Political history is mostly documented on paper. Files and documents are the most important sources available to historians in their research. But how are museum curators to address this subject? A room full of files and treaties is hardly an attractive prospect and could prove a little highbrow. Although difficult to come by, politicians' personal belongings can help here. They are symbolic objects that point to an event, a key period or a significant episode in history.

The red trainers belonging to former Member of the Swiss Federal Council Micheline Calmy-Rey are one such symbolic object. The Federal Councillor wore the shoes on 20 May 2003, when she was the first member of a foreign government to cross the border between North and South Korea. It was a huge step in Switzerland's foreign policy and underlined the role the country plays as a neutral mediator in global politics.

And for our fashion-conscious readers, it is worth mentioning that the red trainers emblazoned with the white Swiss cross were made by the footwear label Bally, a former Swiss company. Micheline Calmy-Rey auctioned them off in 2004, donating the proceeds to victims of a train accident in North Korea. The iconic Bally shoes eventually made it to the Swiss National Museum, where they remain to this day.

Micheline Calmy-Rey in 2008 in the Federal Council. Photo: Ruben Wyttenbach/Ex-Press

Micheline Calmy-Rey crosses the border between North and South Korea (German). Video: SRF

Micheline Calmy-Rey wore the red Bally shoes in 2003, when she was the first member of a foreign government to cross the border between North and South Korea. Photo: Swiss National Museum