The fourth annual Noel Shoe Museum Gala, which took place last night, October 23, 2025, at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City. The event is an annual fundraiser for the Noel Shoe Museum, the first and only footwear museum in the United States.
Highlights from last night’s Shoe Gala included:
- Live “Shoe Illusions” by world-renowned artist Johannes Stoetter, who uses body painting to create the illusion of shoes.
- Handcrafted centerpieces with shoe art and wine bottle holders shaped like stiletto pumps!
- Dancing to the music of the Alex Donner Orchestra.
- A performance of the Leonard Cohen classic “Hallelujah” and shoe donation from “America’s Tenor,” Christopher Macchio (who sang at Trump’s first inauguration party in the White House).
- A performance of pop classics including ones with shoe themes by chanteuse Pamela Morgan.
- A cocktail hour with world class bars that included products from sponsor Sagamore Rye.
- Notable guests including New York nightlife legends Dianne Brill and Carmen D’Alessio.
- Several rounds of bingo, with prizes offered during each round including a stay in Vanessa’s 12 room Jamaican Villa, a few nights at the luxurious Round Hill Hotel (also in Jamaica) and a three week luxury Japan cruise courtesy of Thalassa Cruises.
- A step and repeat where the Park Avenue set met up with creatives wearing the most outrageous footwear possible.
In case you are curious, the gala was hosted by Vanessa Noel herself (she even called the bingo games)! This legendary New York shoe designer does not put the event together entirely by herself but with a committee of notable individuals from the fashion and art world. The event helps fund the traveling museum, which aims to preserve the cultural legacy of footwear through exhibitions and educational programs.
Next stops for the museum include Paris, Rome and Tokyo! There are about 10,000 pairs of shoes in storage and are taken out and curated for each international museum “showing” and some are based on celebrity shoes! For more info, keep an eye on the IG account @vanessanoelshoes and noelshoemuseum.org.
