Founded as a virtual platform in 2023 by artist, educator, collector, and curator Luis Valenzuela, the MIAMI Shoe Museum (MSM) grew from his extensive footwear collection, which began in 2010. His interdisciplinary background in fashion, art, and education has shaped the development of a significant private collection of more than 1,500 shoes and related objects, creating a valuable resource for research, education, and cultural storytelling.

In 2025, the MIAMI Shoe Museum expanded its mission by opening the MSM Research Center in Downtown Miami, providing scholars, designers, students, and the public with direct access to the collection. Although the research center was later closed to safeguard the collection from the area's humidity challenges, the experience reinforced the museum’s commitment to long-term preservation and inspired a new digital-first model.

Today, the MIAMI Shoe Museum operates as a fully online research and educational resource. Its collection is preserved and managed through THE SHOE VAULT, the museum’s permanent archive dedicated to documenting the evolution of footwear design, construction, materials, and technology. From its Brickell Miami office, the museum leads research, partnerships, collection care, digital exhibitions, publications, and educational programs that connect footwear with art, design, technology, and culture.

THE SHOE VAULT includes works by André Perugia, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roger Vivier, Vivienne Westwood, Beth Levine, Herbert Levine, Tokio Kumagai, Manolo Blahnik, Charles Jourdan, Martin Margiela, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and Kei Kagami, while also documenting the evolution of sneaker culture as one of the defining movements in contemporary footwear history.

Click here to search the  MSM historical footwear collection

MSM continues to collaborate with leading cultural institutions. In 2026, the museum was honored to partner with The Wolfsonian–FIU for the exhibition Foot Notes, opening on July 2, 2026, and remaining on view through February 2027. The exhibition features signature pieces from THE SHOE VAULT by the MIAMI Shoe Museum, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing the study of design history and material culture through footwear.

Through THE SHOE VAULT, its research, digital programming, and institutional partnerships, the MSM continues to position footwear as a powerful lens through which to explore history, innovation, identity, craftsmanship, and creative expression across cultures and generations.