More than 300 of Prince's 1,000 shoes will go on display at Paisley Park

By one archivist's count, Prince had more than 1,000 pairs of shoes. Custom-made, with 4-inch heels — except for the platform sneakers and roller skates. Of course, his footwear was sometimes obscured by his fancy pants.

Now Prince fans will get to see more than 300 pairs of his shoes up close in a new exhibit at Paisley Park titled "The Beautiful Collection."

The exhibit will open July 9 as part of the regular tours at Paisley. Featured will be video clips of Prince in the footwear and accounts from shoemakers including Andre No. 1 and Cos Kyriacou.

The cloud-covered boots Prince wore in his "Raspberry Beret" video will be there. So will the blue-beaded shoes he wore to the 1985 Academy Awards, where he received an Oscar for "Purple Rain."

"Prince continuously pushed the boundaries of fashion, music, and culture," curator Mitch Maguire said in a statement. "His expansive, incredible shoe collection is just one example of his artistic expression, personality, and lasting impact on fashion."

Maguire has taken over as Paisley's managing director after the departure of Alan Seiffert. Executive director since Oct. 1, 2019, Seiffert left last month; his family had never made the move from New York with him. Maguire, a former Paisley tour guide, has been promoted from preservationist/archivist.

Twitter: @JonBream • 612-673-1719