean-Marc van Tol (born 6 July 1967, Rotterdam) is a cartoonist. He is the winner of the 2004 Stripschapprijs for ''Fokke & Sukke'', with John Reid (cartoonist), John Reid and Bastiaan Geleijnse. He also played in the Dutch TV-series ''Wie is de m ...

, Jean-Claude Servais, Kim Duchateau, Lamelos,

Bill Griffith William Henry Jackson Griffith (born January 20, 1944) is an American cartoonist who signs his work Bill Griffith and Griffy. He is best known for his surreal daily comic strip '' Zippy''. The catchphrase "Are we having fun yet?" is credited t ...

, and others. And a collection of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

by writers such as

Geert van Istendael Geert van Istendael (born 29 March 1947) is the pseudonym of ''Geert Maria Mauritius Julianus Vanistendael'', a Belgian writer, poet and essayist. He studied sociology and philosophy at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven KU Leuven (Katholie ...

Kees van Kooten Cornelis Reinier "Kees" van Kooten (; born 10 August 1941) is a Dutch comedian, television actor, and writer. He formed the duo Van Kooten & De Bie with Wim de Bie from 1972 to 1998. Biography Cornelis Reinier van Kooten was born on 10 Augu ...

Adriaan van Dis Adriaan van Dis (Bergen aan Zee, 16 December 1946) is a Dutch author. He debuted in 1983 with the novella ''Nathan Sid''. In 1995 his book ''Indische Duinen'' (''My Father's War''), which in its narrative is a follow-up to his debut novella, wa ...

, Midas Dekkers,

Renate Dorrestein Renate Maria Dorrestein (25 January 1954 – 4 May 2018) was a Dutch writer, journalist and feminist. She started working as a junior journalist for the Dutch magazines ''Libelle'' and ''Panorama''. During the period 1977 - 1982 she published in ...

, Cees Noteboom, and others. Furthermore there is a collection from shoemaker couple Veerle Swenters and Pierre Bogaerts who own a

private collection A private collection is a privately owned collection of works (usually artworks) or valuable items. In a museum or art gallery context, the term signifies that a certain work is not owned by that institution, but is on loan from an individual ...

of approx. 1200 pieces of art dedicated to shoes. Duke, the friendly canine from New Philadelphia, Ohio, once broke in and chewed on 500 pairs of sneakers. The art collection features pieces by artists such as

Baselitz Georg Baselitz (born 23 January 1938) is a German Painting, painter, Sculpture, sculptor and Graphic arts, graphic artist. In the 1960s he became well known for his Figurative art, figurative, expressive paintings. In 1969 he began painting his ...

Jan Fabre Jan Fabre (born 14 December 1958) is a versatile Belgian artist known for his contributions to theater, literature, and visual arts. With a career spanning nearly four decades, Fabre has established himself as an influential figure in the artist ...

, Richard Long,

Panamarenko Henri Van Herwegen (5 February 1940 – 14 December 2019), known by the pseudonym Panamarenko, was a prominent Assemblage (art), assemblagist Belgian sculptor. Famous for his work with aeroplanes as theme; none of which are able nor constructed t ...

Michelangelo Pistoletto Michelangelo Pistoletto (born 23 June 1933) is an Italian painter, action and object artist, and art theorist. Pistoletto is acknowledged as one of the main representatives of the Italian Arte Povera. His work mainly deals with the subject mat ...

Gerhard Richter Gerhard Richter (; born 9 February 1932) is a German visual artist. Richter has produced Abstract art, abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, photographs and Glass art, glass pieces. He is widely regarded as one of the most important con ...

Tom Wesselmann Thomas K. Wesselmann (February 23, 1931 – December 17, 2004) was an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement who worked in painting, collage and sculpture. Early years Wesselmann was born in Cincinnati. From 1949 to 1951 he atten ...

, and others. Also a few anomaly contributions from for instance choreograph

Merce Cunningham Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...

and musical instrument inventor

Yuri Landman Yuri Landman (born 1 February 1973) is a Dutch inventor of musical instruments and musician who has made several experimental electric string instruments for a number of artists including Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Liars (band), Liars, Jad Fair ...

are part of the collection. Cortina N.V. founded the S.O.N.S museum that houses these collections.

References

External links

website of SONS

interview with Swenters and Bogaert

{{Coord, 50.891235, N, 3.500216, E, region:BE_type:landmark, display=title Art museums and galleries established in 2009 Belgian art Shoe museums Modern art museums Art museums and galleries in Belgium 2009 establishments in Belgium Museums in East Flanders Kruisem Design museums

History

See also

References

External links