Okke the Spider gets his own book full of adventures, shoes and fantasy!
Starting in October: Okke the Spider, the cheerful mascot of the Shoe Quarter, shines in his own book!
The adventures of Okke the Spider in the Shoe Quarter is an imaginative children's book, written by Paul van Loon and Olaf Vugts, with beautiful drawings by Lila Fay.
In this new book, Okke travels not only through the world, but also through time - in search of the most extraordinary shoes. His collection grows with each journey: from Cleopatra's sandal to a shoe by Picasso, and even a Seven Mile boot from Fairy Tale Land. Of course, every adventure begins in his secret starting point: the magical depot of the Shoe Quarter, where the time machine Typola is waiting.
Along the way Okke comes face to face with mummies, leather eaters, a werewolf and a family of singing centipedes. Fortunately, his best friend Sokke the centipede is always nearby.
"'I do remember running into one once in Egypt,'
'Really?' says Sokke.
'Yes indeed,' says Okke. 'He had been hiding in the Typola. 'Didn't I ever tell you that story? I traveled with the Typola to Egypt back then to find a very special ancient sandal, remember? That was my very first trip with the Typola."
The book is made especially for children up to about 10 years old, but also manages to enchant older people with fantasy, humor and a nod to the real museum. The adventures in the book connect to what you can discover in the Shoe Quarter - so take the story with you into the museum!
"A small step for Okke, a big step for the Schoenenkwartier in Waalwijk," says Paul van Loon. Together with Olaf Vugts, he wrote the book out of love for the Schoenenkwartier and with the desire to get children reading more.
The book will be published October 16, 2025, and will then be available exclusively at the Schoenenkwartier museum store and at the Readshop in Waalwijk (and online).
🔎 Tip! This summer you can already meet Okke at the Grand Hotel next to the museum. There he is staying among his suitcases full of souvenirs. Want to know more? Read more in this post visit us over the weekend!
