About the Museum
Last updated on 30 de abril de 2026
It showcases the footwear production industry that shaped several generations of families in São João da Madeira, from the initial sketch on paper to the finished products. The museum recreates two historical periods: artisanal production and industrial production, through a factory unit from the 1980.
In São João da Madeira, a city where development is based on traditional know-how, the Shoe Museum was born. Here, the experienced hands of the craft and the creativity of new designers interact. The history of footwear throughout time is told. Stories of lives dedicated to shoes and shoes that have marked lives are discovered.
The Shoe Museum is conceptually orientated to the history of shoe industry and design, addressing several themes.
The Shoe Museum was born in the former building of the OLIVA company. A pillar of Portuguese metal and machinery manufacturing, this company was part of the life of thousands of workers who, since 1925, helped build an unparalleled History that will forever be associated with the OLIVA sewing machines.
The Shoe Museum, conceptually purposed for Industry, Fashion and Design, is an institution of permanent character, without lucrative purposes.
The Shoe Museum is open to the reception and care of your pair of shoes. If you have objects associated to the shoe industry and you do not have a way to preserve them correctly, you may contact our team. Tell us the story of your object and the story of who used it and make this Museum your own, as well.
Museums, as entities responsible for the preservation and the territorial and identity appreciation of the communities of which they are part, have an important role in the development of society. Building bridges between the past, present and future, museums become privileged venues for dialogue.
