'Are you interested in a little adventure?' with this promising question my shoe-designer friend M. invites me to join her for a, what l only realize afterwards, exceptional journey. Although it is a rather last minute request I text her that I am in!
The next day early morning M. picks me up in her black (it's the color that counts she explains me in the car) second hand Audi and off we go to the south of Holland all the way to Oosterhout. We have an appointment with mr Habraken the owner of the largest collection of tribal and ethnic footwear in the world.
My friends M&M are co-curating a shoe exhibition called 'Elevation' that will be shown during this year Arnhem Fashion Biennale. Already for months M&M are approaching promising young shoe designers, museums and private collectors from all over the world trying to persuade them to donate their precious shoes for this unique occasion.
Mr Habraken is one of them and today he will hand over M. a cardboard box that contains several exclusive species. But our car-boot to car-boot transaction turns out to be just a starter for something bigger to happen.
As we park our car alongside the curbs of some 70ties looking villas we feel a little out of place in our faded Audi. Just as we start to suspect that we are being watched from behind the home made crocheted window decorations Mr Habraken pops up from behind the bushes and warmly welcomes us into his house. The deal is that he drives us in his car to the Shoes Or No Shoes museum where his collection is exhibited and where he will treat us with a private tour.
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| mr Habraken |
During our trip to Kruishoutem we sit back and silently absorb the fantastic stories narrated by Mr Habraken. We quickly discover that this man has no fear for the world. (maneuvering backwards to reach a missed petrol station, does one need any more explanation?)
A self made man, born during the second world war in a cold cellar between leather scraps, remnants of his father's shoe business, is how the story takes a flight. In our mind we travel from continent to continent, from the past to the future and than just before I doze off we leave the planet shifting our focus toward extra terrestrial civilizations.
As we hit our destination I wake up. In the middle of nowhere surrounded by vast green meadows stands a charming compact modernistic building, it looks quite alien in this deserted Belgian country side. Once inside the building we are impressed, the collection turns out to be huge and beautifully presented in custom made minimalistic glass boxes.
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| mr Habraken drilling M. about the ethnic collection pieces |
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| mr Habraken explaining M. about the modern collection pieces |
For hours we wander around admiring the trophies and listening to the intriguing details that mr Habraken confides to us. Instantly I feel the desire to change profession and to become a shoe designer. I am convinced that whenever one wants to become a shoe designer a visit to this place is obligatory!
Here are some images to feed the appetite...
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| eastern europe Poland middle 20th century |
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| slippers for Dottie |
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| slippers for Dottie, detail |
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| Iran late 19th century, the fish as symbol for fertility |
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| Iran middle 20th century |
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| Latin America Mexico early 20th century |
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| Latin America Mexico early 20th century |
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| Latin America Mexico middle 20th century |
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| West European Ireland late 20th century |
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| western europe Belgium middle 20th century, wedding shoes |
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| western europe France middle 20th century |
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| China AD 13th century |
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Western Europe Netherlands middle 20th century
' Venus' made during the second World war |
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Western Europe Netherlands middle 20th century
' Venus' made during the second World war |
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| Diving boots |
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| eastern europe Poland middle 20th century |
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| North American & Caribbean middle 19th century |
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western europe France early 20th century, shoes used to press juice out of grapes
the fist shoes mr Habraken collected |
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