If a museum showcasing footwear sounds boring to you, the Bata Shoe Museum may very well change your mind. With educational displays that contend with those found in a Natural History Museum, and flamboyant exhibits that easily compare to the eccentrics of a Planet Hollywood or Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, the Bata Shoe Museum is surprisingly intriguing. The museum is the only one of its kind, and houses more than 10,000 shoes, each with a story behind it, from the slippers of Indian kings, to the knee-high boots of The Spice Girls.

Some of the exhibits in the award-winning, five-story museum display the footwear worn by ancient peoples of numerous cultures, complete with literature and more. Some of this ancient footwear dates back thousands of years before the birth of Christ! One of the more interesting exhibits is the Chinese footwear display, which explains how the women would bind and therefore deform their feet in order to look more attractive to the men.

With 5,000 retail stores in 69 countries, Bata truly is the “shoemakers of the world.” Take our word for it, this museum is worth a look, even if its to get a laugh at some of the shoes worn by today’s rock and pop stars.