The shoes they wore at the Junos
Selected Juno-time footwear from Canadian music stars
SHANIA TWAIN She’s always had a combative side to her lyrics, so it’s no surprise the singer of Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? wears size 6s that look like boxing footwear. Twain, a Juno-winner a dozen times over, was likely following the sporty Gwen Stefani fashion of the late 1990s with these high-tops.
TOM COCHRANE The Red Rider rocker wore these size-9 cowboy kicks for the 1992 Junos at Toronto’s O’Keefe Centre. “These are quite scuffed,” says curator Beam-Borg. “The heels are broken down at the back and the soles are splitting from the uppers.” Some of the wear and tear came from the repeated trips from his seat to the stage – Cochrane walked the path all night long, collecting four awards on the strength of the rollicking Life Is a Highway.
ANNE MURRAY Her first charted single in Canada was Thirsty Boots - bet you didn't know that - but we're not sure what the Snowbird-singing soccer mom was drinking when she picked out these fluorescent-orange, size-7 Reeboks. 'We have a photo in our gallery of Anne wearing the same sneaker, but in a bright lemon yellow,' notes curator Beam-Borg. 'That style of high-top was very popular with women in the mid-1980s.'
DRAKE Anybody who wishes to replace the rapper at the top of the Canadian hip-hop heap has mighty big shoes to fill – size 12, to be precise. These boats by New Balance show signs of wear, according to Beam-Borg. “We’re always appreciative of that, when the celebrity donates a pair actually worn.” Sticking to his no-bling ethos, Drake wears practical running shoes rather than fashion sneakers or endorsement-deal Nikes.
NELLY FURTADO The playful singer wore these thigh-high numbers at the 2007 Juno Awards in Saskatoon, where she ruffled no feathers by descending from the rafters. The audacious boots, designed by Giuseppe Zanotti, fit Furtado’s size 7½ feet like a glove – even if they appear more appropriate for Cat Woman than the I’m Like a Bird lady.