The First Step Exhibition 2023
Date: May 18, 2023 / Location: New York City
The First Step marked the Noel Shoe Museum’s debut exhibition, opening May 18, 2023, on the floor above founder Vanessa Noel’s luxury shoe salon. Designed around the theme of the evolution of the shoe, the exhibition explored how the shoe has been shaped over the centuries by innovation, cultural influences, and the growing footwear industry. It showcased how social, economic, technological, and fashion trends have transformed shoes from mere necessities into expressions of personal style and cultural identity. The exhibition began with one of the museum’s earliest pairs of shoes – 10th-century Incan sandals – and journeyed through religious influences, technological breakthroughs, and fashion transformations, through the present day. Although The First Step was originally intended to run for just one month, overwhelming interest led to its extension through October. It was free to the public, available by appointment only, and received enthusiastic attention from national and international media. The exhibition even drew school groups from across the country and visitors from as far away as Australia.
