Within a short space of time, sneakers have become the most popular design object in the world. The exhibition Sneakers Unboxed offers you a behind-thescenes look at the footwear that has triggered technological breakthroughs, inspired new youth cultures and turned the fashion world on its head. Sneakers are bought and worn every day by millions of people worldwide. Over 1.1 billion pairs were sold in 2021 alone. Sneakers Unboxed combines the shoes’ history and cultural context with the latest innovations in design and sustainability.
Sneakers are the most important cultural artefact of our century. They bring together all our era’s big design themes: from sustainability to commerce, style to subculture, technology to fashion.’
What will you see?
There are four parts to the exhibition. Following the introduction, you move into the first part, devoted to Style. This is where you get to meet the young people from all over the world who have made their mark on sneaker culture. From the 1970s onwards, they have played an essential role in the sneaker’s evolution from sportswear to sought-after style icon. Discover the stories and the influence of people like Michael Jordan, Run DMC and Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier. The second part is titled Tipping Point. It focuses on the moment sneakers shifted from street style to high fashion. Around the turn of the millennium, sports brands, niche boutiques, small retailers, streetwear enthusiasts and forward-thinking fashion designers increasingly began to work together. The ‘collabs’ they created were at the forefront of the experimental trainer design that fuelled the rise of limited editions and today’s sneaker culture. Alongside must-see designs like the Yeezy 350 Zebra and a sneaker injected with holy water from the river Jordon, attention is paid to Off-White’s Virgil Abloh. You will also find collabs with Comme des Garçons, Y-3, Colette, BAPE, HTM, A-COLDWALL*, Martine Rose and Tom Sachs. Performance, the third part of the exhibition, presents the history of design innovation in the world of sneakers. Most of the sports shoes we now regard as innovative and ground-breaking grew out of design issues such as grip, cushioning, fit and stability – challenges that are still central to improving athletic performance today. Exhibits include one of the first Converse All Stars ever made, the Breathing Shoe developed by PUMA and the MIT Design Lab, the Reebok InstaPump Fury and the Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%, created with and for the marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge.
A sustainable future
The end of the exhibition is entitled Sustainability and Circular Design. Because the sneaker is the most widespread design object in the world, this billion-pound industry also causes significant environmental pollution and social injustice. In recent years, many designers have addressed this dilemma. This has led to innovation in materials, experimental production techniques and greater transparency in the production and supply process. Dutch designers Elisa van Joolen and Peterson Stoop, for example, work with second-hand trainers and samples that would otherwise be thrown away. Other designers and entrepreneurs are focusing on environmentally friendly shoes, such as Stella McCartney’s Loop trainers, every part of which is recyclable; Mylo, the leather made from mushrooms used by Adidas; and the French brand Veja, which makes its linings from recycled bottles. British designer Helen Kirkum produces custom-made trainers from recycled and discarded materials.
The Dutch story
The Sneakers Unboxed exhibition was originally developed for and by the Design Museum, London. The version that will be on display in Den Bosch not only looks very different, but also tells the story of sneaker culture in the Netherlands. For the first time, you can see all the collaborations ever made by the Dutch Patta together in one exhibition. The special bond between the Nike Air Max BW and Dutch gabber culture is also explored in detail. Skate culture is highlighted in the film about Fret Click, the Dutch skate crew that has had a major influence in the world of skateboarding and has produced prominent figures in the sneaker industry, such as Piet Parra and Woei. Piet Parra’s work is on display in the exhibition, along with other Dutch designers such as Studio Hagel, Elisa van Joolen and Peterson Stoop.
Public programme
The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive public programme with various activities. Sneakers Unboxed will also feature the online in-depth platform De Verdieping. Here you will find, among other things, the SneakEars podcast, in which designers and sneakerheads delve deeper into the themes of the exhibition. On the ground floor of the museum, the Young Design Team responds to the exhibition. In Sneakers Under Construction, they ask critical questions about the phenomenon of the sneaker and address topics such as manufacturability, sustainability, identity and inclusion. Based on an extensive programme and in collaboration with young designers and artists from various disciplines, they create an inspiring space for experimentation and reflection.n Joolen and Peterson Stoop.
Colophon
Sneakers Unboxed is a collaboration between the Design Museum, London and StockX, the global e-commerce marketplace for contemporary cultural products. The Dutch section of this exhibition has been curated by Adriënne Groen, with assistance from Bao Yao Fei. The curator of the exhibition in London is Ligaya Salazar, supported by Leo Aslany. The exhibition design is by Koehorst in ‘t Veld. The exhibition has been made possible with the support of the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund North Brabant, Fonds 21 and the municipality of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The Young Team Design is made possible by Fonds 21 EXTRA.
In collaboration with
The Design Museum
Sponsored by
StockX.
