Juno Sole: Toronto Shoe Museum Celebrates Canadian Musicians' Footwear

Posted on Nov 12th 2010 5:00PM by Lonny Knapp

CARAS/iPhoto Inc

In celebration of the Juno Awards upcoming 40th anniversary, Toronto's Bata Shoe Museum has launched JUNO Sole, a limited run exhibit displaying 40 pairs of memorable shoes worn by past and present Juno Award nominees, winners and Canadian music icons.

It's been said that more than any other article of clothing, the choice of footwear offers a peak into a person's psyche. If that is true, then Canadian musicians are a conservative bunch.

"The overwhelming majority of the shoes are sensible. We got a lot of Converse sneakers," Sarah Beam-Borg, assistant curator and exhibition manager of the Bata Shoe Museum, tells Spinner.

To create the collection, the museum put the word out to 80 musicians, with kicks arriving from the likes of Shania Twain, Nelly Furtado, K'naan, Avril Lavigne, Billy Talent, K-OS, Drake and Bif Naked.

Spinner attended this week's gala launch and ambushed a few participating musicians, asking them about the shoes they donated to the collection.

Hip-hop diva Jully Black donated the most stunning piece in the collection: a pair of bedazzled Monolo Blahnik sandals that would make fictitious footwear fetishist Carrie Bradshaw swoon.

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JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

These slick black patent leather boot s were worn by Nelly Furtado for her performance at the 2007 JUNO Awards, for which she was also the host. Furtado rose to international stardom in 2000 with her hit "I'm Like a Bird". Her career has been full of huge musical hits that have given her 19 JUNO Award nominations and 10 wins.

2010 Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada

Christian Charisius, Reuters

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

Emily Haines is a contralto rock singer who has a solo career with her band Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton and records and performs in the bands Metric and Broken Social Scene. She has been nominated for 7 JUNO Awards and has won 4 times.

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

Billy Talent is a punk rock band with 4 albums under their belts that have garnered them 15 JUNO Award nominations and 7 wins. The band is comprised of Aaron Solowoniuk, Ben Kowalewicz, Ian D'Sa and Jon Gallant.

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

These high-top sneakers were worn in the '80s by Anne Murray, one of Canada's most acclaimed musical artists, and the top JUNO Award winner. Murray has been nominated 52 times for JUNO Awards winning 24, and she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1993.

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

Avril Lavigne burst onto the music scene with her debut album Let Go at the young age of 17, she has been nominated for 18 JUNO Awards and has won 7 times. Lavigne's black Converse running shoes were worn in the video for her song "Sk8erBoi".

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

Bryan Adams is a singer/songwriter, guitarist, producer and photographer . He is the best-selling Canadian male recording artist of all time, he has been nominated 56 times, and has won 18 JUNO Awards. In 2006 Adams was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and was presented with the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award in 2010. Adams is a member of the Order of Canada.

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

These gold ballet flats were worn by Sarah McLachlan, one of Canada's most critically celebrated and commercially successful female musicians. McLachlan, who is the founder of the Lilith Fair tour, has been nominated for 21 JUNO Awards, winning 8 times.

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

These purple satin Puma sneakers were worn by Carole Pope. Pope is well known for her time with the band Rough Trade which garnered one JUNO nomination for "High School Confidential", but it is her solo career that has earned her 6 JUNO Award nominations and 3 wins.

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

These New Balance running shoes were worn by actor, rapper and singer Drake whose career began on the hit TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation. Drake is an international superstar performing with some of hip hop's biggest names including Eminem, Jay-Z and Kanye West. He has been nominated for 4 JUNO Awards and has won twice

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

Glenn Gould, one of the world's most celebrated pianists is one of Canada's musical icons. He is well known for his recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations. Gould won 3 JUNO Awards and was nominated 6 times; he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1983.

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards

"I wore those to the 2008 Juno Awards the year I won my first Juno -- they are so special to me, " she said. "I grew up underprivileged, and I never dreamed that I'd be able to afford a pair of shoes like that."

As one half of the influential folk duo Ian and Sylvia, Sylvia Tyson recorded the campfire classic 'Four Strong Winds,' hopped on a train with the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and the Band for the infamous 1970 'Festival Express Tour,' and has been nominated for seven Juno Awards. She donated a cute pair of John Fluevog boots adorned with a big purple bow.

"I believe in having fun within fashion, that's why I love those Fleuvogs -- the heel is very humorous," she remarked.

Hawksley Workman -- who took home the 'Best Solo Artist' honour at the 2002 Juno Awards -- donated a pair of well-worn combat boots to the collection.

"I've played hundreds of shows in them, and they have been resoled a number of times -- somehow seeing those on display somehow satisfies my narcissism," he joked.

JUNO Sole: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards opens to the public on November 10, 2010 and will be on display until November 30, 2011.