But whatever joy the pink heels brought Malena Franco is long gone.

They are now a stark reminder of the 31-year-old mother’s murder and the yearly toll of domestic violence in Ontario.

The shoes are a highlight of the exhibit, Walk the Talk, on display at Christ’s Church Cathedral as part of Woman Abuse Awareness Month.

Ms. Franco is one of 30 women and 12 children who were murdered between November 2005 and November 2006.

The shoes tell their tragic stories, but hers are the only ones worn by an actual victim. In her case, she was beaten to death in July 2006 by her husband in the Brampton apartment they shared with their two sons.

He managed to flee the country before police could catch him, as a mournful tribute attests.

“Our family feels that if Malena’s husband is found or not, it will never replace our loved one or the empty space in our hearts.”

No less moving is a row of age-appropriate shoes resting on crushed egg shells.

They represent the horrifying events in Ottawa in April 2006, when Francine Mailly, 37, and her three children — Jessica, 12, Brandon, 9 and Kevin, 6 — were set on fire after her estranged husband shot them to death.

Penny Fisher, a member of the Toronto Woman Abuse Council that compiled the exhibit, said the goal is to put names to victims and encourage action before more women and children die.

“It doesn’t matter how long a person screams,” she said at this week’s launch of the display. “If no one hears and responds and helps, nothing changes and the body count continues.”

Ms. Fisher recounted her own experiences that led her to leave her husband after years of abuse. She said although she never laid charges, her husband used the threat of physical violence to maintain tight control over her life.

“Real love is never about fear, power and control,” she said. “Real love is about a kind, caring attention and respect.”

Clare Freeman, chair of Hamilton’s Woman Abuse Working Group, a coalition of 22 agencies, said domestic murders in Canada have dropped since the advent of women’s shelters in 1977 and many community programs since then. But she said the city still had two such murders last year.

Walk the Talk is on display at Christ’s Church Cathedral, 252 James St. N., from 10 a. m. to 2 p. m. Tuesday through Saturday this month.