A heel tells more than how you walk
Editors ·
Head over Heels opens at the Schoenenkwartier on 15 October. The exhibition traces more than five centuries of heels, from court fashion and power to designs that question ideas about gender and beauty.
A heel is small enough to disappear beneath a shoe, yet large enough to make power, fashion and identity visible. Head over Heels: Stapelgek op hakken! opens on Thursday 15 October at the Schoenenkwartier in Waalwijk and runs through 29 March 2027.
The museum describes a journey through more than five centuries of heels. At European courts, men wore them for centuries as signs of power and status; later, heels became strongly associated with femininity. Contemporary designers also use them to challenge ideas about beauty, gender and identity.
The Waalwijk exhibition includes a heel by Jan Jansen for a Fong Leng fashion show and Maryna, a Delft-blue-decorated clog by Viktor & Rolf. A shoe said to be about 300 years old shows how far back the object’s history reaches.
Other examples listed on the exhibition page include The Cube by Peter Popps, a Pigalle by Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik’s Hangisi stilettos. The celebrity associations for some models are claims made by the museum; provenance and lenders are not specified further.
Schoenenkwartier director Rinske Jurgens sums up the idea: a heel may seem a small part of a shoe, but it tells a large story. The exhibition links objects to changing attitudes rather than treating heels simply as fashion accessories.
During the opening weekend, 15–18 October, admission to the exhibition is free for visitors who arrive in their best heels. Those who cannot wear heels may bring a pair instead. The offer requires an online reservation.
The museum is at Raadhuisplein 1. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm, and at weekends and on public holidays from noon to 5 pm; it is closed on Mondays. The sources consulted do not state the regular ticket price.