The Shoe Quarter
This museum in the centre of Waalwijk connects the rich history of the leather and shoe industry with the future.
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This museum in the centre of Waalwijk connects the rich history of the leather and shoe industry with the future. The transformed listed building, the Kropholler Complex, from the 1930s was crowned as the Public Building of the Year 2022. This family museum contains an enormous collection of over 20,000 objects, including 12,000 shoes. You genuinely come across people of all ages here. In this museum, study centre, studio, laboratory and stage it is not only about looking, but also about awareness and taking part. In the words of an enthusiastic visitor: ‘What a great museum! Very educational, creatively laid out. It’s also great fun to design your own shoes! Compliments to the guides, who enthusiastically told us all about it. FABULOUS!’
Entire production process
As well as being a museum, The Shoe Quarter …
This museum in the centre of Waalwijk connects the rich history of the leather and shoe industry with the future. The transformed listed building, the Kropholler Complex, from the 1930s was crowned as the Public Building of the Year 2022. This family museum contains an enormous collection of over 20,000 objects, including 12,000 shoes. You genuinely come across people of all ages here. In this museum, study centre, studio, laboratory and stage it is not only about looking, but also about awareness and taking part. In the words of an enthusiastic visitor: ‘What a great museum! Very educational, creatively laid out. It’s also great fun to design your own shoes! Compliments to the guides, who enthusiastically told us all about it. FABULOUS!’
Entire production process
As well as being a museum, The Shoe Quarter is also a skills centre. Experience the entire production process: from tanning the skin into supple leather, up to the moment when the shoes are dispatched in a lovely box. With various permanent and temporary exhibitions, the research library, the studio space and the ‘Schoenenlab’ (for design and prototyping), the Netherlands comes alive as a leather and shoe city. But The Shoe Quarter looks beyond the role of a curator of a rich history. The museum is aware of the polluting image attached to the industry. Therefore, in the museum cafe and shop you will find many innovative and sustainable materials and alternatives.
‘Stunning museum’
Visitors are extremely enthusiastic about both the inside as well as the outside: ‘Such an attractive outside generates high expectations of the inside. It far exceeded my expectations. A blueprint for museums!’ And here, it is not only about touching the amazing books and materials to your heart’s content, but you can also make beautiful things yourself during workshops (registration compulsory). So, sign up, come by and design your own bag, sneakers leather flowers, choker or bracelet under expert supervision.
This is how to reach The Shoe Quarter
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- Every monday closed
- Every tuesday from 10:00 to 17:00
- Every wednesday from 10:00 to 17:00
- Every thursday from 10:00 to 17:00
- Every friday from 10:00 to 17:00
- Every saturday from 12:00 to 17:00
- Every sunday from 12:00 to 17:00
Prices
- Adults €14.50
- Highschool students €5.00
- CJP (Cultureel Jongeren Paspoort) €4.00
- Students €6.00
- Children Free
- MJK (Museumjaarkaart) Free
- Card holders Free