Skip to content
You are here: Home | All | Collections | Visits and research enquiries

Visits and research enquiries

Shoe study facilities

A pair of high healed and buckled shoes.

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is home to one of the largest and most important collections of shoes and shoe heritage in the world. Arts Council England has Designated the collection as being of local, national and international importance. The collection’s strength lies in its very broad range, from Ancient Egypt to the latest fashions, from workwear to high-end designer creations and from Northamptonshire-made shoes to footwear from around the world.

Information to help your research

Shoe styles

Who can make a research visit

Research visits to the shoe collection relating to the designing, making and wearing of footwear plus the history of shoemaking is encouraged by the museum. We welcome visits by students, academics, researchers, family history researchers, designers and makers, reenactors and shoe enthusiasts to see items that are currently not on display in our galleries. Due to the size of the current storage facilities group visits to see items from the collection in the store are currently not possible. A group visit still may be possible depending on requirements.

How to book a research visit

Due to popularity and capacity visits are by appointment only. Appointments can be made 10.00-13.00 and 14.00-16.30, Tuesday-Thursday. Longer or alternative appointments can be discussed with the Senior Shoe Curator.

Book a visit

You will be able to view a specified selection of objects relevant to your own interest. There will be a limit on the number of items you can see at any one appointment.